Mechanical engineering doctoral student earns prestigious SAE Doctoral Engineering Scholarship

Mechanical engineering doctoral student Adekanmi Adeyinka was recently awarded the prestigious SAE Doctoral Engineering Scholarship for the 2024-2025 academic year. Awarded by SAE International, a global engineering standards development and professional association aimed at advancing the aerospace and automotive engineering fields, the scholarship recognizes doctoral students demonstrating outstanding academic achievement and leadership who plan on teaching at the university level.

Adeyinka’s research focuses on the thermal characterization of lithium-ion batteries in order to improve battery safety and performance by understanding and mitigating the effects of various operational conditions. By analyzing heat generation, thermal conductivity and specific heat capacity, he hopes to gain insight into how batteries respond to charging, discharging and external temperature fluctuations.

“This is a critical area of study due to the growing reliance on lithium-ion technology in numerous applications, ranging from electric vehicles to portable electronics,” Adeyinka said. “This scholarship is a significant milestone in my academic journey and will enable me to continue my research on making lithium-ion batteries safe and contribute to the future of engineering education. I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to my advisor, Dr. Song-Yul Choe, and my research colleagues for their invaluable support.”

In addition to his academic pursuits, Adeyinka has led projects in sustainable energy deployment and policy advocacy in Nigeria.

“I’m doing my best to enrich my understanding of real-world challenges,” Adeyinka said. “Those experiences drive my commitment to advancing innovative solutions in engineering.”