Published April 8, 2019 This content is archived.
Philip Odonkor, a PhD student in mechanical engineering, is one of 15 UB students who has been named a recipient for the 2019 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence.
Originally from Ghana, Odonkor’s National Science Foundation-funded research — which he is completing in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) under the direction of Kemper Lewis, Moog Professor of Innovation and MAE department chair — has yielded featured journal publications, along with first place at UB’s Three Minute Thesis and Transforming Our Tomorrow competitions.
"Phil's research is at the cutting edge of building energy systems, sustainability, and machine learning and he is positioned to be a transformational leader in science and education," said Lewis.
Within the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Odonkor has been a PhD teaching fellow, student ambassador and mentor for the BEAM and “Science is Elementary” outreach programs. He was also an invited speaker at the 2018 TEDxBuffalo and a North Carolina State University Building Future Faculty Fellow.
The Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence was created in 1997 to recognize students who have best demonstrated, and have been recognized for, the integration of academic excellence with accomplishments in the areas of leadership, athletics, community service, creative and performing arts, campus involvement or career achievement.
The UB awardees were recognized at a reception on April 3 held on University at Buffalo North Campus. Recipients were also invited to a ceremony on April 24 in Albany.