NSBE - Convention 2018 - 13

While at Oxford, Mburu
will pursue a doctorate in
engineering science and will
likely focus on the development
of technology to improve heat
transfer properties inside
nuclear fusion reactors.

Naomi Mburu

NSBE Officer Is UK-Bound
as a Rhodes Scholar
N

By Kevin M. Briscoe

aomi Mburu, a 21-year-old chemical engineering major
at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and
NSBE's Region II vice chair, is one of 32 students from
across the country to receive the prestigious Rhodes
Scholarship for 2018. She is one 10 African-American recipients this year - a record number - and the first UMBC student
to receive this honor. The scholarships cover all expenses for
two or three years of study at the University of Oxford, in
England, starting in October of this year. The winners came
from a group of 866 applicants who were endorsed by 299 colleges and universities.
While at Oxford, Mburu will pursue a doctorate in engineering science. Her research will likely focus on the development
of technology to improve heat transfer properties inside nuclear
fusion reactors.
"It has been an unbelievable few months," says the Baltimore
native. "The group of scholars all (have) amazing life stories
and plans to change the world. It's an honor that the Rhodes
Trust has chosen to support my goals to both help make nuclear fusion a viable source of energy and to level the educational
playing field for students of all backgrounds."
She adds that the UMBC community has been very supportive of her "journey," which has also included work on the Large
Hadron Collider in Switzerland and France for the European
Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN).
"The fact that UMBC's first Rhodes Scholar is a black, female
engineer speaks volumes about the support the institution
provides to minority students pursuing STEM degrees," says
Mburu.
Mburu names Gymama Slaughter, Ph.D., an associate

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professor of computer science and electrical engineering at
UMBC, as her main mentor.
"She has not only refined my research skills, but she has
also provided guidance as I have contemplated different career
paths after college," Mburu says. "I really admire Dr. Slaughter's
ability to combine knowledge from a plethora of different fields
together to define and foster research projects."
For her part, Dr. Slaughter adds that: "(Mburu) brings a sense
of the real world with her. Her work ethic, maturity and savviness set her apart from other students. The skills she gained in
my laboratory helped focus her research interest in engineering science and renewable energy sources. We both share the
common goal to increase the mass number of underrepresented
minorities in STEM to reflect the community we live in, and
she has always been encouraged to take advantage of the diversity of backgrounds and disciplines here at UMBC."
Mburu has also garnered praise from her university's
president.
"We are delighted about Naomi's Rhodes Scholarship," says
Freeman A. Hrabowski III. "The award speaks volumes about
Naomi as a student, her passion for science, engineering and
equality in education, and the education she has received at
UMBC. She will be a tremendous leader and will continue to
inspire her peers and change people's lives through her work."
Mburu's post-Oxford plans remain up in the air, but she says
she may stay in Europe to continue postdoctoral research in
nuclear fusion. ■
Kevin M. Briscoe is a writer based in Atlanta, Ga., and a former
editor of NSBE Magazine.
NSBE MAGAZINE * CONVENTION 2018

* 13

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