Featured Students
Martin Osei
(King-Mertz Distinguished Research and Creative Activity Award, Master's Thesis Award of Excellence)
Martin Osei thesis and research is on Development of phase change thermal storage medium: Cooking with more power and versatility. A resourceful and collaborative Mechanical Engineer with several years of research experience and advising teams of students and global collaborators on manufacturing, operations, and maintenance of renewable energy systems and sustainable cooking technologies. Martin Osei designs, optimizes, and analyzes the energy stored and power distributions of thermal storage materials for renewable energy applications.
- More information about Martin Osei Thesis and Research: Development of Phase Change Thermal Storage Medium: Cooking with More Power and Versatility
- More about Martin
Anthony Amotoe-Bondzie
(King-Mertz Research and Creative Activity Award of Excellence, LCBT)
Anthony is passionate about sustainability and food safety, focusing on their economic, risk management, and communication aspects. I strive to develop innovative solutions that enhance food safety, promote sustainable practices, and empower rural communities.
Christine Kariuki
(Research and Creative Activity Grant, Williams Travel Grant, GSAC Scholar, LCBT)
Investigating validity of Environmental Kuznets Curve hypothesis in Kenya: The role of renewable energy, trade openness, agriculture and FDI.
Isaiah Adegoke
(Hammand Society of Graduate Scholars, King-Mertz Research and Creative Activity Award of Excellence, LCBT)
Quality Assurance Technician at Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages with a background in Technology and Sustainability and a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. Skilled in quality control, process improvement, HACCP, and food safety systems within beverage manufacturing. Passionate about driving efficiency, ensuring product excellence, and applying continuous improvement principles to real-world operations.
Rebecca Gaisie
(Distinguished Graduate Student Award- Sustainability, Student Advisory Council Scholarship, King-Mertz Research and Creative Activity Award of Excellence, LCBT, Hamand Society of Graduate Students)
In Rebecca Gaisie's exact words: “I came to Eastern Illinois University looking for a place to belong. I had no idea God was about to exceed every expectation I ever had. Through leadership, research, mentorship, and global outreach, I was blessed with opportunities that shaped both my purpose and my future. This journey was never mine alone. I am deeply grateful to every mentor, professor, supervisor, colleague, friend, and family member who believed in me, guided me, challenged me, and created space for me to grow.”
Joel Holison
(GSAC Scholar, LCBT)
Assessing the knowledge on sustainability and barriers to daily sustainable practices among faculty and students in Higher Education: The case of Eastern Illinois University. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt | Project/Program/Process Management Enthusiast | Total Quality Management Devotee | Continuous Improvement and Sustainability. Joel is only looking to become an efficient and resourceful operative and employ my skills, good human relations, and experience to achieve high performance in every area of service.
Gloria Darkoh
(Student Advisory Council Scholarship)
In Gloria exact words, “I am an EHS, Sustainability, ESG, and Data Analytics professional who combines environmental and occupational safety expertise with data analytics to help organizations identify risks, improve compliance, reduce environmental impact, and strengthen operational performance. My experience spans Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS), OSHA compliance, safety audits, incident investigation, root-cause analysis, corrective and preventive actions (CAPA), risk assessments, environmental impact assessments, Environmental & Social Risk Management, and sustainability implementation. I also have hands-on experience with Scope 1, Scope 2, and Scope 3 GHG accounting, carbon-footprint analysis, emissions-reduction planning, ESG reporting, environmental compliance, sustainability strategy, and Environmental & Social covenant monitoring. I bring a strong analytical approach to EHS and sustainability, using Excel, Power BI, SQL, Python, R, Tableau, ArcGIS Pro, Watershed, and Environmental & Safety Management Systems to analyze data, identify trends, build dashboards, monitor KPIs, and translate findings into corrective actions and management recommendations. My academic background includes an M.S. in Sustainability and Quality Systems, an M.S. in Global Sustainability Solutions (Distinction), a B.S. in Actuarial Science, and advanced training in Data Analytics. I am interested in roles at the intersection of EHS, sustainability, environmental compliance, climate strategy, risk management, and data analytics, where I can use data to improve worker safety, environmental performance, regulatory compliance, and sustainable business outcomes.”
Grace Wilken (Plummer Research Award)
Grace Wilken enrolled in the dual degree program Sustainable Energy and MBA. While working as a graduate assistant, Grace implemented composting at the dining halls on campus and partnered with the Charleston Water Treatment Plant to analyze the material in order to determine the most effective balance of nutrients for growing herbs and food. Click here to read more about Grace's research project.
Tanmay Pant (Outstanding International Student)
Belonging to a small town from the foothills of Himalayas, Tanmay Pant has always been passionate about development of renewable sources of energy. Click here to read more about the story of Tanmay.
Tajdar Ahmed (Outstanding International Student, King-Mertz Research Award and Plummer Research Award)
Tajdar Ahmed is an international student with a keen interest in studying sustainable energy development and he began his journey with EIU in Fall 2016. His choice of a Master’s program at EIU came after great research and consideration of a handful of reputed universities that offer a Master’s in this field. Click here to read more about Tajdar.
Nalini Priya Uppri
Nalini Priya Uppri, a graduate student in the EIU Master of Science in Sustainability, attended Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy in Chicago, IL Aug. 6-18, 2015. This is a full conference workshop organized by Energy Initiatives and UI Labs of the University of Illinois at Chicago. Click here to view the powerpoint presentation slides for her research project Biz-E-Bikes: Reinventing the Wheel. Click here to read her research paper, co-authored by Andrew Beck, Electric-assist Bicycle Retrofits in the City of Chicago.
Rajesh Venkata Goriparthi
Rajesh Venkata Goriparthi, a graduate student in the EIU Master of Science Sustainability program, attended the Sustainability for All (SE4ALL) Forum on May 7-9, 2015, in New York City. The conference was organized by United Nations. Click here for more information about this forum.
Hector Daniel Flores
Hector Daniel Flores cares about keeping Earth sustainable. So, it’s only fitting that Flores picked Eastern Illinois University’s Sustainable Energy program to pursue his interests. Yet, unlike other students, Flores had the power to pick from any master’s program in the United States. And he chose EIU.
Flores, an international student from Honduras, earned the recognition as a Fulbright Scholar. The highly competitive scholar program is sponsored by the U.S. State Department, for the purpose of attracting others from different countries to study in the United States. The program pays for their schooling, and the scholars work with an adviser to pick a program that matches their academic interests. To Flores, it was only natural to pick EIU’s sustainable energy program focused on creating leaders and managers in the growing field. Click here to read more.
Patrick Lyons
Even though Patrick Lyons had already applied to the EIU School of Technology graduate studies, he knew he wanted to join the Master of Science in Sustainability graduate program “the minute he heard rumors about the program developing.” His desire for success empowered him to be one of the first students to go through the dual degree program for a Master of Science in Sustainability and a Master of Science in Technology. To read more about Patrick, click here.
Wei Wang
Wei Wang is a graduate student in Technology currently working with Dr. Peter Ping Liu and Dr. Jerry Cloward to compare the energy conversion efficiency from burning different biomass. According to Wei, higher conversion efficiency fuels could be identified through comparison, thus providing more alternatives for renewable energy resources and gradually replacing the burning of fossil fuels. To read more about Wei Wang and his research in energy conversion efficiency from burning different biomass, click here.
Sunil Thapa
Sunil Thapa was the first applicant for the Masters of Science in Sustainability program at EIU. He is an international student who grew-up in a rural community in the country of Nepal, a nation situated between India and China. Under the direction of Dr. Tom Canam, a faculty member in the EIU Biological Sciences Department, Suni researched natural means (such as cellobiose dehydrogenase deficiet strain (m4D) of Trametes versicolor) to modify lignin from bioenergy crops such as Miscanthus straw. To read more about Sunil Thapa and his research in renewable energy and sustainable bioenergy, click here.
