Newsletter

Fall 2015
Bringing together African and U.S. scientists
Encouraging scientific discussions between U.S. and East African scientists
Empowering each other to discover the possibilities in sustainable energy development

SciBridge has officially launched its first newsletter!

We aspire to strengthen scientific discussions between U.S. and east African scientists. Here, we will
bring you the latest news about SciBridge projects as well as fellowships, funding opportunities, and
renewable energy developments in Africa and the U.S.

The newsletter will be used to connect all

members current, former, and future. We
encourage growing connections and a desire
to better understand energy development.
Connecting Members

The newsletter will be used to share information

on Africa-U.S. science collaborations. We will
provide updates on funding, scholarships, new
ideas ,and developments.
Stay tuned for quarterly updates on how our
year is going!
Providing Updates & Sparking
Innovation

Have an idea to share?

Contact us! We would love to hear feedback on what to include in our
upcoming newsletters.

Contacts:

Veronica Augustyn, North Carolina State University SciBridge Chair & U.S. Organizer vaugust@ncsu.edu
John Paul Eneku, Makerere University SciBridge Vice-Chir & Africa Organizer enekujohnpaul@yahoo.com
B. Reeja Jayan, Carnegie Mellon University Newsletter Advisor
Kevin Yee, University of Texas at Austin Editor in Chief kevinyee@utexas.edu

Bringing together African and U.S. scientists

Our
Year
in
Review
2014-2015
In
Review
Summer 2015
SciBridge has had an eventful year! This past
academic year, 25 kits on two topics, dyesensitized solar cells and aluminum-air batteries,
were shipped to 9 partner universities in Africa. In
total, our project connected 9 African universities
with 6 U.S. universities.

Physics students at Gulu University testing

the potential across a dye sensitized solar
cell.

Our year started with the shipment of dye

sensitized solar cell kits. Using natural dyes found in
the environment, our students discovered the
potential in using readily-found ingredients in their
backyards to power photo- electrochemical
systems.

SciBridge developed a second project

shortly afterwards. This project gave
students the supplies to fabricate an Al-air
battery, which was used to light up
different color LEDs.
The kit demonstrated electrochemical
energy conversion in a metal air battery.
In this experiment, students learn about
electrochemical potential, batteries, and
LEDs.

Blue LED powered by an Al-air battery

assembled from a SciBridge experiment
kit.

The collaboration between multiple

universities in the U.S. and Africa has truly
allowed SciBridge to grow. Thank you to
all our volunteers and all the students that
are involved. SciBridge will continue to
strive to foster scientific discussions
between U.S. and African scientists.
UT Austin volunteers assembling kits to ship to African
universities.

Bringing together African and U.S. scientists

Member Spotlight:
John Paul Eneku:
At SciBridge, our leaders and community members offer their time and
efforts to bridge scientific knowledge across geographical boundaries.
This quarter, we would like to recognize John Paul Eneku. John Paul is
one of the founding members of SciBridge and serves as our Africa
organizer. His exceptional dedication to his students and research has
allowed this organization to continue growing. In the development of
SciBridge, John Paul explains his vision. He envisions Network
advancing cutting-edge academic research to be shared in materials
science between universities at two continents.
This vision all came to life at the end of the Joint U.S.-Africa Materials
Initiative (JUAMI) research school in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia back in
2012.

John Paul Eneku M.Sc.

Getting to Know John Paul:

John Paul comes to us from Soroti, Uganda. Early in his academic career, John Paul found his interests in
materials science, solar energy, electricity, and electronics. This led him to complete his undergraduate and
graduate studies at Makerere University. When asked about the origins of his interests, John Paul explains
that the potential to provide quality products to make human life better is a fundamental force in fueling
his research.
When John Paul is not involved in teaching or research, he enjoys indoor games and traveling.
In respect to where in the world he would like to visit, John Paul expresses that hes willing to see any new
place outside of his own country.
In my closing interview with John Paul, I was able to ask him for some advice.

If a kid walked up to you asking for your advice, and you only had a few minutes to give your best tip, what
would it be?
His Response: Answers to human consumption needs can be found within our natural environment. But
you will have to join school to study hard how best to exploit these natural resources.