Prof. Chigbo Aghaegbusi Mgbemene
University of Nigeria, Nsukka
Fall 2013
Prof. Chigbo Aghaegbusi Mgbemene is a Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). A Spring 2014 MIT-ETT Fellow, he is a leading expert in Renewable Energy Technologies, Gas Turbine Performance, and Fluid Dynamics. His career is defined by extensive international mobility; beyond MIT, he has served as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Massachusetts Lowell and a Visiting Researcher at the Bern University of Applied Sciences, Switzerland. His research is heavily focused on the “valorization of waste” and energy conversion. He has gained recognition for his work on converting agricultural residues (like rice husks and maize cobs) into bio-composite materials and energy sources. He also specializes in Solar Thermoelectric Generators (STEGs), investigating how phase change materials can be integrated into solar panels to improve their efficiency in Nigeria’s high-temperature climate. Prof. Mgbemene holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from UNN, with significant doctoral research conducted in the United States. His time at MIT was a catalyst for his venture into “Maker-Culture”; he is the founder of AEDJAC Systems Development, a private laboratory and maker-space that bridges the gap between academic theory and industrial prototyping. He uses this platform to mentor students in robotics, fabrication, and design. He is a recipient of the prestigious Holcim International Award for Sustainable Construction (Acknowledgement Prize) and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (UK). Prof. Mgbemene is deeply committed to indigenous manufacturing, actively researching the use of local clay and sawdust admixtures for producing low-cost, insulating building bricks for the Nigerian housing market.
