PRODUCT | Egerton University has recently launched a Material Science Physics Laboratory equipped with tools and resources worth millions of Kenyan shillings to support the education and research of its students at its main campus in Njoro. The new lab provides students access to state-of-the-art equipment and supports advancing necessary research in the field.
The launch demonstrates Egerton University's commitment to fostering academic excellence and supporting students in their pursuit of knowledge, empowering the next generation of leaders, innovators, and thinkers, especially in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), by providing students with the tools and resources they need to succeed.
Dr Tabitha Amollo in the new lab that provides students with access to state-of-the-art equipment
and supports the advancement of significant research in the field.
Dr Tabitha Amollo, a lecturer in the Department of Physics at Egerton University, is a driver behind the laboratory. Her current research is focused on developing cutting-edge nanomaterials for energy conversion devices, including graphene nanomaterials.
You display a heart for the community: First, you donated a refrigeration system to a local rural clinic, and now, you have established a research lab. Tell us about the motivation behind these endeavours.
My driving force for research is to be an agent of change, that is, to positively impact other people's lives. Each time I carry out a research project of whatever type, I ask myself how it will affect our society. There are many challenges today around energy, climate change, health, nutrition, general well-being, etc. For me, research is a powerful tool in our hands to provide solutions to these challenges and make the world a better place. Training the next generation of researchers is my other motivation. Passing on research skills to tomorrow's research leaders is imperative because the world's challenges metamorphose with time.
What are some of the infrastructure challenges that physicists face in Kenya?
It is a struggle to successfully carry out innovative research in Kenya and, by extension, most African countries. Scientific research requires substantial infrastructural investment in building (lab space), equipment, consumables, software, and utilities, which have cost implications. Hence, when designing a research project, from the onset, one has to limit the ideas depending on the available infrastructural capacity.
Will initiatives like these hamper the African Brain Drain?
Yes. When I completed my PhD, I was passionate about building my nation with the knowledge I had obtained. However, the reality of limitation checks in when you don't have the necessary research facilities. Thus, such initiatives are a part of checking the game plan for the African brain drain.
How important is it to stay current with technology in the fields of STEM?
Well, it is unavoidable. As I said, the world's challenges metamorphose over time, so innovative technologies are necessary to solve these problems. Besides, efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and versatility drive innovation in STEM. That is a continuous quest for better, simpler and cheaper alternatives.
What are some of the challenges in keeping the equipment functional?
The main challenge in equipment maintenance is the lack of funds. For example, acquiring nonfunctional/broken-down parts and equipment consumables requires running budget allocation. We plan to introduce user-friendly bench fees to help acquire the lab consumables.
Share some of the projects that this lab helped to enable.
So far, two research projects have been successfully undertaken in the lab. The development of cutting-edge solar energy conversion nanomaterials for fabricating a solar-driven refrigeration system and testing Graphene-based nanomaterials for solar energy conversion applications.
Tabitha Amollo, in conversation with Heidi Sonnekus
