“It’s a dream of mine to be selected for such a prestigious opportunity,” says Dr Ogunlaja who received an email in August from Fulbright to let him know that he had been selected.
Thousands of researchers globally apply for this scholarship, and the success rate is around 20%. Nelson Mandela University is extremely proud of him.
“The major advantage of the scholarship is it fosters global knowledge exhange. I will be exposed to- and contribute high-level research in my field, and bring it back to Mandela University and South Africa,” says Dr Ogunlaja who will collaborate with researchers in his field of speciality in the Department of Chemistry at Wake Forest University.
Candidates are selected on the basis of ground-breaking research. In Dr Ogunlaja’s case his research is focused on technological innovation required for the critical transition to sustainable or green energy.
“My research is focused on the photocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen (N₂) into green fuels, such as methanol and ammonia, contributing to the development of a global green hydrogen economy.
“CO₂ is the greenhouse gas that's a primary cause of climate change. So, my research is about solving that problem by literally pulling it out of the atmosphere. Using only sunlight and water, we convert this CO₂ into methanol, which is a green fuel. In the same process, we turn nitrogen into ammonia. The exciting part is that these resulting fuels and chemicals can then be used to decarbonise tough industries like maritime shipping.”
In addition, Dr Ogunlaja explains, “producing this kind of fuel usually consumes a huge amount of energy. However, our research uses sunlight, water and novel catalysts to do the heavy lifting, which slashes the energy needed and represents a major step forward.”
His long-term goal is “to become a leader who bridges a critical gap: creating chemical solutions that industries can use to become more sustainable, while also ensuring I train the next generation of researchers who will come after me.”
He has supervised and co-supervised numerous MSc and PhD students to completion and has hosted several postdoctoral fellows. “It’s essential for knowledge to be transferred to the next generation and to keep society growing sustainably through skills transfer,” he adds.
Dr Ogunlaja did his doctorate in chemistry at Rhodes University and has been at Nelson Mandela University for ten years. He has completed year one of the esteemed South African Future Professors Programme (FPP), a two-year programme focused on developing the future professoriate.
He is an active member of the South African Chemical Institute, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and the American Chemical Society. His research excellence is nationally recognised through his National Research Foundation (NRF) C2 rating. He is the recipient of several accolades, including the 2014 SASOL-South African Chemical Institute (SACI) Postgraduate Medal, the 2019 Nelson Mandela University Emerging Researcher of the Year award, and in 2024 Nelson Mandela University Research Excellence Award.
Ahead of his departure to the US, Dr Ogunlaja attended the pre-departure orientation for the Fulbright Research Scholarship with the US Ambassador in Pretoria,” he concludes.