Skip to main content
Princeton University
News
  • All Stories

Video: Engineering a difference

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on LinkedIn Email Print
By Mike Wood on July 6, 2009, 3:14 p.m.
Play video:

Engineering professor Winston (Wolé) Soboyejo discusses his camel solar refrigerator project, which may improve vaccine delivery in remote areas of Kenya and Ethiopia.

Related Stories

Choueiri and Soboyejo

Homeward bound: Princeton engineers promote science in their native countries .

The stories that Edgar Choueiri and Winston Soboyejo tell of their native countries and of their own careers are strangely similar. These two Princeton engineering professors came from societies where science blossomed for a time and then atrophied. Both left their native countries to earn their scientific credentials. And now both men find themselves drawn home again to give something back to the societies where they were first inspired.

Soboyejo and students

From atoms to Africa: Soboyejo tackles problems, inspires students .

Wole Soboyejo's outlook is global not only in terms of geography, but in the challenges he addresses and the way he approaches them. His ongoing, and simultaneous, research projects address problems in the areas of human health, sustainable energy and nanotechnology, to name just a few. Many of these initiatives combine the talent and expertise of scientists throughout the world through the U.S./Africa Materials Institute (USAMI), which Soboyejo founded and directs.

Ishani Sud

Student sows seeds of community-helping technology in Africa .

Since her arrival at Princeton, junior Ishani Sud has made a difference by thinking inside the box. Not just any box, but rather a solar-powered oven she designed her freshman year with classmate Lauren Wang, under the guidance of Wole Soboyejo, professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering. Powered by the sun’s energy and constructed with locally available materials, the ovens can be built and used in developing nations, thereby allowing advancement while preserving the environment and local economies.

Gordon Bloom

Creating opportunity: Engineering course empowers Princeton's social entrepreneurs .

The laboratory course taking place in the basement of Princeton's Friend Center is not a traditional one -- in lieu of microscopes, there are discussions of microfinance, and students seek to create not chemical changes, but social ones.

Hands-on engineering, campus visit inspire former refugees .

Through a partnership with Princeton engineers, children who once lived in refugee camps are learning about science and engineering as they design clay water filters and solar energy cookers. Addressing problems of clean water and affordable energy that they experienced first hand, the students also are gaining insights into the higher education process in the United States.

Little lifesavers: Nanoparticles improve delivery of medicines and diagnostics .

Tiny, biodegradable particles filled with medicine may also contain answers to some of the biggest human health problems, including cancer and tuberculosis. The secret is the size of the package.

Baby squid

2009 Art of Science competition .

The 2009 Art of Science competition highlights scientific images created during the course of research projects.

View All News
Princeton University

Main navigation

Meet Princeton
In Service of Humanity
Facts & Figures
History
Honors & Awards
Contact Us
Visit Us
Our Faculty
Our Students
Our Alumni
Our Staff
Our Leadership
Academic Freedom and Free Expression
Strategic Planning Framework
Academics
Studying at Princeton
Library
Areas of Study
Humanities
Social Sciences
Engineering
Natural Sciences
Advising
Academic Calendar
Course Tools
Learning Abroad
Career Development
Continuing Education
Innovative Learning
Research
Engineering & Applied Science
Humanities
Natural Sciences
Social Sciences
Dean for Research Office
Interdisciplinary Approach
External Partnerships
Facilities & Labs
One Community
Lifelong Connections
Student Life
Arts & Culture
Athletics
Living in Princeton, N.J.
Housing & Dining
Activities & Organizations
Cultural & Affinity Groups
Health & Wellness
Religious Life
Serving the Public Good
Families
Admission & Aid
Affordable for All
About Financial Aid
Current Undergraduate Financial Aid
Undergraduate Admission
Graduate Admission
For International Students

Dare to Venture
.

From the Present to the Possible

Athletics
.

Go Princeton Tigers

Utility menu

  • News
  • Events
  • Work at Princeton
  • Student Links
  • Alumni
  • Giving
  • Inside Princeton

Contact links

  • Contact Us
  • Accessibility Help
  • Directory

Visiting links

  • Plan a Visit
  • Maps & Shuttles
  • Varsity Athletics
  • Giving to Princeton

Academic links

  • Library
  • Academic Calendar
  • Student Links
  • Faculty & Staff Links

Footer social media

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • Snapchat
  • LinkedIn
  • YouTube
  • Social Media Directory
Diversity and Non-discrimination

Equal Opportunity and Non-discrimination at Princeton University: Princeton University believes that commitment to equal opportunity for all is favorable to the free and open exchange of ideas, and the University seeks to reach out as widely as possible in order to attract the most qualified individuals as students, faculty, and staff. In applying this policy, the University is committed to nondiscrimination on the basis of personal beliefs or characteristics such as political views, religion, national origin, ancestry, race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy and related conditions, age, marital or domestic partnership status, veteran status, disability, genetic information and/or other characteristics protected by applicable law in any phase of its education or employment programs or activities. In addition, pursuant to Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and supporting regulations, Princeton does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education programs or activities that it operates; this extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its supporting regulations may be directed to the University’s Sexual Misconduct/Title IX Coordinator or to the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights, Office for Civil Rights, U.S. Department of Education. See Princeton’s full Equal Opportunity Policy and Nondiscrimination Statement.
Princeton University
Princeton, NJ 08544
Operator: (609) 258-3000
© 2025 The Trustees of Princeton University

Subfooter links

  • Copyright Infringement
  • Privacy Notice