Grad Story #21  

 Grad Story #21

Charles Thumbi

Chemical Engineering, MS

What sparked your interest in Chemical Engineering?

Growing up I have always had an interest in finding out how things work and I guess this is what captured my interest. I was very curious and always seemed to take things apart; I would either put it back together or fail, getting me into trouble with my parents. It’s very interesting to note that everyone in my family is involved in some form of business career, but I took a different route. In college, I started out as a mechanical engineering student but after taking several chemistry classes and participating in a class tour to a refinery, my interest shifted to chemical engineering. I tend to think that chemical engineering gives you the necessary engineering skills, and goes a step further in building both business and social awareness skills. It’s a very versatile degree.

How did you come to study in the US?

My parents always strived and sacrificed to give us something they never had growing up. An education that allows you to look, meet up, grow and compete with peers all over the world was an opportunity they ensured my siblings and I received. Besides studying in Kenya, I also looked at the UK and Australia. The quality of programs at the US universities was an advantage, not to say that the presence of my siblings studying in other US universities wasn’t a factor.

So you had an eye for continuing education abroad?

Yes, I had met with former students from my high school who had studied abroad and they sort of cemented my thoughts on getting my college work done abroad. At the same time, it is typical for Kenyan students to take a year off prior to joining college. Having attended boarding school from age five, the one year sabbatical helped me focus on what I really wanted to do for a career.

Then you came to UND to do your Master's. Why did you choose UND?

I had some experience in the petro-chemicals industry as a process engineer. In the back of my mind I knew I wanted to further my studies, I just didn’t know when. I have always had a penchant for the energy and environmental fields, and as a matter of fact, at age eleven I was selected to present a paper on pollution control and benefits of agroforestry at a United Nations Environmental Program meeting in Nairobi. I was looking at a change of industries and talking with some of my former professors who had previously taught at UND, they encouraged me to look into UND’s graduate programs. I enjoyed the fact that UND is renowned for its expertise in the energy and environmental fields, and this was a strong factor in my choosing UND.

Why do you think mentorship is important?

I think aligning yourself with successful experts who are open to guiding you is very important for both personal and professional growth. Mentors have gone through the same hoops, made mistakes and have learned through them. This gives them a better understanding and appreciation for what they do, and in turn can pass that critical knowledge to someone else. I believe mentors open doors and take learning to a whole new experience.

Can you talk a little bit about your research?

Definitely; I have been very lucky to be involved in several multidisciplinary projects. Perhaps the most interesting one has been on carbon dioxide capture from fossil fired powered stations. Fossil fired electric generation power plants are the highest stationary emissions source of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. Together with other collaborators, we have developed a technology that uses solid sorbents that potentially have lower energy requirements and will not significantly add to the cost of electricity than competing technologies currently in development. Another project I was involved with was looking at innovative ways of using North Dakota sourced lignite coal for steam and electricity generation, while at the same time creating a saleable product. Relative to other types of coals such as a sub-bituminous grade, North Dakota lignite coal has very unique and interesting characteristics such as high moisture levels and alkali constituents, both of which tend to reduce the efficiency of any boiler and gas clean-up systems. These characteristics have sort of labeled North Dakota lignite as a troublesome fuel. To circumvent this issue, I looked at partial gasification as a way of generating syngas that could be fired in a boiler to generate high pressure steam while simultaneously producing carbon products that can be sold for profit. In simpler terms, value addition of North Dakota resources. A third project has been on mercury control, where my research group is looking at ways of increasing the capture and sequestration of mercury generated during taconite pellets processing. These are some of the high level projects I am working on, and are centered on the energy and environmental fields, which is always what I have always wanted to be involved with.

You got some positive results, are you continuing the research or switching gears a little?

Yes, the results from these projects are very positive. Each of the projects is at a different level, therefore will require a different focus. We are always trying to improve on our achievements and hence continual research and testing will be critical. Our research platform is always expanding and to stay competitive we have to approach businesses, industries and organizations alike in-order to capture the opportunities out there, ultimately growing our research portfolio.

You’ve graduated and you are now a researcher with UND’s brand new Institute for Energy Studies (IES), which is a multi-disciplinary campus-wide institute. Energy, clean energy and energy efficiency are huge buzzwords in industry, politics and education, so this Institute s very timely for our university, too.

Yes, it is. Energy security, efficiency and integration of renewables as a way to reduce or mitigate greenhouse gas emissions is a great challenge facing many nations. UND is renowned for its energy-related research and what the IES brings to the table is incorporation of other parallel parties such as public policy, education, business and law to the table. All these parties need to work hand in hand in creation of policies that affect our lives and the IES is expected to play a very big role.

Its mission is educating the community and students, but it also has research and outreach components making it accessible and vital for not only the people on campus but also for the broader community.

Yes, you’re right on the money! The institute incorporates the university’s mission of being a premiere energy university while also leading in educational programs. The institute brings a variety of people and stakeholders to the same table, and provides a platform where issues related to energy and policy can be discussed. Doing this through the university allows for easier accessibility to the community.

In many graduate programs the focus is on labs and classrooms. But the Institute of Energy Studies is drawing upon expertise from various other colleges, for collaborative work, can you talk about them?

One of the key missions of the Institute is provision of quality educational programs for both university students and the community. A key aspect of learning is collaboration and the institute takes this to a higher level by encouraging and incorporating partnerships between several colleges. Some of these colleges include engineering, education, aerospace science, business and economics, just to name a few. Utilizing the unique skill set and resources available at various colleges within the university allows for a richer student and community learning experience.

What’s your role in the Institute?

I am mainly involved in the research aspect of the institute where we’re looking at integrating various research programs within the university such as energy, law, public policy and economics under a single umbrella. One advantage of this umbrella research program is that information related to the impacts of various technologies and programs we study, and their subsequent impacts on economic and political decisions can be seamlessly communicated to stakeholders. This allows for advancement in the state of knowledge while significantly improving the efficiency in decision making.

Statewide, energy is such part of our day-to-day life, and it seems like research at UND is a perfect way to make people aware of that.

Sure, in terms of energy resources, the state of North Dakota is rich particularly with regard to coal, oil and natural gas as well as renewables such as wind. UND has been a clear supporter and leader when it comes to developing technologies of interest to the energy industry. This has been done through collaborative research with assistance from both the state and private entities. I believe that the continual support UND has received has allowed for really great ideas and solutions to materialize, and in turn the community has benefitted economically as wells as through other avenues such as education.

Where do you see your future research?

I love being a chemical engineer as there’s no single day where all problems are solved. I see a lot of potential in the areas of carbon dioxide clean-up, development of newer engineered materials, water and wastewater treatment, and the advancement and integration of fossil and renewable energy sources.

What advice do you have for students?

There’s quite a myriad of advice out there, but just to name a few; patience, hard work, willingness to learn, openness to new ideas, learning and moving on from past experiences, and most importantly utilizing the vast resources available at the university for one’s personal and professional growth. At the same time, having the capability to translate what you learn in the classroom to the start of a career is where most students have difficulty in. I would recommend getting an internship during the course of study as this experience really changes the way one views things.