Oluwafunmilola Ola is a Leverhulme Early Career Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, where she is exploring the fundamentals and applications of functional nanocomposites for energy conversion and storage. She obtained her PhD degree in Chemical Engineering from Heriot-Watt University in 2014, for which she was awarded the RSC Energy Sector PhD Thesis Prize. Following this, she completed postdoctoral research training in Edinburgh and Exeter on carbon dioxide photoreduction and thermal energy storage, respectively. She has extensive experience in the synthesis, characterization and testing of nanostructured materials for energy applications and her work has been described in over 50 conference proceedings, book chapters and journal publications (including 4 invited articles and 1 ESI 1% Highly Cited Paper). The quality and importance of her work is clearly reflected by authorship of invited book chapters, numerous invited talks, several prizes and appointment to leadership and advisory roles for several journals and research funding agencies.
She acts as an excellent ambassador to promote opportunities and recognition for colleagues in science and engineering. As an active STEM ambassador, she has participated in school visits and several universities offer holders visit and open day events aimed at enthusing young people in Nottingham, Edinburgh and Exeter. At Exeter, she has designed and led activities such as Aurora Leadership Masterclass and International Women in Engineering Day targeted at supporting the development of transferable skills and creating an inclusive environment for engineering students and staff. These initiatives are supported by the departmental inclusivity budget and Research Led Initiative Awards. In recognition of her service, she was awarded the University of Exeter Above and Beyond Bronze Award 2019 for community.
