…He is the first African from the College to win the award
By Abdallah el-Kurebe
An Alumnus of the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA), Abdulmalik Kayode Yusuf, has won the 2023 edition of the George Laird Merit Fellowship at the University of Delaware, United States of America.
According to Levi Thompson, Dean College of Engineering, University of Delaware, Yusuf got the award, “In recognition of intellectual capability, engineering excellence, character, creativity, imagination and the necessary judgment to execute ideas.”
It is one of the most prestigious awards in the College of Engineering and the University itself. Yusuf is the first African in the College of Engineering to win the award, and the first mechanical engineering student to win it in 15 years.
According to the citation during the award ceremony, the University stated that Abdulmalik Kayode Yusuf is a Mechanical Engineering graduate from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, with a second class upper (4.48).
He graduated with a GPA that was close to a first class, but not quite.
This was a disappointment for him, and he challenged himself to put in more effort in everything he does.
In March 2022, Abdulmalik was offered a fully funded PhD at the University of Delaware, where he is currently a graduate research assistant in the materials tribology lab.
He knew this was another opportunity to prove himself, and he worked hard to succeed.
Yusuf is proud of his accomplishments, and he believes there will be more to celebrate in the future.
When Abdulmalik is not busy solving engineering problems or working on math puzzles, he enjoys playing soccer.
He is an exceptionally talented player. He was the best player of his department (MEE’18) at his university for four years, constantly winning several awards and medals for his team.
Alongside his passion for soccer, Abdulmalik is also an advocate for Sustainable Development Goals 3 and 4, focusing on good health and well-being and quality education, respectively.
He is an active volunteer for the Food and Genes Initiative (FAGI) and the Get Educated Get a Skill (GEGAS, Africa) foundation, working on sustainable and scalable solutions to combat drug abuse, malnutrition, and communicable & non-communicable diseases in Africa, starting with Nigeria.
Additionally, he has taken part in several public awareness programs, including improving access to quality education, for underrepresented and disadvantaged high school students from diverse backgrounds.
Abdulmalik is a driven and talented individual who is passionate about making a difference in the world. He is an inspiration to us all, and we are proud of his accomplishments.”
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Adenike Oladiji , has Congratulated Abdulmalik on the exceptional accomplishment.
“We congratulate him on this important milestone in his career. He has shown the world the Quality and exceptional excellence of products of our great University. He is indeed a Great Futarian,” the Vice Chancellor stated.
