Student Spotlights

On their home university campuses, KGSP students take advantage of many fun and educational activities to explore the intersection of their academic and personal interests. Engagement with activities outside the classroom is highly encouraged by the KGSP, as such opportunities allow students to expand their knowledge, broaden their social network, and develop their professional business acumen; qualities that will benefit and enrich their development both as students and as future leaders.

The KGSP’s Anmar Ahmad at RISE Germany

9/18/2024

Over the course of their time in the Program, KGSP students engage in activities and experiences that enrich their academic and professional careers. Through the guidance of Advisors and the Enrichment team, the Program fosters an environment of intellectual curiosity; encouraging and supporting students through their personal goals. Students identify their topics and subjects of interest, which they spend time developing through academic coursework, research, and internship opportunities in their undergraduate careers.

^{Image 1: Anmar Ahmad, junior at Ohio State University majoring in Chemical Engineering at the University of Goslar’s EFZN Energy Research Center in Germany.}

One such student, Anmar Ahmad, a junior at Ohio State University majoring in Chemical Engineering, spent the summer in the highly competitive German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) Research Internships in Science and Engineering (RISE) program. Funded by the German Federal Foreign Office, RISE Germany offers summer research internships in Germany for undergraduate students from North America, Great Britain, and Ireland. Once students are selected for this fellowship, they are matched with doctoral students and researchers from universities of applied sciences in areas that align with their interests, and are mentored through research topics in fields ranging from biology, chemistry, engineering, physics, and earth science.

In Germany, Anmar’s team’s research topic focused on studying lithium-ion batteries to better understand the influence of material impurities on the mechanical, electrochemical, and thermal properties of the material’s systems. “We did this by adding thin fiber-optic sensors inside the battery and ran multiple cycles under different conditions,” Anmar said. “Some of the tasks that I worked on [included] the preparation of batteries with fiber optical sensors, programming and supervising experimental routines, analysis of results and comparison for different operation conditions and degradation results, and systematic comparison of measurements with modelled data.” Anmar added that he first became familiar with RISE Germany through communication with the KGSP’s Enrichment team, and his passion for sustainability and eagerness to contribute to innovative solutions in energy led him to apply to the program. “I embarked on this journey because it related to the research on batteries I have been working on for the past couple years at my home university. Experiencing new cultures and exploring new places is [also] one of the reasons why I chose the RISE program.”

^{Image 2: Anmar (right) studied lithium-ion batteries at his RISE Germany internship assignment.}

On his major takeaways, Anmar said his experience is one he will remember for years to come. “Throughout this experience, I have been entrusted with tasks that are outside of my comfort area,” Anmar noted. “Over time, I developed a new mindset of logical thinking to tackle issues and utilize resources to come up with innovative solutions. I am more proficient with programming using python and MATLAB.”

The KGSP continues to support its students as they engage in enriching and competitive opportunities that push them towards their academic and professional goals. The Program looks forward to seeing its community of young changemakers continue to make an impact on the world.