Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH)

Monsuru's time at LAUTECH was marked by exceptional performance in research, academics, and leadership. He graduated with First Class Honours in 2021, ranking in the top 1% of his class. As a research assistant at the Bioenvironmental and Water Research Laboratory, he developed sustainable solutions for industrial wastewater. He produced activated carbon from agricultural and biomass waste through pyrolysis, engineered low-cost polymeric and biosorbent composite adsorbents, designed batch and continuous adsorption columns, and synthesized silver-gold nanoparticles from yam, potato, banana, and cassava peel extracts. This work led to his first peer-reviewed publications and earned him the 2021 Best Undergraduate Research Award. He was also named Best Student in Process Design and set a faculty record in Engineering Statistics with a score of 98/100

National Leadership

His leadership at LAUTECH quickly reached the national stage. As National President of the Nigerian Universities Engineering Students Association (NUESA), Monsuru represented every engineering student in Nigeria. He launched the association's first website, chat app, and e-library, growing registered membership to more than 10,000 within a year. He organized the first-ever National Engineering Summit and National Engineering Workshop, led general meetings drawing over 8,000 students, and built partnerships with the Nigerian Society of Engineers, COREN, APWEN, and the World Federation of Engineering Organizations. For this service, the President of the Nigerian Society of Engineers named him "Best Serving NUESA National President" at the 2020 NSE Conference in Abuja. The Executive Governor of Nasarawa State honored him as "Most Innovative and Outstanding Student Leader," and his classmates named him "Most Resourceful Student."

Early Industry Experience

Before graduate school, Monsuru gained valuable industry experience. At Addax Petroleum Development Nigeria Limited, he led a team of 16 in developing a Final Investment Decision for an onshore oil field. During his National Youth Service at the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCDMB), he monitored compliance with Nigeria's oil and gas content laws. He also served as Corps Camp Director and Governor of the Sustainable Development Goals group, earning a commendation for leadership from the NYSC State Coordinator.

Louisiana State University (LSU)

In 2022, Monsuru joined Louisiana State University as a George A. Daniels Graduate Fellow in the Cain Department of Chemical Engineering, under the mentorship of Professor John C. Flake. He earned his M.S. in Chemical Engineering in 2024 and his Ph.D. in 2026, with a dissertation titled "Sustainable Chemical Production through Electrochemical Conversion of CO₂." His research addresses climate change by converting carbon dioxide into valuable chemicals such as ethylene, ethanol, and acetate. By engineering copper-based alloy electrocatalysts, alongside gas diffusion electrodes and anion exchange membranes, he achieved Faradaic efficiencies of up to 90% for C₁ products and 75% for C₂ products, with sustained, record-level selectivity at industrial current densities. He used density functional theory to link copper surface charge to C₂ selectivity, enabling rational catalyst design. He also invented a dual-membrane electrolyzer configuration that solves product crossover and allows efficient liquid product collection. Monsuru's research laid the foundation for Encore CO₂. His work went beyond publications: he turned scientific discovery into physical technology, designing and building the catalysts, electrodes, and electrolyzer systems that became the core of the company. His research is a clear example of a laboratory breakthrough growing into a venture-backed startup. His work also extended to the direct electrochemical conversion of CO₂ into organic carbonates, and he supplied the acetate he produced to collaborating groups for spirulina cultivation and cellulose acetate synthesis. Beyond CO₂, he contributed to Semiconductor Research Corporation-supported studies on copper-epoxy interconnect adhesion for next-generation semiconductor packaging. His technical expertise spans X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning and transmission electron microscopy (SEM, TEM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), synchrotron X-ray techniques, and computational modeling. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 publications and conference contributions, and holds 2 patents.

From Research to Industry

As Chief Technology Officer of Encore CO₂, a venture-backed Baton Rouge startup, Monsuru directs all research and development for electrolyzers that convert captured CO₂ into carbon-based chemicals and fuels. Under his technical leadership, the team exceeded its NSF SBIR Phase I targets, achieving over 50% Faradaic efficiency for C₂ products at 0.5 A/cm². He scaled the system from 5 cm² to a four-cell, 100+ cm² configuration while cutting per-unit manufacturing cost from about $2,400 to about $950, designed the product separation unit, and built techno-economic and life cycle assessment models. These results helped secure more than $933,000 in non-dilutive funding, including a $363,000 Shell GameChanger Award, a $275,000 NSF SBIR Phase I grant, a $200,000 LSU FUEL grant, and a $50,000 FUEL pitch competition prize. In 2026, he became Director of Engineering at Geaux Scale, where he leads engineering support for more than 20 Louisiana hard-tech companies scaling from lab to pilot to production across hydrogen, alternative energy, waste-to-value, advanced materials, and space technology.

Honors and Recognition

His excellence has earned wide recognition. He received the 2026 CAS Future Leaders Award as one of 100 selected worldwide, and the 2025 ECS F. M. Becket Summer Fellowship as one of four recipients. He was one of 30 selected for the 2025 Dow BEST Industry Symposium and the sole recipient of the 2025 Industrial Electrochemistry and Electrochemical Engineering Division Student Achievement Award. He also holds the ECS-IOP Trusted Reviewer Status Award. Among others.

Service and Community

At LSU, Monsuru continued his tradition of service. As Vice President and later President of the African Graduate Students Association, he served more than 200 African graduate students under the vision "Unite, Build, Thrive." He launched the association's website, a peer mentorship program, pre-arrival orientation and airport pickups for new students, a mock interview program, and the "Africans in Research" symposium. He was also recognized by the Louisiana Organization for Refugees and Immigrants for his work on World Refugee and Immigrant Day, and he mentors undergraduate and high school students through STEM outreach. He is a member of Sigma Xi, Omicron Delta Kappa, the Electrochemical Society, the American Chemical Society, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the National Society of Black Engineers, NOBCChE, the Society of Petroleum Engineers, and the Nigerian Society of Engineers.

No Magic In Success

From turning agricultural waste into adsorbents that purify water, to turning captured CO₂ into carbon-based chemicals, fuels, and even agricultural solutions, Monsuru's career has been guided by one idea: every waste is a resource waiting to be unlocked. He believes success comes not from magic, but from hard work, continuous learning, and an unwavering commitment to excellence. This conviction earned him the nickname "No Magic In Success (NMIS)" among his peers and colleagues. It reflects his relentless dedication and his belief that greatness comes from pushing beyond comfort zones, setting ambitious goals, and maintaining the discipline to achieve them.