Ryan Mbagna-Nanko is a College of Engineering, Computing and Applied Sciences student in the Bridge to Doctorate Program pursuing his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a focus on dynamics and control. He is currently a member of the Interdisciplinary Intelligence Research Program under the guidance of Sophie Wang. Before coming to Clemson, he earned his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maryland-Baltimore County, where he was a Meyerhoff Scholar, a program focused on supporting underrepresented students committed to pursuing graduate degrees in the STEM fields. His journey with Clemson University began when he applied and was accepted into the college’s STEM ALL IN program; like many other students, through this program he gained first-hand experience in the opportunities and benefits of a graduate degree from Clemson. Ryan was especially impressed that faculty such as Associate Deans for Inclusive Excellence Oliver Myers and Melissa Smith took time away from their busy schedules to meet and spend time with these students.
Because of this and other experiences, Ryan is more focused than ever on giving back to help other students thrive and achieve their goals. While he has been inspired by several mentors during his academic career, one of the most influential was his first, Onyeama Osuagwu, his mentor during his ASPIRE internship at Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Lab during high school. This internship provided him with a first-hand look at the practical side of the life of an engineer, an opportunity later augmented by his Undergraduate Research Experiences that prepared him for the research required for graduate work. Ryan was especially impressed by Osuagwu’s entrepreneurial experiences and his ability to inspire the next generation of engineers. Because of his experiences with mentors like Myers, Smith, and Osuagwu, Ryan sees himself as both a contributor to society as an engineer and a role model encouraging others to achieve their goals.
