Two ChE PhD Students Win Big at Competition
Qudus Rafiu and Lawrence Ajayi accepting the NPG x Liberty Mutual Business Case Competition Award. Courtesy Photo.
Qudus Rafiu, PhD’28, and Lawrence Ajayi, PhD’27, chemical engineering, attended the same undergraduate university but only interacted briefly until they happened to join the same lab during Lawrence’s master’s at Ohio University. Since then, they have become close friends and have worked together in research and studies. Recently, their teamwork helped them win the second-place prize in the NPG x Liberty Mutual Business Case Competition.
Qudus Rafiu and Lawrence Ajayi are both PhD students in the chemical engineering program at Northeastern University. Before coming to Northeastern, Qudus and Lawrence both completed their undergraduate studies in chemical engineering at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, back in their home, Nigeria. However, Qudus and Lawrence only interacted briefly until years later when Lawrence was completing his master’s degree at Ohio University, where Qudus joined the same lab as Lawrence did a year later and they reconnected.
From there, Qudus and Lawrence quickly became friends as well as research partners, and later transitioned to Northeastern. Both wanted to further their academic careers by pursuing a PhD degree, and they chose Northeastern. “It was this quest for knowledge that made me want to pursue a PhD. I am passionate about research and finding solutions to some of these problems in society,” shared Qudus, who claims that seeking a PhD was an easy decision for him. For Lawrence, coming from a family of teachers, he knew continuing an academic route was the right decision for him.
At Northeastern, Qudus and Lawrence both work as research assistants at the REPRODUCE Lab under the supervision of Assistant Professor Damilola Daramola. Research in the REPRODUCE Lab focuses on trying to convert waste into valuable resources and materials. Currently at the lab, Lawrence is working on how to sustainably extract critical elements from coal mining waste. Qudus is focused on transforming industrial liabilities—such as CO2 emissions and wastewater from the oil and gas industry—and converting them into value-added products like calcium carbonate.
Nigerian Professional Group x Liberty Mutual Business Case Competition
The Nigerian Professional Group (NPG) is a community of Africans in the diaspora focused on lifelong learning, leadership development, empowerment, and networking. The group hosts annual conferences. The NPG 2025 Conference brought together about 150 students, professionals, and entrepreneurs; and the theme was “Elevating African Excellence in Leadership and Innovation”.
At this year’s conference, held in collaboration with the Northeastern African Graduate Student Association (AGSA), Qudus and Lawrence participated in the NPG x Liberty Mutual Business Case Competition. They were tasked with advising a biopharmaceutical company on whether to acquire a new startup and invest in new drug developments. Though initially challenged, they quickly realized their PhD training and STEM backgrounds gave them a unique advantage. The cost analysis skills they had developed in chemical engineering courses proved especially valuable in crafting their recommendation.
To best advise the biopharmaceutical company, they examined the number of drugs in development, their research and development capabilities, market access, strategic fit, and the valuation and profitability of the drug pipeline. Additionally, they evaluated the various risks associated with integrating Global Pharm, the client, and Bio Future (the startup under consideration). They recommended to proceed with the acquisition only if comparable or lower-cost alternatives were unavailable closer to where the client was based (Germany), and if a comprehensive talent-retention and training plan was implemented.
Qudus and Lawrence accepting their award of $1000. Courtesy Photo.
Qudus and Lawrence came in second place in the NPG x Liberty Mutual Business Case Competition and received a $1,000 prize. They both found the competition incredibly engaging and said it helped them develop business skills applicable to their engineering work and other crucial career abilities—including working under tight deadlines, breaking down complex problems into logical solutions, and communicating effectively as a team.
Though this was their first business case competition, Qudus and Lawrence are grateful for the experience and eager to compete again. As they continue their research in chemical engineering and sustainability, they plan to apply their newfound business skills to expand and strengthen their work.