Date: November 21, 2025 (Friday)
Time: 3:00-4:00pm
Venue: Brainstorming Area, Tam Wing Fan Innovation Wing One
This talk will offer an inside look at Olin College’s human-centered, project-driven approach to engineering. Olin’s college of Engineering embraces a pioneering model of teaching and learning engineering that is forward-thinking, project-based, and centered on collaboration between faculty, and between faculty and students. Dr. Kenechukwu “Kene” Mbanisi shares how Olin students design with users, prototype boldly, and address complex real-world challenges in robotics, accessibility, sustainability, and community development. Through inspiring student stories and practical insights, HKU students will see how design thinking, rapid iteration, and hands-on experimentation fuel transformative innovation, inspiring them to continue building meaningful impact in their own journeys.
He was born in Lagos, Nigeria, where he developed a passion for engineering and robotics. He received his Ph.D. in Robotics Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI) in 2022 where his research focused on developing human-centric AI systems that enhance human capabilities in a range of shared tasks (such as co-driving). Kene has an M.S. in Robotics Engineering from WPI and a B.Eng. in Electrical and Electronic Engineering from Covenant University in Ota, Nigeria.
In addition to his scholarship, Kene is deeply committed to equity and access in STEM education and contributes to a number of community outreach programs. He serves as the coordinator of the Pan-African Robotics Competition (PARC) Engineers League, a program that mentors young aspiring robotics enthusiasts from over thirty African countries. During his time at WPI, he served as a graduate instructor for Cobots for Kids, an outreach program designed to cultivate the next generation of talent in advanced manufacturing and robotics, with a special concentration on students from underrepresented and underserved groups.
