Hi, I’m Eniola Adeleke, a final-year student from the University of Lagos, Nigeria, studying Physics (Electronics). I’m incredibly honored to be part of the SEED (summer experience in engineering design) internship program at Rice University this summer hosted at the OEDK (oshman engineering design kitchen), and even more grateful to be supported by the generous sponsorship of Rich and Janet Wheeler.
This is my first time in the United States, and I’d love to share a bit about my arrival and how my first week has gone so far. Spoiler: it’s been amazing!
I can’t believe it’s only been a week, it feels like I’ve already lived a mini lifetime in Houston!
My journey started on Wednesday, June 4th, at 11:55 PM, when I boarded a flight from Lagos to Washington D.C., and then another to Houston. After about 14 hours in the air, I landed in the middle of a blazing hot Texas morning, and that sun hit differently. But so did the welcome! Our driver was all smiles and drove us straight to Rice University. We met Michelle, our SEED coordinator, who gave us a quick tour of Martel College, our dorm, and treated us to lunch at the student center. Great food, great vibes.
By Friday, we were already meeting amazing people. We toured campus and met the Rice360 team, including Dr. Kelvin Holmes, our supervisor at OEDK, and other SEED student leaders like Erin and intern Helena over lunch. On Saturday, Helena, a fellow SEED intern, took us to the Houston Zoo at Hermann Park, where we saw a variety of wildlife creatures I’d only ever read about in books. It was definitely a highlight of my first week!
Sunday was peaceful, Daniel (a fellow international student from Nigeria) and I attended St. Mary’s Chapel to reset and reflect after a whirlwind few days.
Monday was our official kickoff. We met the full SEED crew, a wonderful mix of students and mentors. After some fun introductions and personality tests (mine revealed that I’m a calm and dependable team player who values structure, thinks critically, and confidently takes initiative when needed), we were introduced to a variety of exciting engineering projects. Each of us ranked our top two preferred projects out of the six available. However, Dr. Holmes later explained that we would be assigned to two specific team-based projects, meaning I’d get the chance to work with two different teams and explore two very different problems.
I was thrilled to be placed on two unique project teams. One of my project teams, Lights, Camera, Harvest!, is working on a high-tech farming challenge. We’re designing a compact camera system that can move vertically through a 70 inch tall hydroponic farm to monitor microgreens at every level, kind of like a robotic farmer with eyes on every tray. It sounds simple, but we have to make sure the camera can pan and tilt, survive heat and humidity, and connect with existing farm software. It’s a challenge, but an exciting one! Our goal is to reduce manual labor, speed up harvesting, and help make fresh food more accessible to local communities. I’ve never worked on something quite like this before, and it’s already stretched my design thinking and problem-solving skills.
And the second project team, The Eggcellent Imposters is a conservation technology initiative focused on protecting the endangered Attwater Prairie Chicken. In collaboration with the Houston Zoo, our team is developing a smart “tech egg” that closely mimics the size, weight, and appearance of a real egg. Inside, it houses miniaturized sensors and wireless transmitters designed to capture real-time data on temperature, humidity, light exposure, motion, and egg rotation. By collecting this data, we aim to gain a deeper understanding of the birds’ incubation behaviors and provide valuable insights to support more effective conservation strategies.
We met both of our projects clients, the ones we’ll be working with throughout the summer. For the farming project, we spoke with Navid and Lanham, the founders of Earti, to understand their needs. For the smart egg, we met Ric Urban, a bird curator of 35+ years, who gave us an inspiring tour of the bird habitats and even showed us a real Attwater Prairie Chicken egg. I led the questioning on behalf of my team, a moment I won’t forget.
Back at the lab, we’ve already started prototyping. The smart egg has proven to be a fun challenge, fitting all our electronics into such a tiny shell is no small task! But we 3D printed our first model and are making steady progress.
As I continue this journey, I’m also eager to explore new technical skills. Back home at the design studio in Nigeria, I’ve had some experience using tools like 3D printers and CNC machines, but I’m especially excited to learn about the more advanced and sophisticated equipment available here at the OEDK Design Kitchen. I’m particularly looking forward to working with SLA printers, CNC machines, lathes, and milling machines, tools I’ve mostly only read about or seen in action online. Getting hands-on experience with this level of machinery will be a huge opportunity to sharpen my engineering and manufacturing skills.
To cap off the week, we also had a laser cutting class, one of my favorite sessions so far. I designed a keychain as my first project, which was both fun and empowering. I plan to keep exploring laser cutting throughout the rest of my internship and use it to create more functional parts and design prototypes for my team’s projects.
I missed out on ice skating this Saturday (a stubborn headache!), but I had a cozy evening cooking ramen with American spices. It hit the spot!
One week in, and I already feel at home, learning, building, laughing, and growing every day. I’m beyond grateful to be here.
A special thank you to Rich and Janet Wheeler, I’m truly honored to be one of the students you’ve chosen to support. Your generosity is making it possible for me to explore my passion for engineering and real-world problem solving on a global stage. I look forward to sharing more of this incredible journey with you.
One week down. Six to go. Let’s make it count.
