The evolution of engineering curricula at the undergraduate level is an ongoing necessity for several reasons, including the need to enhance student engagement through improved delivery methods, stay aligned with industry practices, and integrate innovative tools that aid in visualizing and understanding complex concepts. However, implementing these changes can be challenging for faculty and departments due to limited resources, institutional support, or access to technology. As part of our commitment to advancing engineering, science, and design education, Ansys has been funding university projects for over three years, helping to drive these essential transformations. This webinar will feature Associate Professor Olayinka Adewunmi from the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Lagos, a recipient of an Ansys grant, who will share insights on the impact of this support.
With limited and insufficient experimental laboratory equipment for hands-on engineering instruction and visualization in courses like Fluid Dynamics and Heat Transfer in Nigeria, Ansys offers a viable solution for bridging the lab equipment gap. The presentation will showcase how simulation is used to bridge this gap in the Faculty of Engineering, University of Lagos in three courses namely, Fundamentals of Thermodynamics, Fundamentals of Fluid Mechanics and Introduction to Heat and Mass Transfer. Benefits and challenges of these changes which affect 600 students in second year across 5 engineering departments and almost 100 mechanical engineering students in their fourth year, will be discussed.
About The Presenters
Dr. Nicolas Martin is Manager in the Ansys Academic program. After completing a master and PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering, he has worked multiple years in supporting engineering education across EMEA and Asia at Granta Design and later on at Ansys. Under leadership of the Chief technology office, the program is a cross business unit initiative which ensures that Ansys software and resources are appreciated as a key enabler of innovative research and engineering education.
Over the years Nicolas has led or contributed to many materials education related projects, such as teaching materials properties and eco-design in middle and high school, 9 editions of international materials education symposia at Cambridge university and development of teaching resources to support educators in engineering. He has experience in facilitating workshops for academic educators in multiple countries, and is also a regular participant to global academic leadership events like SEFI or WEEF.
Committed to increasing absolute sustainable development in engineering and design practices, Nicolas is also an active member at Team for the planet, a unique citizen supported company fighting greenhouse gases emissions with open source and transparency mindset, where he helps to evaluate innovations’ potential regarding GHG reduction.
Olayinka O. Adewumi, Ph.D is the Ag. Director of the Innovation and Technology Management Office and an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Lagos (UNILAG) with almost 20 years’ experience in Higher Education Teaching and Engineering Research. She obtained her Bachelors, Masters and PhD degrees all in Mechanical Engineering. She was a recipient of the MIT-Empowering the Teachers Spring 2019 Fellowship and received the African Engineering and Technology (AFRETEC) Network Inclusion Champion Award in 2025 for her contributions to advancing Girls in STEM. She is a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN), a professional of the Society of Women Engineers (SWE), a SWE FY24 Ambassador, the current treasurer of SWE Lagos Affiliate, Faculty Advisor for SWE UNILAG and a SWENext Club Counselor. She is also a member of the Engineering Education Research Network (EERN Africa) and one of the directors of the AfriteQ Academy After-School STEM Mentoring Program. Her two core passions are engineering education that improves student learning experiences & outcomes and secondly, supporting female engineering students in their journey to becoming practicing engineers.
She is currently a team member of two international and one locally funded projects (including the Ansys Funded Curriculum Grant) to strengthen Engineering Education Practice in Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her core research areas are computational fluid dynamics (CFD) & heat transfer and Student-centered undergraduate engineering instruction with hands-on CFD simulation tools.