Okogie, according to NASA, joined the silicon carbide research group at agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland in 1999 and has gained worldwide recognition as the leading expert on silicon carbide-based microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) for use in extreme environments.

The successful scientist who has been working with NASA for 20 years has 21 patented inventions to his credit.

“He holds more than 20 patents relating to high-temperature devices, including several licensed for commercial use that could reduce spacecraft weight, and thereby launch cost and fuel consumption, while leaving additional space for scientific payloads. He has also published more than 50 peer-reviewed papers relating to his field,” NASA stated on its website.

While at Glenn, Okojie has received numerous accolades, including in 2009 the NASA Abe Silverstein Medal for Research and in 2012 the Glenn Research Center Distinguished Publication Award.

He was also recognized in 2002 as the Scientist of the Year by the National Technical Association for his “exceptional accomplishments in advancing the state–of–the–art of MEMS for use in harsh environments” and in 2007 was a recipient of the Cleveland Executive Board Wings of Excellence award.

Okojie has a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from New Jersey Institute Of Technology.

He has mentored several students at Glenn, all of whom have gone on to achieve high academic and professional success in their various fields.

Currently, Okojie’s research focus is in single-chip integrated multifunctional sensing for extreme environments.