Florida A&M University (FAMU) and The Boeing Company are marking the third year of their collaborative research partnership, with FAMU students presenting engineering projects to Boeing representatives at the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering. This annual Boeing Research Review highlights four key projects sponsored by Boeing, each led by doctoral students at FAMU.
Nathan Brooks, a Boeing Senior Technical Fellow and FAMU alumnus, oversees the university’s sponsored research portfolio for Boeing’s Enterprise Technology Office. He said his connection to FAMU is significant: “FAMU really put their arms around me. That kind of support is why I do the work I do today.” Brooks added, “Seeing students like Destiny (Law) come through this program is the brightest part of my job. There are plenty of places I could work within Boeing, but nothing compares to pouring into the next generation of Rattlers.”
Brooks also emphasized his personal gratitude toward the university: “FAMU didn’t treat me like a number. They supported me, my wife and my newborn son. I’m indebted to this university.” He noted that Boeing expects to hire its highest number of FAMU graduates since before the pandemic, reflecting both company needs and FAMU’s growing profile.
One project featured at this year’s review involves Destiny Law, a third-year electrical engineering Ph.D. candidate and the first doctoral student from the renewed partnership. Law is developing a lithium seawater flow battery intended for use in unmanned submarines and underwater vehicles. The battery design aims to deliver significantly higher energy density than traditional lithium-ion batteries.
“It’s low-power and non-rechargeable, but perfect for long-term underwater missions,” Law said.
Her adviser, Professor Petru Andrei, described her achievements as “remarkable,” noting her presentations at international conferences and her anticipated graduation next spring.
Brooks highlighted Law’s contributions during the event: “We stopped the agenda to acknowledge Destiny,” he said. “She’s the first Ph.D. to come out of this renewed partnership. Her journey is extraordinary — first in her family to graduate college, first to earn a Ph.D., and now heading to Boeing full-time. That’s what this is all about.”
Law explained that her entry into graduate research was unexpected: “A few days before graduating, I checked my email and saw Boeing was looking for a Ph.D. student,” she said. “They were offering funding, a stipend and a potential job afterward. I wasn’t planning on grad school but I thought, ‘Why not?’” She has since accepted a full-time position at Boeing’s Electromagnetic Interference Lab in Seattle.
“From undergrad to grad school, FAMU opened so many doors for me,” Law said. “Even on the tough days, I’m grateful. This university changed my life.”
Boeing also sponsors three additional projects at FAMU focused on wideband beamforming technology, digital-twin and extended reality applications, and electronic component reliability—all supporting doctoral candidates.
Brooks stated these initiatives align with FAMU’s aim for R1 research status: “We’re deliberate in ensuring that FAMU dollars support FAMU Ph.D. students,” he said. “That’s how you build an R1 institution — through real research and real opportunity.”
Looking ahead, Brooks sees room for growth in the partnership: “I’m excited to see this grow from four projects to more,” he said. “We want to develop future leaders, future researchers and future innovators right here at FAMU.”
Andrei echoed that sentiment regarding student achievement: “Destiny’s trajectory is just the beginning,” he said. “Our students are proving they can compete with anyone in the world.”
