International student taps interdisciplinary expertise and advanced scientific equipment in Minnesota

Ebuka Ezugwu wants to safeguard pipes that carry drinking water and more

MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (10/2/2025) — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that over 9 million American homes have lead pipes. Replacing them can be costly and time-consuming. University of Minnesota College of Science and Engineering Ph.D. student Ebuka Ezugwu is researching a solution. 

With samples provided by pipe manufacturers and specialized equipment, Ezugwu can simulate reactions that can imitate longterm damage—as much as 25 to 100 years—on a pipe in just four to six months. He also tests the sample’s microstructure by combining polymer chemistry and mechanical engineering tests to understand the material's behavior.

Once that lab work at the Twin Cities campus is done, Ezugwu and his colleagues will present their findings to the pipe manufacturers. The manufacturer can then use the data to create better pipes that can last longer than conventional lead pipes. 

Ezugwu, who earned his master's in mechanical engineering from the College of Science and Engineering in 2024, is currently working with two doctoral advisors. 

With Mechanical Engineering Professor Susan Mantell, he is focused on how polymer microstructures can impact mechanical performance. In other words, are the plastic pipes used to replace lead pipes in municipal water systems durable? If yes, for how long? 

With Regents Professor of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science Frank Bates, Ezugwu is analyzing how microscopic changes to a plastic pipe’s structure can help it resist fracture over time. This collaboration leverages the University of Minnesota’s Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC). 

The National Science Foundation–funded MRSEC, which unites around 30 faculty and 75 grad students and postdocs, from seven academic programs, gives Ezugwu ready access to the state-of-the-art Characterization Facility on campus and wide-ranging expertise.

“I could do all sorts of characterization on my materials here, at the University of Minnesota, and then figure out what's happening to the material,” he said. “A lot of people don't have this ability. They can just do one or two characterizations.”

Ezugwu, who hails from Nigeria and received the Lee S. Whitson Fellowship and the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Fellowship, has no regrets about choosing wintery, non-tropical Minnesota.

“If you want to pursue graduate work, like I did, you have to put your best hypothesis forward based on everything you have, and the only way you could do that is if you have people who are knowledgeable about directing you,” said Ezugwu. “And that's why I chose the University of Minnesota.”

Learn more about Ebuka's research in the video below.

Interview by Henry Stafford.

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