Joseph Urso, senior in chemical engineering, has won the 2023 Robert H. Parks Prize for Engineering Leadership. Derin Okunubi, senior in civil and environmental engineering, has won the 2023 RCEL Award for Engineering Leadership. Read on to learn more about these amazing student leaders!
Amanda Prestia
Rice Center for Engineering Leadership
April 17, 2023
Joseph Urso, senior in chemical and biomolecular engineering, has received the 2023 Robert H. Parks Award for Excellence in Engineering Leadership, which comes with a $5,000 prize. The award is given to a senior who displays leadership “in and outside the classroom,” and is recognized by faculty and peers as an exemplary leader.
“Part of the reason I had transferred to Rice University was to participate in the Rice Certificate for Engineering Leadership (RCEL) program to further develop my leadership capabilities and make an impact on my future teams,” said Urso. “I took lessons learned in both RCEL and ENGI 120 [Intro to Engineering Design], and applied them outside the classroom to impact student organizations who have struggled since COVID.”
Urso’s leadership experience at Rice began by taking ENGI 120: Intro to Engineering Design, as well as joining the RCEL Student Leadership Team and focusing on Leadership Coaching. Urso served as Assistant Student Director for RCEL Student Leadership, launching the bi-annual “Let’s Do Lunch” virtual networking event and various other community events and professional development workshops. Outside of RCEL, Urso served as Vice President of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Rice Chapter, where he worked with his team to create events to advocate for the importance of oil & gas, connecting with industry leaders and inviting them to speak on campus. In one year, Urso’s efforts nearly tripled club memberships. During his senior year, he joined the Rice Chapter of America Institute of Chemical Engineering (AIChE) as External Vice President and initiated a return to in-person recruiting events, as well as the first plant tour since 2019. He also worked as the primary contact between AIChE and various companies to establish a connection for potential future recruiting events.
“Throughout my experience at Rice, I have enjoyed taking my knowledge from RCEL, applying it to all aspects of my life, and sharing it with others, “said Urso. “I have a better understanding of the value of both leadership and followership. I am grateful that RCEL has given me the foundation necessary to be an impactful team member or leader from the start of my career.”
“Based on my experience with Joey, he exhibits the characteristics of a strong leader,” said Tom Phalen, Professor of the Practice at Rice University. “Joey is willing to take a position quickly, defend it, and move to implement the outcome. He engages with others, and that engagement has purpose and is impactful. He adapts proactively to changing circumstances while keeping the end goals in mind. He is also relentlessly reliable. Those around Joey count on him to give guidance and to help them in their journey.”
After graduation, Urso will join the Burns & McDonnell Houston office in the Process department, supporting project development in oil, gas, chemicals, and renewable energy.
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Also honored is Derin Okunubi, senior in civil and environmental engineering, who has received the 2023 RCEL Engineering Leadership Award and a $2,500 prize. The award is given to a senior “whose qualities of character, leadership and responsibility have been outstanding during their undergraduate years at Rice.”
“[At Rice], I have strived to foster community building, as well as diversity and inclusion,” said Okunubi. “My goal was to create a space where students were able to share and celebrate their culture.”
Okunubi joined and led many student organizations and clubs during her time at Rice. She has served as Vice President (2022-2023) and Director of Community (2021-2022) of the Rice African Students Association (RASA); as well as Diversity Chair for Sid Richardson College and Diversity Facilitator of Lovett College from 2020-2021. She is also an active member of the Rice Art Club, Rice Black Students Association, National Society of Black Engineers, National Society of Women in Engineering, Rice Alliance for Mental Health Awareness, Rice African Students Association Dance Team, and the American Society of Civil Engineers.
“One of my biggest accomplishments … as [RASA] Director or Community was creating a Volunteering group,” said Okunubi. “I wanted to bridge the gap between students and the greater Houston community, as well as create a spirit of service within the RASA community. I was able to network with community partners that service African refugees or other underrepresented groups in the Houston area, such as Medical Bridges, Plant it Forward, Shape Community center, and more, [to] provide volunteer opportunities for students.”
“Outside of her written responsibilities as Vice President, [Derin] is an incredible leader and has made an immense impact in the lives of many RASA underclassmen,” said Aman Eujayl, President of the Rice African Student Association (RASA). “She has shown time and time again that she is proactive about leading events and is a trustworthy and dedicated person… She is approachable [to students], loves to give out advice, and is an overall helpful and creative person who makes people feel listened to and cared about.”
After graduation, Okunubi plans pursue a career in project management and leadership development.