MY BIO

Mary Taiwo Ajide is a Chemical Engineer and Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, University College Dublin (UCD). Her research focuses on the intersection of artificial intelligence, water, energy, and sustainability, with expertise in data-driven material science, climate change mitigation through renewable energy technologies, computational chemistry, solid-state physics, and molecular dynamics simulations (classical and ab initio, e.g., DFT). She has also developed and applied machine learning force fields in modelling complex materials and interfacial systems.

​

​Mary co-initiated the UCD Global–funded Bridging Generations, Empowering Futures mentoring programme and co-organised the 2024 African Scholars in Ireland Conference, reaching 200+ researchers across Africa. As AfSAI’s 2025 Black History Month Contributor, she led creative design and LinkedIn content strategy, significantly boosting engagement. Crucially, Mary’s immense, pro-bono contributions to AfSAI have elevated the association’s visibility and measurably increased engagement.

 

Mary holds a PhD in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering from UCD (2023), a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from UCD (2019), and a First-Class Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Igbinedion University, Okada (2015). She also earned a Professional Diploma in Transversal Skills from UCD Innovation Academy and Technological University Dublin, where she deepened her knowledge in innovation, creative thinking, analytical skills, and entrepreneurial agility. In 2020, her passion for technology and business led her to join the non-profit organisation Girls in Tech Dublin as a Business Data Analyst. She also earned a certification in Business Analytics from Harvard Business School Online.

 

Her professional experience spans academia, consulting, and industry-regulated environments, including work in refineries, power plants, pharmaceutical labs, and chemical manufacturing. She has also served as a chemical analyst, process engineer, and business data analyst, applying her technical skills in diverse sectors.

​

As a consultant to emerging tech start-ups, Mary recently led the development and secure launch of an e-commerce website for the All-Ireland Conference on Nanobubbles, Energy, Water: Pathways to Industrial and Environmental Sustainability, including the implementation of SSL encryption.  She co-led the strategic promotional campaign for both the 2024 African Scholars Association Ireland (AfSAI) and Nanobubbles, Energy, and Water (NEW) conferences, built a targeted outreach list, and designed the conference agenda, coordinating speakers and themes aligned with industrial and environmental sustainability.

​​

Deeply passionate about education and equity, Mary advocates for access to quality education, especially for underrepresented and underserved communities. She has volunteered with organisations supporting female entrepreneurship and drug abuse prevention, earning a Humanitarian Certificate of Honour from Nigeria’s National Drug Law Enforcement Agency. She is committed to fostering gender balance, inclusion, and social impact in science, technology, and education.

​

Mary currently serves as an Advisory Council Member at Harvard Business Review and is a Girls Advisory Council Member at Women in Technology in Nigeria (WITIN). In her free time, she goes to the art gallery or museum and also enjoys abstract drawing, photography, nature walks, and videography, often capturing the beauty of nature and humanity through her lens.

​

Updated May 2025