The University of Toledo’s Dr. Ngalula Sandrine Mubenga will advance her work with renewable energy systems as a Fulbright Scholar in South Africa.
Mubenga will work alongside students and faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, from July to May, 2026, through the prestigious educational and cultural exchange program overseen by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.
Dr. Ngalula Sandrine Mubenga is an associate professor in the Department of Engineering Technology.
“This is an exciting opportunity,” said Mubenga, an associate professor in the College of Engineering. “I am looking forward to this opportunity to use my cultural synergies and intellectual background to foster positive relationships between the U.S. and Africa.”
Mubenga specializes in renewable energy, electric vehicles and battery management systems, approaching these areas as an educator and researcher as well as entrepreneur who led a solar panel development and installation company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
At the University of the Witwatersrand, she will teach and conduct research on renewable energy systems. Her research will explore the use of solar powered energy systems to help mitigate the excessive electrical load shedding that the national public utility employs to prevent overloading the country’s electric grid.
Load shedding results in rolling blackouts across South Africa.
“Rolling blackouts adversely impact the quality of life,” Mubenga said. “I’m interested in exploring whether residential solar panel systems with battery storage could mitigate load shedding and allow residents to offset their electrical consumption with the excess energy they generate and supply to the national grid.”
The U.S. Congress established the Fulbright Program in 1946 to increase mutual understanding and support friendly and peaceful relations among people of the United States and people of other countries.
The Fulbright Scholar Program specifically supports college and university faculty, administrators and researchers, as well as artists and professionals, with fellowships that enable U.S. Scholars to go abroad and Visiting Scholars to come to the United States.
“This Fulbright Award is a tremendous honor for Dr. Sandrine Mubenga and a moment of great pride for the entire College of Engineering,” said Dr. Mohammad Elahinia, dean of the College of Engineering. “Sandrine is a distinguished faculty member in our Engineering Technology Department, known for her impactful research in areas like battery management systems and renewable energy, as well as her dedication to STEM education. This prestigious award will provide her with an exceptional platform to further her research at Witwatersrand University in South Africa, fostering international collaboration and bringing new global perspectives back to our students and faculty.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for Sandrine to expand her already significant contributions to the field, and it underscores the high caliber of scholarship within our college,” Elahinia continued. “We are all incredibly excited for her and look forward to the impactful work she will undoubtedly accomplish.”
