How ‘Femi Awolesi is Shaping the Future of Just Energy Innovation

By Rebecca Ejifoma

‘Femi Awolesi, born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, has embraced big questions and bold answers. Whether standing before a packed room of engineers and policy experts in Raleigh, North Carolina, or examining the lived experiences of communities in the shadow of Louisiana’s industrial corridor, his message has been clear: sustainability must be inclusive, and justice must be at its core.

Earlier this week, June 10, 2025, Awolesi took the stage at the 118th Annual Conference and Exhibition of the Air & Waste Management Association (A&WMA), one of the most respected global gatherings of environmental professionals. His technical session, rooted in original research conducted in southern Louisiana, explored public perceptions of Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) projects—one of the cutting-edge technologies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

But rather than dwelling only on technological advancements, Awolesi challenged the room to examine the social foundations of innovation. “Trust building is important to foster an inclusive energy transition,” he declared. “Trust takes time and effort to build, particularly in a society with a long history of distrust like Louisiana.” These were not just words of theory; they were drawn from months of informal and formal conversations, including stakeholder interviews, focus groups with fence-line communities, and immersive fieldwork in regions historically burdened by environmental injustice.

“Everyone should be a member, not just a number,” he further suggested, emphasizing the need for participatory governance in energy planning. His talk resonated across sectors—receiving positive feedback from attendees after his delivery.

This engagement comes on the heels of another major milestone in Awolesi’s academic journey. On May 28, 2025, he successfully defended his doctoral dissertation in a rigorous two-hour session before a five-member faculty panel at Louisiana State University (LSU). The dissertation, titled “Rethinking Green Building Development Through Policy and Operational Metrics: Insights from Baton Rouge and Beyond,” explores why some cities lag behind in sustainable construction and offers a practical tool—the Operational Sustainability Index (OPSi)—for measuring real-world building performance after certification. The research is already gaining attention in academic circles and policy discussions.

A Scholar’s Rise from Lagos

Awolesi’s intellectual journey began in the bustling suburban area of Lagos, where he attended Hon-Bethel Nursery and Primary School—a private school—and later, Ojodu Junior Grammar School and Babs Fafunwa Millennium Senior Secondary School—both public institutions. It was during these formative years that he cultivated a deep passion for science, communication, and people. He went on to graduate as a top-ranking student in the Faculty of Science at Olabisi Onabanjo University, earning his degree in Industrial Chemistry.

But it was not just academic curiosity that propelled him forward—it was also poverty and purpose: the fear of remaining poor, both mentally and economically; the conviction that science and technology must serve the society from which they arise; and the belief that he could effect real change in his everyday environment.

That belief carried him into graduate research and professional experiences across both Nigeria and the United States. After serving as a research assistant at Landmark University during his National Youth Service Corps (a mandatory post-tertiary program for Nigerian graduates), and later taking on environmental management roles with PAMM Environmental Services in Lagos, he earned a scholarship to pursue advanced studies in the U.S.

Awolesi spent a year at Mississippi State University, conducting research in the Department of Chemistry on Biochar and its applications in soil remediation and wastewater treatment. He later advanced to Louisiana State University (LSU), where he enrolled in a rare and ambitious triple-track graduate program: a PhD in Environmental Sciences, an MS in Construction Management, and a Graduate Certificate in Environmental and Energy Policy. All three credentials are scheduled to be conferred in August 2025—a remarkable achievement accomplished by very few graduate students.

Yet, Awolesi’s academic accomplishments are only part of his story. He has authored or co-authored over 15 peer-reviewed articles, several of which have appeared in leading international journals such as Energy and Built Environment. His published research offers insights that are adaptable to both policy and practice—locally and globally—spanning environments from school campuses to broader urban communities.

A Voice for Environmental Justice

Throughout his research, Awolesi has placed community impact at the forefront. His doctoral work incorporates stakeholder engagement and investigates how public policies can be restructured to make green building development widespread, especially in underserved cities like Baton Rouge. He strongly advocates for an inclusive energy transition and has developed a conceptual framework to clarify this approach, emphasizing the pillars of justice, education, and active participation.

“Energy literacy is about moving from being a consumer as community citizens, but rather being a prosumer by being involved in the dialogues that matter with regard to energy innovation,” he stated in effect during his A&WMA presentation.

Beyond the classroom and research lab, Awolesi has volunteered with the Louisiana State University Industrial Assessment Center, a program funded by the U.S. Department of Energy. In this role, he has conducted sustainability audits for industrial facilities across Louisiana, helping companies identify pathways to reduce emissions and improve energy efficiency.

“Urban sustainability cannot be attained without factor measurement, evaluation, and control,” he noted in a LinkedIn post following an energy and sustainability assessment conducted at Louisiana Fish Fry Products in Baton Rouge.

Recognition and Global Reach

Awolesi’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. He has received several prestigious awards for sustainability research, including the IFMA Fellows Scholarship and the A&WMA Sustainability Research Related to Waste Management Scholarship—two of the most competitive honors available to emerging scholars and professionals in the field. He was also recently inducted into Phi Kappa Phi, one of America’s oldest and most selective academic honor societies.

During the Honors and Awards Ceremony at the conclusion of A&WMA’s four-day conference in Raleigh, Awolesi was named runner-up for the Young Professional Best Paper Award in the Industry, Power, Government, and Indigenous (IPGI) Sectors Group. The award recognizes outstanding technical contributions from young professionals, defined as those 35 years old or younger, based on the submission and peer review of a full-length paper or extended abstract.

Beyond accolades, Awolesi continues to pay it forward. As part of LSU’s academic outreach, he has co-designed and facilitated workshops for high school students in environmental justice communities—teaching them how to monitor air pollution, analyze environmental data, and communicate findings to local officials.

“There’s no progress without people,” he affirms. “The most brilliant idea means nothing if it can’t be communicated, understood, and trusted by the communities it is meant to serve.”

From the lecture theatres of Olabisi Onabanjo University to international stages and scholarly journals, ‘Femi Awolesi is building more than a career—he is building a legacy of equity-driven innovation. “And it all began in Lagos,” he reflects, “where I learned that we don’t just inherit history—we shape it.”