Two recent graduates from The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering at UC Santa Barbara
have been honored for their extraordinary service to the student body. Akinwole Akinbolagbe
and Towela Phiri received the Vice Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship, Leadership, and
Citizenship, an annual commendation presented to graduating students who enhanced UCSB’s
academic environment and demonstrated extraordinary service to the campus community.
“Receiving this award is truly humbling,” said Phiri, who recently completed her bachelor’s
degree in computer science. “I believe that change is rooted in community, and thus I work to
continuously empower my community to ensure meaningful change is made. This award also
highlights the importance of showing up for each other especially now, and it reminds me that
leadership is not about a title or position, but about presence, intention, and showing up for
your people, even when it is hard.”
Phiri, an international student from Johannesburg, South Africa, held multiple leadership
positions, including president, in the campus chapter of the National Society of Black Engineers
(NSBE), prioritizing representation, fostering community, and advancing equity through
increased representation and the dismantling of systemic barriers. Phiri helped to secure full
funding to send eight students to the NSBE National Convention in Chicago, and she co-founded
Every Black Obinrin Needs Ife (EBONI), an organization created to foster community and create
a safe space for Black womxn-identifying students by reinstating the student-run organization
Akanke.
“My first year on campus was overshadowed by the COVID pandemic, which meant that not
only was I far from home, but I had limited access to a community,” she recalled. “I faced
moments of loneliness and isolation, especially being the only black woman in my major at the
time. I often felt like I didn’t belong in computer science. I became active on campus to provide
a space and sense of belonging for other students who were in my shoes. I worked to provide
and make available resources to black students in STEM and black womxn on campus who felt
othered and alone.”
Phiri spearheaded the first Black Women’s Appreciation Night, an event dedicated to
recognizing and celebrating the accomplishments of Black students through intentional
programming and community connection. She also served as the international student
engagement chair coordinator with the Residential Housing Association (RHA), where she
advocated for the needs of international students in campus housing.
“All of my experiences at UCSB transformed me. They taught me how to listen with intention,
act with humility, and lead without ego. They challenged me to navigate conflict, ambiguity,

and exhaustion, and to find purpose even in the most difficult moments. More than anything,
they gave me clarity about the kind of person I want to be: someone who moves with integrity
and empowers her community,” said Phiri, who next plans to pursue a PhD in computer
science/information science.
Akinbolagbe, who recently completed his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, was
commended for dedicating three extraordinary years of service to making the campus more
welcoming to and supportive of the Black and international communities. He traced his activism
to a commitment that he made after his freshman year at UCSB.
“I really isolated myself socially my first year,” said Akinbolagbe, who grew up in Lekki Lagos,
Nigeria. “Then, at the beginning of my second year, I promised myself to become more involved
in the UCSB community and to be the difference for other students, who, like me, wanted to be
socially involved but didn’t have that first friendly face to usher them in.”
Akinbolagbe said that he was most proud of helping resurrect key student organizations that
had been struggling since the pandemic, including the NSBE, the Black Student Union, and the
Nigerian Students Association. He organized professional development activities, coordinated
outreach for underrepresented STEM students, and raised the level of engagement for
mechanical engineering undergraduate students.
“I am most proud that I was present and effective in recreating the pre-pandemic environments
and services these clubs and communities offered to the wider campus,” said Akinbolagbe,
adding that he was extremely confident that the organizations’ would enjoy continued success.
“I feel a tremendous sense of pride and satisfaction to know that my hard work and dedication
made an impact on my communities and the university.”
He encouraged future graduates of The Robert Mehrabian College of Engineering to take
advantage of the endless connections and opportunities available on campus.
“I would tell them to be curious enough to look for them, brave enough to try them, and smart
enough to dedicate yourself to them,” said Akinbolagbe, who plans to work in the aerospace
industry for a few years before applying to graduate school.

Caption: 2025 Vice Chancellor’s Award for Scholarship, Leadership, and Citizenship recipients
Akinwole Akinbolagbe and Towela Phiri