News - Akono Lab
Fostering Sustainability Through Nanomechanics.
2025
Dr. Akono receives the IAAM Scientist Award - 2025
Our New Research Lab Opens!!
At the ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute 2025 Annual Meeting, with NCSU CCEE faculty members.
-
Dr. Akono is appointed as the new co-Editor-in-Chief of Forces in Mechanics.
​
-
Dr. Akono is awarded a patent by the USPTO for "Cements reinforced with graphene nanoplatelets or helical carbon nanotubes."
​
-
​Dr. Akono gives the keynote lecture at the 29th annual Structural Engineering and Mechanics Research Symposium at NC State CCEE.
​
-
Our article on "The Effect of Carbon Nanofibers on the Microstructure, Chemistry, and Pore Structure of Concrete Made with Fine Recycled Concrete Aggregates" is published in Nanomaterials.
​
-
John Eso joins Dr. Akono's research laboratory as a first-year M. Sc. student.
​
2024
At the ASCE Engineering Mechanics Institute 2024 Annual Meeting, with former colleagues from my PhD days.
-
Dr. Akono is selected to receive the prestigious IAAM Scientist Medal by the International Association of Advanced Materials, in recognition of her significant contributions to the field of materials science, engineering, and technology.
​
-
Dr. Akono gives an invited talk at the NIH CTSA annual Fall Meeting.
​
-
Our paper on "Colloidal nanosilica promotes high-density calcium-silicate-hydrates in fine recycled concrete aggregate mortar" is published in Cement and Concrete Research.
​
-
Nathanial Buettner defends his PhD Thesis, with Dr. Akono being his PhD advisor.
​
​
-
​Dr. Giovanni dal Pogetto joins Dr. Akono's research laboratory as a postdoctoral research associate.
​
2023
At Yunzhi Xu's PhD Defense, with the other members of her PhD committee.
-
Dr. Akono is awarded a US-Africa Frontiers Fellowship by the US National Academies, jointly with Dr. Samuel Chigome from the Botswana Institute for Technology Research and Innovation.
​
-
Dr. Akono gives an invited talk at the Gordon Research Conference.
​
-
The Akono group is awarded two patents by the USPTO for "Cement reinforced with high concentrations of mechanically dispersed multiwalled carbon nanotubes and carbon nanofibers" and "Carbon fiber-reinforced metakaolin-based geopolymer composites".
​
-
Our paper on "Multiwalled carbon nanotubes as hard templates to yield advanced geopolymer-based self-assembled nanostructured ceramics" is published in Mechanics Research Communications.
​
-
Our paper on "Fabrication of fiber-reinforced composites via immersed electrohydrodynamic direct writing in polymer gels" is published in MRS Communications.
​
-
Our paper on "Nanoscale characterizations of mineralized piezoelectric scaffolds" is published in MRS Advances.
​​​​
-
Dr. Akono gives an invited talk at Stanford University.
​​​
-
Yunzhi Xu defends her PhD Thesis, with Dr. Akono being her primary PhD advisor.
​
-
Dr. Akono joins North Carolina State University as an Associate Professor in NCSU CCEE!
​
​​​
-
Dr. Akono serves on the 4th annual Rising Black Scientist Awards Advisory Board, organized by Cell Press.
​