Martins Udotai

Hometown: Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria

After completing his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering with first-class honors at Landmark University in Nigeria, Martins Udotai decided to earn his master’s in mechanical engineering in the United States. The NYU Tandon School of Engineering was what drew him to make this choice. Martins describes Tandon as “a very welcoming community that breathes innovation in a way that is better experienced than explained.”

A number of factors about Tandon appealed to Martins, including the easily accessible labs that are fully equipped with the most sophisticated technology, as well as Tandon’s faculty, who are known to be trailblazers in their fields. Martins particularly praises Professor Ali Vevadarz, who teaches with a passion for his subject matter and shares the knowledge he has acquired throughout decades of experience.

Martins also appreciates NYU Tandon’s flexibility to choose courses across the engineering spectrum, allowing him to broaden his skills into the areas of robotics and HVAC systems, and benefit from a valuable hands-on approach to learning. “We have class projects where we design HVAC systems using TRACE 700,” he explains, “which directly prepares us as graduate students to solve real problems in the HVAC industry.”

Martins has taken advantage of unique opportunities afforded through Tandon. As a result of an entrepreneurship class, he founded a startup called SitEat, which offers online ordering and contactless pickup at stadiums and arenas. In addition, he was accepted into the NYU Innovention Challenge, where he progressed to being one of five finalists from NYU.