Joshua Samba (he/him/his) earned his BS and MS in Physics at Morgan State University. During his time at Morgan State, he studied the fabrication and application of crystalline, magnetic nanowires. He decided to shift his research focus from nanowires to water treatment once he enrolled in his PhD program because he wanted to apply his knowledge of physics to helping solve the global issue of access to clean water.

In addition to wanting to discover creative ways to solve problems, Joshua’s dream is to one day enter the professoriate and teach at the university level. Since kindergarten, he has involved himself in any tutoring and teaching programs he could find. One of his most notable achievements is winning the Tutor of the Year award, an award generally reserved for more senior tutors, during his first year of serving as a volunteer peer tutor.

Joshua was born and raised in Prince George’s County, MD, but now calls Houston, TX his home as he pursues his PhD in Applied Physics at Rice University. When he is not busy with research, he loves to spend time at home with his wife, Ashley, and their dog, Charlie.

Why I decided to go to grad school:

Getting a PhD gives me the most access to university teaching positions in STEM fields. A PhD also makes people more attractive to industry jobs, which is appealing to me as well.

Fun fact about me:

I am double-jointed in both thumbs.

Favorite thing about Rice:

Rice has an enormous amount of seating areas, all with varying amounts of sun, greenery, electrical outlets, nearby food, and much more.

Favorite thing about Houston:

Houston has many Raising Cane's restaurants, which is my gold-standard for drive-thru food places.