Ngoni Madungwe, PhD •  Bioprocess Engineer

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I am a

BIOPROCESS ENGINEER

Ngoni Madungwe, PhD

Presented by the AMGEN Foundation
MY LIFE
MY PATH
MY WORK
FOR YOU 
MY PATH

HOW I BECAME AN #AVGEEK, EXPLORER, AND BIOPROCESS ENGINEER.

MAJOR INFLUENCES

  • Having Faith

    I am driven by the belief that God has big plans for my life and how I’ll make an impact. I’ll keep working hard and striving to succeed in ways I believe align with that purpose.

  • My Mom

    She made incredible sacrifices to put me through school. That makes the moments when she says, “I'm proud of you, my son,” mean so much.

  • Supportive Teachers

    I give a lot of credit to the teachers who believed in me, even when I didn't believe in myself. I would not be where I am today without the doors they opened for me along the way.

  • Scientists Before Me

    Sometimes, inspiration and influence can come from the past. Reading about how doctors a hundred years ago made discoveries in medicine made me want to follow in their footsteps.

Life saying “no” doesn’t always mean “you cannot”; sometimes it means “try again.”

I’ve never looked at setbacks as the period at the end of a sentence. I just kept writing the story. I often refuse to take life’s “no” for an answer, and instead evaluate what I could do differently next time. Sometimes you have to keep trying until you get to a “yes.”

Major Milestones

Attending College in the US

In Zimbabwe, I saw education as my path to overcome the life challenges I faced.

Getting a PhD

College is where I let go of my dream to become a doctor and discovered my passion for engineering, which led me to pursue a PhD to deeply develop my skills.

Working at Amgen

Real world work experience helped me narrow what field I wanted to pursue, as I gravitated toward applied science and developing medicine that would change people’s lives.

Things I learned

along the way:

  • There's more to life than grades.

    I wish I had a more balanced timetable growing up. I spent a lot of time worrying about the next exam or homework and did not make as much time for enjoying the moments I was in with friends and classmates. I realize now that you can worry a little less (and keep up the grades!) and engage with your friends a little more in fun activities.

  • Determination goes a long way.

    I didn’t have a lot growing up. To change my circumstances, I knew I needed to stay laser focused on my path. That helped me get where I am, even if things were tough sometimes.

  • It’s OK not to have it all figured out.

    I can’t count the number of times I received an assignment and had no idea where to begin. Reminding myself that I was capable, taking it one step at a time, and refusing to give up helped me to pull it off.

  • Only you get to define who you are.

    I am proud to be Zimbabwean and enjoy being able to express my African identity. Some people make assumptions about who you are based on where you’re from or what you look like. Locs are a perfect example. I love to prove those stereotypes wrong—and I love my hair.

MY WORK →

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PHOTOGRAPHER: Chris Disario • Illustrator: Nicole Medina

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