Two postdoctoral fellows at Metropolitan State University of Denver are earning national recognition while helping relaunch a long-dormant faculty development program. In 2024, Damilola Akintayo, Ph.D., and Nilakshi Devi, Ph.D., were chosen as the first cohort of Wilton Flemon Postdoctoral Teaching Fellows.
Their work is supported by a $2.25 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE Office of Science — Basic Energy Sciences) and is awarded to fewer than 10 institutions nationwide each year, placing MSU Denver among a select group of primarily undergraduate institutions conducting advanced energy research. But their influence extends beyond research.
“It’s easy for students, and society at large, to get a very narrow image of what a scientist is,” said Andrew Bonham, Ph.D., chair and professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. “Our fellows show that people from different backgrounds and paths can be amazing scientists, helping students recognize that they, too, can follow their own path.”
Nilakshi Devi, Ph.D. Photo by Polina Saran
Coordinated support across departments fuels program success
The fellowship, which began as a Faculty Senate initiative in 2014-15, was created by the late Wilton Flemon, Ph.D., and Francisco Barbosa, Ph.D., to support emerging scholars’ transition to the professoriate. The program was designed to help postdoctoral fellows succeed across all areas of faculty work, including teaching, research and mentorship. After a successful pilot, the program’s policy language was drafted for the faculty handbook by Chalane Lechuga, Ph.D., Megan Lazorski, Ph.D., Jovan Hernandez, Ph.D., and Michael Benitez, Ph.D. Immediately after the handbook language was ratified in May 2022, the program fizzled.
Wilton Flemon began his teaching career at MSU Denver in fall of 1969. Photo by Alyson McClaran
Relaunched in 2024 by Lechuga and Kath Kleier, Ph.D., the program enabled MSU Denver to engage Akintayo and Devi as drivers of cutting edge research and mentorship programs. Lazorski, who is also the grant lead and principal investigator, and Lechuga worked closely during the relaunch to blend the grant work into the fellowship structure. Postdoctoral fellows gain experience preparing for academic careers while undergraduate and postbaccalaureate students receive hands-on learning and guidance in the lab and classroom.
Once rolling, Lazorski was joined by Bonham and Shailesh Ambre, Ph.D., grant co-PI, as scientific mentors for the postdocs, and Shalini Srinivasan, Ph.D. as their faculty mentor. For Akintayo and Devi, the opportunity has quickly translated into impact on campus and beyond.
Fellows earn national recognition
In the program, both fellows are thriving. Akintayo was recently selected as a 2025 IMPACT Fellow by the National Postdoctoral Association, one of just six scholars nationwide to receive the honor and the first in MSU Denver history.
Meanwhile, Devi has gained industry recognition, partnering with BASi Research Products to develop educational content and co-lead a spectroelectrochemistry workshop scheduled for summer 2026.
“Mentorship is the bedrock of academic and research success, particularly for emerging scientists,” Akintayo said. “The most rewarding aspect has been witnessing the transformation of students who begin with little or no research experience but possess genuine curiosity about science.”
Over time, he said, those students build technical skills and confidence.
“Watching students grow into capable, self-assured thinkers, ready to contribute meaningfully to science, brings a sense of joy that is truly immeasurable,” he said.
Damilola Akintayo, Ph.D. Photo by Polina Saran
The fellowship’s structure, combining research with teaching and mentorship, also gives fellows classroom experience that many traditional postdoctoral roles don’t offer. As the fellowship continues to grow, its first cohort is already demonstrating how research, teaching and mentorship can work together to expand opportunities for scholars and students.
“Dr. Devi and Dr. Akintayo have been such a gift to our students, our research and our university,” Lazorski said. “If this is what they can accomplish in a little over a year, I can’t wait to see the amazing things they do over the course of their careers. We couldn’t be prouder to have them on our team.”
