At PeopleDem property we believe in celebrating our community by spotlighting black excellence in property. Today we are celebrating Sunday Popo-Ola.
Sunday is a Senior Lecturer and Research and Teaching Fellow at Imperial College London. His work reflects the multidisciplinary expertise he has developed throughout his career. He specialises in cold-formed steel, modular construction, the over-cladding of buildings and affordable housing. He has co-authored over 140 reports and papers, as well as five technical books. Over the past 20 years, he has collaborated with other authors to develop appropriate guidelines for the use of cold-formed steel in light steel framing and modular construction systems.
Sunday was born in Nigeria and came from a wealthy family. Although neither his parents nor his grandparents attended university, they understood the true value of education. Sunday shared his experience in a talk on Sustainapod, explaining how his parents' decision to send him to the UK shaped his future. He recalled, "It came to a point when my parents were seeing all the other parents sending their kids abroad. And I was fortunate enough. My father said, 'We are going somewhere tomorrow.' By the time I knew, we were already at the airport, and the next thing I knew, we were on a flight to the UK. He didn't even tell me. He just took me away, and I was crying. I was crying for days, not knowing it was going to be beneficial for me."
His father wanted him to become an architect, but Sunday had a different ambition. He wanted to be an engineer who designed structures that would stand strong. Reflecting on his father's aspirations for him, he explained, "And the other thing he wanted me to do is to be an architect. Architect? What do they even do? They just do a little bit of sketches, drawings, make it beautiful, and then sell it to everybody else. I want to make buildings stand up. I want to be a designer. Although my name won't be on record, they will know that that building stands because of me."
Sunday pursued his first degree in Civil Engineering with Architecture at the University of Leeds. He chose this combination because he felt that civil engineering would challenge him more. He wanted to be the person responsible for making structures stand up, whether bridges, dams or high-rise buildings. He wanted to lay the foundations that would support these structures. However, because his parents wanted him to become an architect and were paying his university fees, he decided to meet them halfway by studying a degree that incorporated both disciplines. It was a decision he has never looked back on.
After graduating, Sunday worked in industry for several years before joining the research team at Imperial College London in 1991. There, he worked on an industry-sponsored research project entitled "Steel Intensive Re-Cladding", the subject of his doctoral research, which led to him obtaining his PhD in 1995.
Today, Sunday continues to work at Imperial College London as a Research and Teaching Fellow, where his work reflects the multidisciplinary expertise he has gained throughout his career. His research spans three subsections within the department: Concrete Structures, Steel Structures, and Environmental and Computing within Systems and Mechanics. He also takes responsibility for technical and strategic decisions on numerous research projects, where appropriate. One notable example is the £3.5 million Brite-EuRam-sponsored FutureHome consortium project, which was managed by Imperial College. The project explored the development of housing for Europe in the next century, with the goal of providing affordable, high-quality homes for everyone.
Beyond his academic and research responsibilities, Sunday has made significant contributions to the engineering profession. He served as President of the Engineering Forum of Nigerians in the UK for four years, from 2011 to 2015, and is a member of several engineering professional organisations, including the Nigerian Society of Engineers and COREN.
He is also a member of the UK's National Technical Committee (NTC) on Steel Anchors standards and a Fellow of the London Technology Network. Through his work with the network, he helps foster collaboration between research institutions and industry, an effort that has led to several multimillion-dollar engagements.
Alongside his professional achievements, Sunday is passionate about inspiring young people and developing the next generation. He founded Creative Futures, a non-profit initiative that engages with over a thousand children annually. The initiative collaborates with the Royal Academy of Engineering to deliver creative thinking workshops in the UK, Jamaica, Nigeria and other developing countries. Speaking about his charity with a smile, Sunday explained its purpose simply: "It's about the change in attitude."
Sunday has always been passionate about broadening the diversity of people who pursue STEM subjects. In recognition of his commitment to public engagement, he was awarded the 2021 President's Medal for Excellence in Societal Engagement. Reflecting on his early experiences in academia, he explained, "When I first started out in academia, public engagement was actually discouraged. But I still wanted to inspire young people from disadvantaged communities to go to university and study STEM subjects. I felt I had to hide any activities I did around this. I feel my superiors would have called it a waste of time. There was this attitude that we should be spending all our time on research and publishing. But not anymore. This award shows me that academia has broadened its measure of success. So now my engagement work is being celebrated. It's a bright new era."
Sunday brings infectious enthusiasm, charismatic confidence and a natural presence in front of the camera to his work. These qualities are equally evident in his public engagement activities. During the pandemic lockdowns, he delivered multiple online workshops to inspire the next generation of scientists, with the aim of demystifying higher education for underserved communities.
The Creative Futures weekly online workshops, developed in collaboration with Twin Science and the Royal Academy of Engineering, reached 5,000 young people across the globe, from Nigeria to Turkey. The young participants were captivated by Sunday's passion and asked him a multitude of questions. His commitment to public engagement has been so significant that the Royal Academy of Engineering enlisted him to help train other engineers in conducting outreach with Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) audiences.
Despite his extensive involvement in public engagement, Sunday remains deeply committed to his research in structural engineering. When discussing his work, he explained, "My research is industry-focused. And I work all over the world: from re-cladding and over-cladding in the UK to modular construction in South Korea to composite design and construction in New Zealand. It's exciting, and I'm well supported in my work. The technicians at Imperial's Structures Laboratory are excellent."
His international expertise also means that he sometimes works with organisations that compete with one another. He recognises the importance of maintaining professional integrity in such circumstances, explaining, "I am always careful to be a neutral, independent expert. Trustworthiness is key in research and development for industry in a small group of world specialists."
Sunday was also involved in the Grenfell fire investigation, demonstrating the significance and real-world impact of his work in structural engineering. His contributions highlight the responsibility that comes with his profession and the importance of ensuring that buildings are safe for the people who live in them.
Despite the seriousness of his work, Sunday has ambitions that extend beyond engineering. During a conversation about his career, he revealed an unexpected aspiration: "But next I want to be an actor." His wish to pursue acting, whether in films or theatre, offers another insight into his personality and interests beyond academia. It also highlights an important message that Sunday embodies through his work: scientists and engineers are real people with interests, passions and ambitions outside their research. They are individuals with whom others can connect, engage and share meaningful conversations.
In an interview shared on Imperial College London's YouTube channel, Sunday spoke about his another one of his aspirations for the future. He explained that he wants to dedicate more time to helping people who are less fortunate and giving back to others. He believes that when people leave this world, they will not be remembered for their possessions, the luxurious cars they owned or the large houses they lived in. Instead, they will be remembered for how they impacted the lives of others.
It has been a pleasure to share Sunday's story. Throughout his career, he has served as a role model and mentor to many students, demonstrating that there is a place for members of the community within academia. His journey reflects the importance of education, perseverance, professional excellence and giving back. As he continues to inspire the next generation through his research, teaching and community engagement, there is much to look forward to in how he will continue to support others and make a lasting difference in their lives.
