KENNESAW, Ga. | May 8, 2023

What started as an affinity for science fiction movies has turned into a career for Kennesaw State University graduate student Adesua Ojeifoh.

Spellbound by the prostheses in movies like “The Terminator” and “I, Robot,” Ojeifoh brought that passion to KSU’s Master of Science in Prosthetics and Orthotics (MSPO) program, and she will graduate this week with a master’s degree and a mission.

“I’ve far surpassed where I thought I would be when I came here,” Ojeifoh said. “The professors at Kennesaw State have helped us excel by providing us with resources and connecting us with those that can help guide our interests within the field of prosthetics and orthotics.”

Ojeifoh enrolled at Howard University and earned a bachelor’s in chemical engineering—the closest offering to biomedical engineering at the time, she said—and manufactured medical devices for several years before realizing her passion lies elsewhere. Her research led her to KSU’s MSPO program, which migrated from Georgia Tech in time for the 2021-22 school year.

She has made the most of her time at KSU, presenting her research at the Georgia Society of Orthotics and Prosthetics (GSOP) Annual Meeting and the American Academy of Orthotists and Prosthetists (AAOP) Annual Meeting and Symposium. She won a $10,000 scholarship from the American Board for Certification of Orthotists and Prosthetists.

Most recently Ojeifoh earned the Click Medical Scholarship Award for excellence in orthotics and prosthetics study, which will fund a summer volunteer experience at a clinic in Guatemala. That experience, called the Range of Motion Project (ROMP) will feed into her future goal of starting her own clinic to provide prosthetic and orthotic care to members of underserved communities.

“I’ll see patients, evaluate their needs, fabricate and deliver devices, and I’ll also have a chance to do some gait training with the physical therapists that are there. They will have educational discussions and seminars as well,” she said. “I’ll be getting some hands-on experience to help supplement my education. I'm very excited about going.”

When Ojeifoh returns from Guatemala, she’ll work as a resident in a clinic, which will involve 18 to 24 months of on-the-job training. More specifically, she noticed during her time at KSU that much of the research and patient care involves lower extremities like legs and feet, leaving a need for specialists in upper extremities. She said while having a complete skillset makes her valuable, she also wants to make a difference by specializing in upper extremity prosthetics.

Ojeifoh looks at the past several years in wonder at her journey from chemical engineering to prosthetics and orthotics and credits the people she has encountered through the MSPO program at Kennesaw State for setting her on the path to a dream career. 

“The people at Kennesaw State go out of their way to help the students here, and because of that the opportunities are boundless,” she said. “Someone was always there to help, both in the lab and beyond, and I appreciate everything I’ve experienced during my time here.”

– By Dave Shelles
Photos by Judith Pishnery

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.