Mohammed Adnan builds and tells

“Do you have a superpower? Mine is making complicated things simpler to understand, especially for the general public,” said Mohammed Adnan, a serial entrepreneur in the United Arab Emirates who completed his Ph.D. in chemical and biomolecular engineering (CHBE) at Rice University in 2016.

“One thing I had to grapple with in startup environments was the perception that engineers lacked business acumen and could never deliver narrative-driven sales pitches. For the same reason, people I encountered always seemed surprised that I could pitch a product like a pro. It’s the startup environment that sharpened my business and communication skills. It’s time for other engineers like me – who aspire to be tech entrepreneurs – to step into the limelight and show we are great communicators.”

Adnan admits he has always enjoyed the social side of engineering: talking with technical experts and customers about problems and solutions.

But it was a communications course for Rice engineers that turned his gift for gab into a professional skill.

“Jan Hewitt’s course changed my life,” said Adnan. “She led us through an engineering communication course and had a unique method of teaching. It was eye-opening, challenging, and most importantly a lot of fun. Presentations were never just another item on her syllabus.”

“But Jan’s course taught me how to put forward ideas and effectively communicate with strangers. That was right before Rice’s first campus-wide elevator pitch competition, which I won. And Jan’s compliment is something that would remain etched in my memory forever. She said, ‘You seem to be in the right place at the right time, but it is also obvious that you are enjoying what you do and it shows [in your pitch].’

Read the rest of the story, written by Samavia Rizwan and Carlyn Chatfield in the ACTIVATE Engineering Communication program website.