Stars of ESC2025 in the Spotlight: Ikenna Nlebedim

When the E-Scrap Conference convenes in October, one of the freshest voices to join the stage will be Ikenna Nlebedim of Ames National Laboratory. He is set to appear on a session exploring rare earth recovery and recycling, a subject that has never been more critical as the industry pushes to secure essential materials in smarter, cleaner ways.

Nlebedim is a scientist at Ames Lab, deputy lead in the Critical Materials Institute and an adjunct faculty member at Iowa State University. His work spans rare earth permanent magnets, lithium and cobalt recovery, and groundbreaking acid-free recycling methods. He also led the multi-institutional effort that produced the first made-in-America rare earth magnet in two decades, an achievement that drew national recognition and a string of innovation awards.

His path to this point has been global and inspiring. Born in Lagos, Nigeria, he studied materials and metallurgical engineering before pursuing advanced degrees in Sweden and the United Kingdom, earning his Ph.D. at Cardiff University. Over the past 15 years in the United States, he has climbed the ranks at Ames National Lab from postdoctoral researcher to deputy division director, while mentoring young engineers and serving in leadership roles with the IEEE Magnetic Society.

This October will be his first E-Scrap Conference, and he views it as a chance to share Department of Energy-backed breakthroughs and forge new partnerships across the recycling ecosystem. So now it is time to step away from the lab and into the spotlight with Ikenna Nlebedim.

What’s your default karaoke song?

“I don’t have one — I’m not a karaoke person at all. I’ve never done it, and the one time I had the chance, I ran the other way as fast as I could. Karaoke and I are not meant to be in the same room.”

What song or band makes you crank up the volume in the car?

“I like gospel music. But to be honest, many times in the car I don’t listen to anything at all. It’s often a quiet time for me to think, reflect and even come up with new ideas.”

What’s your guilty-pleasure TV show?

“I can’t think of one. If you ask my kids, they’ll say I’m always watching the History Channel or the Weather Channel, which they don’t exactly consider thrilling. But for me, that’s where I spend most of my TV time.”

When was the last time you took public transport and where was it to?

“Earlier this year in Japan. I took a number of the trains there – not just one – and it was a great experience.”

Who would you most hate to be stuck in an elevator with?

“Satan.”

Which piece of business advice do you think is overrated?

“We often hear that if you’re building a company, it needs to run continuously. My question is whether that’s always the case. Sometimes batch processing may be better, depending on the economics. It has worked well in many industries, but it doesn’t mean it’s always the best solution.”

What’s your most irrational superstition or habit?

“I’m not really superstitious, scientists aren’t supposed to be. But when I was younger in Nigeria, there was a belief that if your saliva touched certain places, you would end up needing surgery. I was afraid of it as a child, but once the scientist in me started emerging, I tested it and discovered it wasn’t true.”

Aliens land and ask you to explain capitalism in one sentence, what do you say?

“Make as much money as you can, no matter who gets hurt. That’s not my personal belief, but if I had to explain capitalism quickly to an outsider, that’s how it often comes across.”

If you weren’t in the recycling industry, what different job would you secretly love to do?

“I would be a professor, that feels like a natural extension of what I already do. Earlier in my life, I even thought about becoming a medical doctor, because most people in my family are in medicine. I was just the stubborn one who went in a different direction.”

Who was your childhood hero?

“Jesus. I’ve been a Christian from childhood, and whenever I’m asked that question, I’ve always given the same answer.”

What ringtone is on your mobile right now?

“I don’t actually know, probably the default one. Most of the time my phone is on vibrate because I’m always in meetings, so I hardly ever hear it ring out loud.”

What’s the most recent book you gave up on and why?

“There was one I received recently that I stopped reading. I won’t name it, but the reason is that the opinion came across as too single-sided.”

When did you last do something for the very first time?

“A few months ago I designed my [outdoor] deck with ChatGPT, then had it built by a contractor. It was the first time I had ever used AI in that way, and the whole experience was both new and surprisingly effective.”

What’s pinned to your fridge door?

“Magnets from the places I’ve visited, because my daughter insists we collect them.”

What’s the strangest thing on your desk right now?

“Samples of magnets. Sometimes they’re ground up and might look odd to other people, but for me they’re just part of the work I do every day.”