Judi Wakhungu - Kenya's Top Female Petroleum Geologist

Prof Judi Wakhungu is the Executive Director of the African Centre for Technology Studies (ACTS) in Nairobi, Kenya. She was most recently an Associate Professor of Science, Technology and Society at Pennsylvania State University where she also served as the Director of the Women in the Science and Engineering (WISE) Institute.

Prof Wakhungu's research interests include energy resources management; energy policy and development; science, technology and development; and gender issues in science and technology policy.

She received a Bachelor of Science degree in geology from St. Lawrence University in New York, a Master of Science degree in petroleum geology from Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada and a PhD in energy resources management from Pennsylvania State University.

Prof Judi Wakhungu has held a number of energy sector positions in the civil service, industry and higher education in Kenya where she has a long list of "firsts".

She was the first woman geologist in the Ministry of Energy and Regional Development, where her duties entailed exploring for geothermal energy in Kenya's Rift Valley.

Prof Wakhungu was also the first female petroleum geologist in the National Oil Corporation of Kenya. Additionally, she was the first female faculty member in the University of Nairobi's Department of Geology.

Prof Wakhungu has served on many boards and committees, both nationally and internationally.

She was the Research Director of the Global Energy Policy and Planning Program of the International Federation of Institutes for Advanced Study (IFIAS), which is based in Toronto, Canada.

She has served as the Project Leader of the Renewable Energy Technology Dissemination Project of the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI).

She is currently the Chair of the Advisory Board of the STEPS Centre (Social, Technological and Environmental Pathways to Sustainability).

Prof Wakhungu also has the distinction of being the Designated Energy Expert for the United Nations Commission of Science and Technology for Development (Gender Working Group). She has also served as the Executive Director of the African Technology Policy Studies (ATPS) Network.

Source: http://www.acts.or.ke/about/council/profwakhungu.pdf