Collette Suda: Professor of sociology

Prof Collette A. Suda

Collette Suda, an associate professor of sociology, is a well respected Kenyan sociologist with a wealth of research experience in issues of gender and development, children in especially difficult circumstances, social development, agricultural/rural development and community development.

Prof Suda earned her PhD in rural sociology from the University of Missouri-Columbia in 1986. She also holds an MSc in rural sociology and an MSc in community development from the same university.

After her PhD, she embarked on a career in lecturing and research at the University of Nairobi's Institute of African Studies (now the Institute of Anthropology, Gender and African Studies), focusing on various gender and social development themes including women in development, social change and development, and agricultural development policies, programs and projects.

Prof Collette Suda is widely published and has several peer-reviewed journal articles, books and book chapters to her name. She has also held senior leadership positions at the University, serving as director of the Institute of African Studies from 1999 to 2002 as well as the director of the Board of Common Undergraduate Courses from 2002 to 2007. In 2002, she was promoted to the position of full professor.

In addition to her university teaching and research career, Prof Suda served the Government of Kenya as the Secretary for Gender and Social Development in the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Development from 2007 to 2012. In June 2013, she was appointed the Principal Secretary for Science and Technology in the Ministry of Education, Science and Technology.

Prof Collette Suda is also an Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (EBS), a civilian service award given by the President of Kenya in recognition of distinguished service to the nation.

Hellen Sambili: Professor of education

Prof Hellen Sambili
 (Photo: Africa International University)

Prof Hellen Sambili may be better known to many Kenyans as a politician than as an academician after her successful parliamentary bid in the 2007 Elections thrust her into the political limelight and saw her being elected as the Member of Parliament for Mogotio Constituency on a United Democratic Movement ticket.

In 2008, she was appointed the Minister for Youth Affairs and Sports. In 2010, following a Cabinet reshuffle, she was named to a ministerial post in the Ministry of the East African Community. She served as the acting Minister for Higher Education, Science and Technology from October 2010 (following the suspension of the Minister, William Ruto) to August 2011 when a Cabinet mini-reshuffle saw her lose her ministerial position and Prof Margaret Kamar was appointed the new Minister for Higher Education.

Before entering into the political arena, Prof Sambili's career was focused on shaping young minds in school and university. She taught at Moi High School, Kabarak and in 1993 joined Egerton University as a lecturer in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction where she rose through the ranks to become an Associate Professor. She holds a BEd (Science) degree from the University of Nairobi (1983), a Master of Arts in Education from Lancaster University, UK (1986) and a PhD in Education from Lancaster University (1993).

In addition to her various teaching and administrative duties in the department (including serving as head of department), Prof Sambili was also the head of postgraduate programmes and founding director of the international linkage and study abroad programme for visiting students.

She is currently a member of the governing council of the Africa International University (formerly known as the Nairobi Evangelical Graduate School of Theology - NEGST).

Lucia Omondi: Professor of Linguistics

Lucia Omondi is a professor of Linguistics and African Languages at the University of Nairobi. She holds the distinction of being the first Kenyan to obtain a PhD in linguistics; this she achieved in 1975 from the University of London. Her doctorate dissertation was on the syntax of the Dholuo language.

Prof Lucia Omondi has a long-standing career in research and academia, starting out as a research assistant at the University of Nairobi in 1971, then as a research fellow and later head of department at the Institute of African Studies, University of Zambia from 1975 to 1978.

In 1978, she was appointed to the position of lecturer at the Department of Linguistics and African Studies, University of Nairobi and later rose through the ranks to become associate professor in 1986 and full professor in 1991.

Prof Omondi also served as head of department between 1989 and 1994. Later, from 1994 to 2004, she was appointed the principal of the College of Education and External Studies of the University of Nairobi.

Between 2004 and 2007, Prof Lucia Omondi was a member of the Commission for Higher Education, the body that is mandated to oversee the quality of higher education in the country.

Source: http://profiles.uonbi.ac.ke/lomondi/files/cv_prof_lucia_omondi.pdf

Florida Karani - Chancellor of Maseno University

On 17 December 2008, President Kibaki appointed Prof Florida Amakobe Karani the Chancellor of Maseno University during the institution’s eighth graduation ceremony. With this appointment, Prof Karani makes history as Kenya's first ever female Chancellor of a public university.

Prior to her new appointment, Prof Karani was the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs at the University of Nairobi, a position she held from May 1994 to June 2004.

Prof Florida Karani has a long-standing academic career in the University of Nairobi. She started out as a lecturer in 1969 and over the years rose through the ranks to attain the position of associate professor of educational communications and technology in 1988. She later went on to become a full professor of education in 1996.

Prof Karani has also held senior administrative positions at the University of Nairobi's College of Education and External Studies. She was the College Principal from 1988 to 1994 before being appointed DVC Academic Affairs. Additionally, in 1988 she became the founding Dean of the Faculty of External Studies.

Florida Karani is an accomplished author and presenter with several peer-reviewed publications and conference presentations to her name. On the international arena, she has been involved in training of trainers for the UN Economic Commission for Africa and UNICEF. In 2002 she was appointed a member of the Africa Regional Scientific Committee of the UNESCO Forum on Higher Education, Research and Knowledge.

Closer home, Prof Karani has held membership positions in the Inter University Council of East Africa and Kenya's Commission for Higher Education. In 1994 she received the Order of the Grand Warrior of Kenya (OGW) presidential award in recognition of her contribution towards improving the quality of higher education in Kenya.

Olive Mugenda - First Woman Vice Chancellor of a Public University in Kenya

In March 2006, Prof Olive Mugenda of Kenyatta University (KU) made history in Kenya by becoming the first woman to be appointed the Vice Chancellor (VC) of a public university. What is also notable about Prof Mugenda’s feat is that she was selected through a competitive open recruitment process and beat three male professors to clinch the post, demonstrating that in some cases a woman may just be the ‘best man for the job’!

Olive Mugenda has built an impressive track record of quality leadership through her professional contribution towards improving the quality of education in Kenya. Prior to her appointment as VC, she was KU’s Deputy VC in charge of Finance and Planning for four years.

After she received her PhD in Family and Consumer Studies from Iowa State University in 1988, Prof Mugenda taught in the Department of Family and Consumer Sciences, rising to become the head of department and later the Dean of the Institute of Applied Human Sciences. She also served as the Director of KU’s International Students’ Summer Program.

In the course of her teaching career, Olive Mugenda specialized in women’s education, home economics, statistics and research methodology. She also contributed towards the restructuring and diversification of the home economics curriculum at KU, placing greater emphasis on emerging topics such as environmental sciences, public health and HIV/AIDS management.

She has led several programs in support of girls’ education in Kenya at primary, secondary and university levels, and has received several awards in honour of her efforts in this regard. These include the 2007 Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute MBA Meritorious Award, the 2006 Elder of the Burning Spear presidential award, the 2002 KU Exemplary Service Award, the 2000 Atlas Alumni Award and Iowa State University’s 1982 Phi Kappa Phi Achievement Award.

KU recently made two noteworthy achievements under Prof Olive Mugenda’s watch as VC. In May 2008, the university was recognized as the best performing state corporation in the 2006-07 performance contract evaluations. In the same month, KU received ISO 9001:2000 quality certification for its excellence in accountability and operations. Of the seven public universities in Kenya, KU is the only one so far to receive an ISO certification.

KU’s star is shining brightly under Prof Olive Mugenda’s leadership and I believe that she can and will do even more to lead further improvements in quality of education and service delivery at the institution.

Olive Mugenda’s accomplishments are a source of inspiration to Kenyan women to strive for excellence in their careers, aim high and not shy away from competing for top-level jobs, especially in the public sector.

Kudos Prof Mugenda!

Leah Marangu - Kenya's First Woman Vice Chancellor

While Wangari Maathai is renowned as Kenya’s first female professor, having attained associate professorship in 1977, Leah Marangu bears the distinction of being the first woman in East Africa to be named a full professor.

Leah Marangu is also the first Kenyan woman to serve at the helm of a university, following her appointment in 1996 as the Vice Chancellor of Africa Nazarene University (ANU), a position she holds to date.

Prof Marangu received her MSc in Family Environment (1969) and PhD in Home Economics (1975) from Iowa State University. She went on to teach in several universities in the United States as a visiting professor and then returned to Kenya in 1977.

She taught Home Economics at Kenyatta University (KU), rising to become the head of the Department of Home Economics in 1988, which is also the year she was appointed a full professor. The following year, she won a Fulbright Scholarship which saw her return to the US as a visiting international professor until 1995.

In the course of her teaching career, Prof Leah Marangu has built a wealth of research expertise on women’s health, the role of women in food production, and science education for the girl child.

Through links with her alma mater, Prof Marangu has enabled several of her female students at KU to pursue higher degrees at Iowa State University, the most notable of whom is undoubtedly Prof Olive Mugenda, the current vice chancellor of KU. Talk about coming full circle!

More about Olive Mugenda in the next post. But suffice it to say here that through this one example, Prof Leah Marangu has laid a strong foundation for a lasting legacy of provision of quality higher education to Kenyans, and especially Kenyan women. This also lends credence to the saying “Educate a man and you educate an individual. Educate a woman and you educate a nation.”

Prof Marangu has received several awards in recognition of her efforts to improve the quality of education in Kenya. In 2001, she received the Iowa State University Distinguished Alumni Award, the highest alumni award, in honour of her pacesetting achievements in the field of education.

Today’s Standard newspaper quotes Prof Marangu speaking at ANU’s 11^th graduation ceremony held last week: “Time has come for us in Africa to invest in a different type of education, Christ-centred education that produces individuals who are committed to servant leadership. At Africa Nazarene University, we are on the journey to transform Africa to economic prosperity.”

With a vision like that, one can only look forward to a future marked by yet more great achievements by Prof Leah Marangu and her students at ANU.

More grease to your elbow, Prof Marangu!