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Who's Who
Dauda Abubakar, PhD
Ohio University
Political Science
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Dr. Dauda Abubakar... is a visiting professor in the Department of Political Science, at Ohio University. He received his M.A and Ph.D in Political Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison followed by a visiting fellow at the Center for the Study of Developing Societies, New Delhi, India during which he conducted comparative research on democracy and diversity in India and Nigeria. Dr. Abubakar areas of specialization include comparative politics and international relations with thematic focus on issues of democratization, identity politics, nationalism, international security, conflict and conflict resolution, human rights and sustainable development in the global south. He has made several presentations at professional conferences, including the African Studies Association, as well as the International Studies Association, and also published in an array of refereed journal, such as African Issues and the Journal of Development Alternatives. He is working on a book project titled: Oil, State and Democracy in Nigeria 1985-2005.
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Hammed Agboola, PhD
Wilberforce University
Professional Studies
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Dr. Hammed Agboola... joined Wilberforce Faculty since 1991 and currently serves as President of Wilberforce University Faculty Association. He has received numerous awards including the prestigious Faculty Merit Bonus Awards three times for his excellent teaching ability and the service to the university during his tenure at the university. He is the Director of Wilberforce University/University of Benin (Nigeria) International Research Partnership which was funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and monitored by the United Negro College Funds Special Programs (UNCFSPS). The partnership led to the building of a Food Production Plant in Nigeria and led to the production of "Proffs Kilishi" a modern form of traditional sun-dried meat product. In addition, Dr. Agboola currently serves as an Evaluator for Wilberforce University New Minority Male Health Project (NMMHP) a Wilberforce consortium with Morehouse College and other four universities. The project is funded by the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
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Aigbe Akhigbe, PhD
University of Akron
Finance
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Dr. Aigbe Akhigbe... joined the College of Business Administration faculty of the University of Akron in fall 2000 as a professor of finance. He also holds the Frederick W. Moyer endowed Chair in Finance, a position that requires him to play a leadership role in research, teaching and community service. He came to the University of Akron from Florida Atlantic University where he was a faculty from 1991 to 2000. He earned a Ph.D in finance and M.B.A from the University of Houston, a M.S in Engineering from the University of Louisiana and B.S in petroleum engineering rom the university of Ibadan, Nigeria. He published extensively and is globally ranked as one of the leading scholars in Finance. He is currently listed in Whos Who in America.
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Daniel Avorgbedor, PhD
Ohio State University
Music and Black Studies
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Dr. Daniel Avorgbedor... is Associate Professor and holds a joint appointment in the School of Music and in the Department of African American and African Studies, OSU. He received his PhD from Indiana University (Bloomington) with specializations in ethnomusicology and folklore. He has taught at the University of Ghana (Legon), Bretton Hall College (UK), and City College of New York. He served as editor of the international reference work, RILM, 1989-1994. His major research areas include urban ethnomusicology (rural-urban linkages and their impact on performance traditions in Africa; performance as site for negotiating ethnic identities in urban centers), theoretical and methodological issues in African diaspora studies, and contemporary musical traditions in African Independent Churches (AIC). His most recent research and teaching engagements focus on resources and interpretations of the African presence in the worldwide African Diaspora. His publications include the edited volume, Interrelationships of Music, Religion, and Ritual in African Performance (2004); his essays appeared in Garland Encyclopedia of African Folklore: An Encyclopedia (2004), and Shamanism: An Encyclopedia of World Beliefs, Practices, and Culture (2004) etc.
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Joshua Bagakas, PhD
Cleveland State University
Education and Human Services
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Dr. Joshua Gisemba Bagakas... attended Kamagambo High School in South Nyanza, Kenya and later the University of Nairobi where he earned his undergraduate degree. He obtained his masters and PhD in Educational Statistics in 1992 from Michigan State University. Dr. Bagaka's is an Associate Professor of educational research and Director of the Doctoral Studies in the College of Education and Human Services at Cleveland State University. Dr. Bagaka's research interests are in teacher, classroom, and school effectiveness on student learning outcomes. More recently, Dr. Bagaka's has been involved in studies utilizing hierarchical linear modelling to identify the value-added indicators of school and teacher effectiveness on student achievement. Dr. Bagaka's is founder of Educational Research Exchange; he also received mention recognition for the Outstanding Teaching Award CSU 1997 and Outstanding Administrator faculty, 2006 & 2007.
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Kema Bonsu MD
Columbus Children Hospital
Pediatrics
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Dr. Kema Bonsu... is an Attending Physician in the Emergency Department at Columbus Children's Hospital and an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. He is a member of the Society for Pediatric Research. His research interests include acute infections and inflammatory conditions, Sickle Cell disease, and the creation of surveillance tools in he Emergency Department for monitoring emerging infections and acts of bioterrorism. Dr. Bonsu attended The University of Ghana Medical School and earned his MBCHB in 1990. He later completed his residency at Connecticut Children's Medical Center and his fellowship at Children's Hospital Boston. Dr. Bonsu has been at Columbus Children's Hospital since 1999 where he is a certified doctor of pediatrics and pediatric emergency medicine. Among his accomplishments are numerous publications and presentation
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Samuel Dzodzomenyo, MD
Columbus Children Hospital
Pediatric Neurology/ Sleep medicine
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Dr.Samuel Dzodzomenyo... is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Neurology, Columbus Children's Hospital and The Ohio State University. He is working to expand the Columbus Children's Hospital program for sleep disorders in children. He is board certified in Sleep Medicine and Pediatric Neurology. He has a special interest in children with neurologic disorders with sleep problems. He is the neurological consultant for the Columbus site of a National Institutes of Health- sponsored multi-center study for the prevention of stroke in sickle cell disease. Dr. Dzodzomenyo earned his medical degree at the University of Science and Technology and completed his residency at The Metropolitan Hospital in New York. He did his fellowship at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center and has been at Columbus Children's Hospital since 2002.
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Felix Ekechi, PhD
Kent State University History
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Dr. Ekechi... attended Holy Ghost College before coming to the United States for his undergraduate at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He then earned his PhD at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Dr. Ekechi was first promoted to full professorship in 1976 in the history department at Kent State University where he has been for 35 years. Among his accomplishments, he was founder and first president (Onye Ishi) of African Community Association. Currently Dr. Ekechi is a Professor of African History and Director of African Studies Program.
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Ihuoma U. Eneli, MD
Columbus Childrens Center for Heathy Weight and Nutrition
Pediatrics
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Dr. Ihuoma U. Eneli... , is Associate Director for Clinical Programs at Columbus Children's Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition and an Associate Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at The Ohio State University College of Medicine. Her clinical and research interest is on medical interventions for overweight children, particularly from the health care providers perspective. Prior to joining the Center, Dr Eneli was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan. Dr. Eneli earned her medical degree at the University of Nigeria in 1989 and later completed her residency at Sparrow Hospital and her fellowship at Michigan State Unviersity. Dr. Eneli is a member of The American Academy of Pediatrics, American Federation for Medical Research and the American Board of Pediatrics.
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Evelyn Erokwu, MD
University Hospitals
Internal Medicine
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Dr. Evelyn Erokwu... Dr. Evelyn Erokwu attended Queen's School in Enugu, Nigeria, proceeding to complete a B.Sc degree in Biology at Wellesley College, Massachusetts. She subsequently earned her MD degree at the University of Cincinnati, College of Medicine and completed a residency in Internal Medicine at the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in Cleveland. Dr. Erokwu has combined a career in academic and community medicine including appointment with the Kaiser Permanente Medical Group and The Mount Sinai Medical Center. In recent years, she has concentrated on a private practice in Internal Medicine which still actively includes teaching intern residents and medical students in the ambulatory and inpatient setup. Dr. Erokwu is a Senior Clinical Instructor at the Case Western Reserve University, School of Medicine.
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Magbaily Fyle, PhD
OSU,
Studies African American and African
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Dr. Magbaily Fyle ... completed his B.A at Fourah Bay University of Durham and a Diploma in Education at the Unviersity of Sierra Leone. He later earned his Ph.D at Northwestern University in 1976. Dr. Fyle was also Director of the Center for African Studies at OSU 1995-1996. Most of Dr. Fyle's early writings were on pre-colonial West African History, particularly oral history, which he specialized in. His publications include The Solima Yalunka Kingdom (1979); Almamy Suluku of Sierra Leone ; The History of Sierra Leone: A Concise Introduction ; History and Socio-Economic Development in Sierra Leone. The State and the Provision of Social Services in Sierra Leone Since Independence 1961-1991. He was consultant editor of Africa, Journal of the International African Institute (London). He has also served as consultant to UNESCO on culture in Africa. He has recently published an Introduction to the History of African Civilization, Volume One: Precolonial Africa (University Press of America).
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Godfrey Gaisie, MD
Childrens Hospital of Akron
Pediatrics and Radiology
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Dr. Godfrey Gaisie... is a 1972 graduate of the University of Ghana Medical School. In the USA he trained in Pediatrics at the Howard University Hospital followed by Radiology Residency and Fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. He previously held the academic position of Assistant Professor of Radiology at the University of North Carolina Medial School and currently the position of Associate Professor of Radiology at the Northeast Ohio Universities College of Medicine. He was Chairman of Radiology at the Children's Hospital of Akron from 1991 2005 during which time the department saw tremendous growth. He is currently on staff in this department. In 1997-1997 he served as President of the Medical Staff at Akron Children's Hospital. Dr. Gaisie has 26 publications in medical journals and 37 National and International presentations to his credit. He is Board Certified in Pediatrics and Radiology.
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Martin Gaiti
Stone Art Creations
Art curator/ Business Man
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Mr. Martin Gaiti... attended Nyeri High School in Kenya and later earned an Associate Degree at Brown Institute of Technology in Minneapolis, MN and later his BA in Finance and Marketing at Liberty University, Richmond, VA. Mr. Gaiti embarked on a career as an African Art curator, specializing in Stone Art Creations from East and Southern Africa. Currently, Mr. Gaiti is a notable Art Dealer participating in numerous fine art exhibitions nationwide for the last 16 years. He has won numerous awards that include, Best of Show at the local Boston Mills Art Fair, Honorary Mention at the prestigious Up Town Art Show, and several Awards of Excellence. Mr. Gaiti is also a Real Estate Developer specializing in commercial Real Estate and Land Acquisition. Mr. Gaiti is a frequent contributor to several non-profit organizations including, the ACA, African Community Association. He is also actively involved in the facilitation of the development of the African Diaspora, as he was featured as a presenter at the Washington, DC Kenyan Diaspora investment forum.
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Milton Harvey, PhD
Kent State University
Geography
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Dr. Milton Harvey... graduated from Albert Academy high school in 1957 and attended Fourah Bay College, the University College of Sierra Leone. In 1961, Dr. Harvey joined Durham University in England, graduated in 1963 with an honors degree in Geography and received his Ph. D from the same university in 1967. Dr. Harvey returned to Sierra Leone where he taught at Fourah Bay College, the University of Sierra Leone until 1969 when he came to the Ohio State University as a Post-Poctoral Fellow. He has been at Kent State University since the summer of 1970. Professor Harvey has published numerous papers in national and international journals, and was also part of the International Labor Organization's team to Sierra Leone. Currently, he is collaborating with scholars, in Management Information Systems (MIA) on Statistical Distributions, in Marketing on aspects of customer perception of service quality, and with geographers on modeling sprawl on the urban fringe and on the migration of foreign-born Blacks in the U.S.
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Polycarp A. Ikuenobe, PhD
Kent State University
Philosophy
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Dr. Polycarp A. Ikuenobe... attended St. Benedict Catholic High School, Igueben, in Nigeria and the University of Ibadan for his undergraduate and Masters in philosophy. Dr. Ikuenobe later earned his PhD from Wayne State University, Detroit MI in philosophy. He served as assistant professor at Alverno College in Milwaukee for four years. He later joined Kent University and now is a full professor of Philosophy. Among his accomplishments are, numerous scholarly articles in academic journals and the publication of his book Philosophical Perspectives on Communalism and Morality in African Traditions.
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Wanjiku Kabiru, MD
Ohio State University
Obstetrics and Gynecology
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Dr. Wanjiku Kabiru... is an assistant clinical professor for the department of obstetrics and gynecology at The Ohio State University. She received her M.D. in 1997 at Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee. She completed her residency in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Emory University in 2001. From 2001 - 2004 she had a maternal fetal medicine fellowship, also at Emory University. Her major interests are in obesity , metabolism in pregnancy obstetrical ultrasound - 3D, 4D and doppler applications; Prenatal diagnosis; Obstetrical complication including cause of stillbirth. Her research Interests Include impact of obesity during pregnancy; Ethnic Disparities in pregnancy outcomes.
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David Kabithe MD
Middletown Regional Hospital
General Surgery
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Dr. David Kabithe... Dr. David Kibithe attended George Town College in Kentucky for his undergraduate and earned his medical degree at the Medical School University of Louisville. He later completed his residency in general surgery at Case Western Reserve University. Dr. Kabithe is a General Surgeon at Middletown Regional Hospital in Middletown Ohio. Dr. Kabithe is in his second year as an elected member of the Middletown School Board.
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Khaled Mahlies, MD
House Hospice Center
Internal Medicine
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Dr. Khaled Mahlies... earned his undergraduate degree from Ains Shams Faculty of Medicine in Cairo which was followed by a year of ophthalmology residency at the same institution and a year of military service. He later traveled to the United States where he completed joint residencies at George Town Hospital and Howard Hospital as a liaison physician in end stage renal disease and later a residency at Mt. Sinai Hospital in Cleveland. Currently Dr. Mahlies is a MD in internal medicine at Mahlies Internal Medicine Specialist Center. His Specialties are in hypertension, diabetes, heart failure and end of life issues and care. Dr. Mahlies is also the medical director of the House Hospice Center in Cleveland and the Skilled nursing facilities. Dr. Mahlies is a volunteer board member of the University Hospital, Bedford Medical Center Senior Network and the Bedford Medical Center. He also serves on the advisory board of the Hospice Western Reserve.
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Charles Mbanefo, MD
St. Vincent/Case Western
Nephrologist/ Internal Medicine
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Dr. Charles Mbanefo... obtained both his undergraduate and Medical degrees at the University of Cambridge, England. He spent a part of his training, Residency and Fellowship in Nephrology (Kidney Disease Specialty) at St. Thomas' Hospital and other University of London Hospitals. He then returned to Nigeria in 1974 where he took a faculty position at the University College Hospital, Ibadan. He came to the Cleveland Clinic as a Senior Research Fellow in 1982. In 1985, he joined the Department of Nephrology at Case Western Reserve University Hospitals. In 1987, he was appointed Assistant Professor at Case Western Reserve University and Director of the Division of Nephrology at St. Lukes Hospital, Cleveland. Dr. Mbanefo continues to teach and practice medicine in several area hospitals affiliated with both University hospitals and the Cleveland Clinic while still engaging in Clinical Research projects. He has co-authored of several peer- reviewed medical publications. He is Board Certified in Internal Medicine and Nephrology and is a member of AMA, The Ohio State Medical Association and the American Society of Nephrology. He serves on the Board of several organizations including the Kent State University-Geauga campus and the Cleveland Chapter of the National Kidney Foundation.
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Steve Michael, PhD
Kent State University
Vice Provost & Professor
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Dr. Steve Michael... is Vice Provost and Professor of Higher Education Finance with a supervisory role over undergraduate studies, International Affairs Director, KSU Florence Italy, Director KSU Geneva, Switzerland, Faculty Professional Development Center and Diversity of Kent State University. He is the Director of the Ohio Academic Leadership Academy, an Inter-University Council program for preparing future academic chairs and deans. His administrative experience includes directorship of the Center for International and Intercultural Education, Interim Associate Dean, and Coordinator of Higher Education Doctoral Program. Fellow in 2000-2001 under the President of Carnegie Mellon University. He also served part of his fellowship year under the Vice-Chancellors of the City University of London and the University of Bath in England. Dr. Michael's research interest includes the application of business strategies to Institutional Management. He has published widely in most of the leading international and national refereed journals in his field. His latest book is entitled: Financing Higher education in a Global Market.
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Fatuma N. Midamba, MD
University Hospital
Internal Medicine
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Dr. Fatuma Midamba... is Board Certified in Internal Medicine. She practices medicine at Severance Circle Cleveland Ohio. Her area of special interest is in women's wellness, which includes, but is not limited to healthy lifestyles, prevention of breast and cervical cancer and heart disease. She has extensive training and experience in the management of Diabetes, Hypertension, Heart Disease, Arthritis, Cholesterol Disorders and Respiratory disease. Her other professional Practice and experience include: served as: House officer with Physician Staffing in Cleveland, Primary and Special Care with University Hospital System, Primary Care Physician with Cleveland Clinic Health System and as House Officer with International Hospital, Istanbul Turkey. Dr. Midamba earned her Medical Degree from Marmara University School of Medicine in Turkey and her Bachelor of Science degree from Mount St. Mary's College, Uganda. Her many publications includes; HIV Infection of the Esophagus, first Case proven by PCR
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Noah Midamba, PhD
International Education and Consulting Services
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Dr. Noah Midamba... Dr.Noah O.Midamba is the Senior Partner with the International Education and Consulting Services. An International Company based in Cleveland Ohio. The company specializes in International Education Exchanges and Linkages, Multicultural and Inter Ethnic Education, Multi-Stake Holder Partnerships and Leveraging Resources. Prior to this, Dr.Midamba served as Chief International Officer at Youngstown State University, Chief Diversity Officer and Associate Dean at Kent State University. Dr. Midamba is a former Executive Youth Officer for the United Nations. He served as, Deputy Executive Director for the Senior Resources Center in Denver and as a Senior Planner for the Denver Regional Council of Governments. He also served as a Senior Consultant for Merrill Lynch Reality. Dr. Midamba published a book and fifty scholarly articles on multinational corporations, foreign and defense policies, total quality management, diversity and international students recruitments. Dr. Midamba earned his Doctorate in Defense and Foreign Policy. Master in International Relations from the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver. He earned a Master in Public Policy and a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Puget Sound and Associate of Art and Sciences in Business from Tacoma Community College.
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John Conteh-Morgan, PhD
OSU
Studies African American and African
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Dr. John Conteh-Morgan... Twentieth Century French Literature, Sussex University, England; M-ès-Lettres Modernes, Université de Besançon, France) is Associate Professor of French and Francophone literature, editor of Research in African Literatures, and was contributing advisory editor to The Oxford Encyclopedia of Theatre and Performance (2003). He has held fellowships in the University of Leeds, England (Commonwealth Faculty Fellow), Harvard University (W.E.B. Du Bois Fellow), and Maryville College, TN . His research and teaching interests include contemporary French drama, theatre and performance, African Diaspora theatre, and especially postcolonial literature in French from Africa and the Caribbean. More recently he has concentrated on translating French-language works with a philosophical content and a bearing on francophone/postcolonial studies. Dr. Conteh-Morgan is completing a book on contemporary theatres of delegitimation in (Francophone) Africa and the Caribbean.
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Isaac Mowoe, PhD
Ohio University
African American and African Studies
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Dr. Isaac Mowoe... B.S., Ohio University, 1971; M.A., Ohio University, 1972; Ph.D., The Ohio State University, 1976; J.D., Capital University 1982. Associate Professor Mowoe is particularly interested in jurisprudence, constitutional law, civil-military relations, and institution building in Africa; and he has written on these subjects. A recipient of the Lawyers Cooperative Publishing Company American jurisprudence Award (1982), he is a member of the American, Columbus, and Ohio Bar Associations, the International Society of African Lawyers, the African Studies Association of the United States, and the Royal African Society. As Principal or Co-Principal Investigator, he has received grants from a variety of agencies including the Ohio Humanities Council, the United States Department of Education, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. He is currently at work on a book manuscript, Politics and the Judicial Process in Africa.
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Lupenga Mphande, PhD
Ohio State University
African American and African Studies
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Dr. Lupenga Mphande ... earned his B.A from the University of Malawi and later completed his Ph.D from the university of Lancaster, England and the University of Texas at Austin in 1989. Currently Professor Mphande is currently a professor at Ohio State University of Applied Linguistics, Foreign Language Education, and African Literature. Proessorf Mphande's current research interests include the interface between phonology and morphology and its impact on the current phonological theory, Southern African languages and literatures, Southern African history and politics, and issues of language and culture in Africa. Professor Mphande is also a published poet, and recent publications have been in the area of language, literature and culture in Africa. African American and African Studies Lupenga Mphande, PhD Ohio State University
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Kazadi wa Mukuna, PhD
Kent State University
Music
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Dr. Kazadi wa Mukuna... an ethnomusicologist from the Democratic Republic of Congo (Zaire), is Professor of Ethnomusicology and Director of the Center for the Study of World Musics at the Hugh A. Glauser School of Music at Kent State University in Kent, Ohio (USA). Received his Ph.D. in Ethnomusicology from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of São Paulo in Brazil. Has taught at the Federal University of Maranhão, University of São Paulo, University of Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO), in Brazil; the National University of Zaire, in Lubumbashi, Institut National des Arts, in Kinshasa, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the Michigan State University, and Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts, in the United States of America. Professor Kazadi is best known in the academic circles for his numerous publications on the traditional music of Africa on the continent and its influence in the musics of the Americas. Among his published books are Characteristic Criteria in the Vocal Music of the Luba-Shankadi Children (Tervuren: Musée Royal de l'Afrique Centrale, 1972); African Songs for American Elementary Schools (Lansing: Michigan State University, 1980); An Interdisciplinary Study of the Ox and the Slave (Bumba-meu- Boi): A Satirical Music Drama in Brazil (New York, The Edwin Mellon Press 2003); rd Contribuição Bantu na Música Popular Brasileira: Perspectivas Etnomusicológicas, 3 edition (São Paulo, Brazil 2006). Currently, his research projects include but are not limited to A Dictionary of Urban Music and Musicians in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and The Evolution of Urban Music in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
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Nnenna Nkemere, DNP
VA Medical Center
Nurse Practitioner
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Dr. Nnenna Nkemere... attended Clemsen University and earned her
BSc in textile Chemistry in 1981. She later joined Cleveland State University for a
Masters in Clinical Chemistry. In 2001 Dr. Nkemere obtained another BSc in
Nursing from Case Western Reserve University and a Masters in Nursing in 2003
and a Doctor of Nursing Practice (Nurse Practitioner). She is currently the primary
provider at VA Medical Center, Geriatrics/Extended Care.
Among her numerous accomplishments, Dr. Nkemere presented her research at
The National Conference of Geriatric Nurse Practitioners in Cleveland, Ohio. She
is also an elder in her church community and also serves on the pastor nominating
committee at Old Stone Church.
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Charles Odimgbe, MBA
Stark Regional Transit
Authority.
Project Manager
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Mr. Charles Odimgbe... earned his Bachelors Degree in Business
Management form Concordia University and a Master’s Degree in Business
Administration from George Fox University.
Mr. Odimgbe has held several position within the transit industry. He started his
career in 1985 as a Coach Operator at Tri-Met in Portland, Oregon, where he
earned a Safety Award for two consecutive years. In 1992 he was promoted to
an Operations Planner II. In 1995, Mr. Odimgbe left Tri-Met to accept a position
as Senior Planner at C-TRAN in Vancouver, Washington. Mr. Odimgbe was
promoted to Manager of Special Projects and again to Administrator of Special
Projects. Mr. Odmgbe formed the Oregon/SW Washington Chapter of COMTO
where he served as President until 2000.
Mr. Odimgbe was inducted into the Washington State Transit Association Wall of
Fame on two separate occasions for outstanding project management and
innovative community outreach concepts.
In 2000, Mr. Odimgbe relocated to Canton, OH to take over leadership of Stark
Area Regional Transit Authority.
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Emeka Ofobike, PhD
George W. Daverio School of Accountancy
Accountancy
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Dr. Emeka Ofobike... is an Associate Professor of Accountancy at the
George W. Daverio School of Accountancy at the University of Akron. A Certified
Public Accountant and a Certified Management Accountant, Emeka teaches
undergraduate and graduate Financial, Managerial, and International accounting
classes. His academic research interests are in the areas of corporate
governance, accounting method choices, and accounting education.
Emeka was born in Onitsha, Nigeria, and completed his secondary school
education in Nigeria before proceeding to the University of Ghana, Legon, where
he studied for, and received two diplomas in statistics under a United Nations
scholarship. He then obtained a BBA and an MBA in accounting from Western
Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois, and soon after joined the audit staff of a major
company in Los Angeles, California. He eventually relocated to Nigeria in 1976 to
join the accounting faculty at the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus. In 1980,
Emeka returned to the USA to pursue his doctoral studies in accounting at the
University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon. He completed the program in 1984, and
was hired as an Assistant Professor of Accounting at the University of Kansas,
Lawrence, KS.
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Laura Ofobike, DED
Akron Beacon Journal
Chief Editorial Writer
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Dr. Laura Ofobike... joined the Akron Beacon Journal as the Commentary
page editor in August 1989. She is currently the chief editorial writer, writing
editorials and a weekly column for the daily newspaper. She graduated from the
University of Ghana with a First Class Honors degree in English in 1971. She
studied for a Master's degree in drama at the University of Leeds, England, and
earned a second Master's in English from the University of Ghana in 1974.
While lecturing at the University of Cape Coast, she studied for a graduate
certificate in education from the university. She taught dramatic literature in the
Department of English at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, for four years before
joining the new Nigerian Television Authority in 1980 as Principal Research Officer.
After completing a Ph.D in telecommunications and film at the University of Oregon
in 1985, she began a career in journalism in 1988 with the Wichita (Kans.) Eagle-
Beacon.
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Buchi F. Offodile PhD
Kent State University
Business Administration
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Dr. Buchi F. Offodile... is a professor of Business Administration and
Chair of the Management & Information Systems department at Kent State
University. He graduated from Texas Tech University with degrees in Industrial
Engineering and concentration in robotics.
He teaches and does research in the operations management area with special
interests in Robotics and Technoloy Assessment, Quality Control, supply chain
management, inventory management and cellular manufacturing. Dr. Offodile has
published widely and his research publications have appeared in some of the top
research outlets in production research, manufacturing, robotics and computers,
among others. He is the author of The Orphan Girl, a collection of 41 folk tales
culled from his lifetime experiences growing up in Nigeria.
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Linus Thomas-Ogbujii, PhD
NASA
Materials Engineering Scientist
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Dr. Linus ... Ogbuji attended Mbaise Secondary and Federal School of
Science in Lagos, Nigeria. He earned his BSc in Materials Engineering at The
American University, Cairo, Egypt and his Masters and PhD in Materials Science
and Engineering at Case Western University. Ogbuji began his career as assistant
professor at the University of Florida, Gainesville, and continued (senior lecturer,
associate professor, reader) at three Nigerian universities; where he was dean of a
School of Earth & Mineral Sciences in one university and chairman of Chemical
Engineering in the other. Sabbatical leave took him to NASA's Glenn Research
Center, Cleveland; there he rose to chief research scientist for QSS, retiring in
2004. At NASA he worked to develop advanced materials able to resist the
exceedingly hot and corrosive environment of jet and turbine engines of the future,
and the space shuttle main engine. His jet-engine research helped develop
ceramic-fiber based composites; his space shuttle engine work was a team effort
that won one of NASA's highest technical awards (TGIR); it explored metal-based
composites of exceptional durability.Currently, Dr. Ogbuji teaches part-time at
area universities and writes about his experiences: His first book, SEEING THE
WORLD IN BLACK & WHITE (2006) recounts his peripatetic life; his second book,
A POTEMKIN PARADISE, is due out in summer 2007. His third book is with a
publisher.
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Emmanuel Okafor, MD, MPH
Digestive Health Inc.
Gastorenterologist/Hepatologist
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Dr. Emmanuel Okafor... is board certified in Internal Medicine,
Gastroenterology, and Hepatology. He completed his early education at
Government College, Umuahia, Nigeria and later earned his medical degree from
the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. Upon relocation to the United States, he earned a
Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore,
MD. This was followed by residency (Internal Medicine) at the Mayo Clinic,
Minnesota, and subsequently, fellowship training (Gastroenterology/ Hepatology)
at Case Western Reserve University.
He is currently a medical director and partner at Digestive Health Inc.—a
Gastroenterology consulting group in Beachwood, Ohio. He is involved in post-
graduate medical education and is currently the director of the Division of
Gastroenterology at Huron Hospital—Cleveland Clinic Health System. He is also
the President-Elect of the Medical Staff at Huron Hospital. Dr. Okafor is a member of
several associations including the American College of Physicians, the American
Gastroenterology Assoc., and is the Immediate Past-President of the Association of
Nigerian Physicians in the Americas (ANPA), a professional group that represents
over 4,000 physicians and allied health professionals of Nigerian descent in the N.
America.
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Innocent Okolo, MA
Deputy Director
Akron UMADAOP
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Mr. Innocent Okolo... is a Lagos native and a graduate of the University
of Akron with a Masters in Urban Studies. He is currently serving as Deputy
Director for the Akron UMADAOP, a private nonprofit organization providing
substance abuse treatment and prevention services. Prior to joining the Akron
UMADAOP, he served as the Executive Director for the Portage County
Community Action Agency.
Active in numerous civic and community organizations, he served as the President
of the Portage County NAACP and Board member of Board of Alpha Phi Alpha
Homes as Vice-Chair of Management, Midwest Regional Chair fo r the MLK
natioanl Memorial Project. He is also the Vice President of Nigerians in the Metro
Akron Area and Surroundings. He is a Life member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity
and a volunteer soccer coach for the Inner City Soccer Club of Akron, and a
member of Leadership Portage County Class of 1998. Among his awards are
2001 National Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Presidential Citation for service to the
MLK National Memorial Project Foundation.
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Cosmas Onuora, MD
Women's Clinic Inc
Obstretrics & Gynecology
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Dr. Cosmas Onuora ... attended Awgu County Secondary School in Nigeria
and completed his undergraduate degree at Southern University in Baton Rouge,
Louisiana. He then pursued and completed graduate school at Meharry Medical
College in Nashville, Tennessee. His post -graduate work was completed at Louisiana
State University. Dr. Onuora has continued to hone his skills as Instructor at L.S.U.
School of Medicine in Shreveport, LA 1989-1990. Medical Director at Ambulatory Care
Clinic, Mercy Medical Center in Canton, Ohio 1990-1992. He has served as President
of H.O.F Woman's Clinic, Inc. from 1991 to present as Clinical Assistant Professor of
Obstetrics & Gynecology at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine from
1996 to present. Adjunct Clinical Associate, School of Nursing at Kent State University,
1999 to present. President, Stark County OB/GYN Society 2004 to present. He is also
the president of Provident Medical Equipments & Home Health Care, Inc. Dr. Onuora
has published numerous articles in both national and international medical journals. He
is board certified in Obstetrics & Gynecology, and is a fellow in both the American
College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the International College of Surgeons.
Dr. Onuora is a physician currently practicing at Hall of Fame Woman's Clinic Inc. in
Canton, Ohio. His areas of specialties include Obstetrics and Gynecological care of
women of all ages. Dr. Onwudiwe Onuora has extended his caring in the form of
community service with yearly visits to Nigeria on medical and surgical missions. He is
currently involved in a hospital construction for his hometown in Nigeria.
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Norbert Owino, PhD
Case Western Reserve
University
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Dr. Norbert Owino... Dr. Owino graduated from the University of
Nairobi, Kenya in 1990 and 1994 with B.S and M.S respectively in chemistry.
After graduation, he worked with Government Chemist Department for two years
before joining Department of Chemistry, University of Nairobi as tutorial fellow. In
the Fall1998, Dr. Owino came to USA for further studies at the State University of
New York at Binghamton.
He graduated in the year 2004 with a PhD in chemistry (organic) then moved on
to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor as a post-doctoral research fellow in the
Department of Radiology. From March 2007, Dr. Owino joined Case Western
Reserve University as Research Associate. At SUNY, Binghamton, he had the
opportunity to serve as head teaching assistant for several chemistry courses
and gained a reputation for careful devotion to learning and mentoring students.
In the years 2000 and 2001 Dr. Owino was presented with awards for best
teaching assistant and Excellence in teaching respectively.
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Meshack Owino, Ph.D
Cleveland State University
History
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Dr. Meshack Owino... has been a member of the Department of
History at Cleveland State University since the Fall of 2005. He teaches
courses in African history. He specializes primarily in the experience of african
soldiers in pre-colonial and colonial Africa. He has research interests in the
origins and nature of African states; ethnicity and politics; and democracy and
human rights in modern Africa.
Meshack earned his doctoral degree at Rice University, Houston, Texas.
Before joining CSU, he taught at Bloomsburg University (Pennsylvania). He
has also taught at several other universities, including: Texas Southern
University (Houston, Texas); Stanford University (Palo Alto, California); and
Egerton University, Kenya. He is currently working on two manuscripts for
publication: "A Military History of the Luo of Western Kenya during the Pre-
colonial Period," and "The Experience of Kenya African Soldiers in the Second
World War.”
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Able Oriri, PhD
Clinical Counselor/Pastor
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Rev. Abel Oriri, LPCC attended Maseno National School later earned BA in
theology from Pan Africa Christian University, Nairobi in 1982. He later proceeded to
United States of America for further studies where he earned Masters of Arts Degree in
Psychology and Counseling in 1989 and second Masters degree in Divinity in 1990 at
Ashland University. He enrolled for Doctors of ministry degree at Ashland theological
seminary and later transferred to Northcentral University in Prescott Arizona in 2000 to
complete a PhD in Psychology. His dissertation research topic: Psychological
Debriefing: Professionals' Perceived Efficacy of the Critical Incident Stress Debriefing
Rev. Oriri is the President and founder of ACA Incorporated a world leader in providing
mental heath, chemical dependency treatment and disaster management worldwide,
Founding Pastor of Heights Fellowship Church, Cleveland Ohio and President Of Ark
African Safaris, Inc (USA) & Arkippo Tours Company (Kenya). He holds the following
professional licenses and certifications: Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
(LPCC- Ohio), National Certified Counselor, National Certified Psychologist, and
Disaster Mental Heath Lead Specialist. He affiliated with several professional
association including Association Of Black Psychologists, America Psychological
Association, American association of Christian Counselors, American Mental Health
Counselors Association etc)
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Kefa Otiso, PhD
Bowling Green State University
Department of Geography
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Dr. Kefa Otiso ... attended Gusii Highlights High School and completed
his undergraduate at Kenyatta University in Kenya. He later earned his masters
and PhD at Ohio University in Athens and the University of Minnesota, Twin
Cities.
Dr. Otiso is currently an Associate Professor of Geography at Bowling Green
State University. He teaches courses in Population, Urban, African, Marketing
and Economic Geography. Dr. Otiso has been interviewed on various media
outlets including The Columbus Dispatch, Mshale and the Standard Newspaper
on his expertise.
Among his accomplishment is authorship of a book, “Culture and Customs of
Uganda” and numerous articles in national and international journals. Dr. Otiso
has also been invited in various venues to speak on topics ranging from
Socioeconomic Development in Africa to Urban Management.
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Scopas Poggo, PhD
OSU, African American and African
Studies
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Dr. Scopas Poggo... completed his Bachelors Degree in Education at
the University of Juba in Sudan and his postgraduate in Library Information
Studies at Newcastle Upon-Tyne Polytechnic where he was a British Council
Scholar. He later earned his Ph.D at University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr.
Poggo' major field of study is African History specializing in Twentieth Century
History of the Sudan.
Currently Dr. Poggo is an Assistant Professor in the department of African
American and African Studies at OSU. Among his many accomplishments are
numerous awards including the Humanities and Social Science Research Grant,
the Graduate Research Mentorship Program Award, the Interdisciplinary
Humanities Center Predoctoral Fellowship, the Institute on Global Conflict and
Cooperation Dissertation Fellowship. Dr. Pogg’s research work and publications
include, "The Pattern of Azande Resistance to the British Rule in the Southern
Sudan, 1898-1914" , The White Nile Black Blood “ and "Kuku Religious
Experiences Since the Expulsion of the Foreign Christian Missionaries from the
Sudan in 1964".
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Gus Samba, PhD
Kent State University
Computer Science
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Dr. Augustine (Gus) Samba... is an Industrial Associate Professor in
the Department of Computer Science at Kent State University. Gus received his
M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Applied Math and Computer Science respectively, from
the University of Liverpool in England. Prior to joining the Department, he worked at
AT&T Bell Labs, Lucent Technologies and QuikCAT Technologies. He has more
than 20 years experience in applied research and development in
telecommunications, communications software, systems engineering and systems
architecture.
Dr. Samba's research has led to his receiving two US patents, two Canadian, one
Japanese and one European. His current research interests include
wireless/mobile networking, next generation network management systems; and
computational modeling, analysis and simulation of signal pathways in the Central
and Peripheral Nervous Systems. Dr. Samba currently serves on the technical
program committee of the Communications and Networking Simulations (CNS '08)
Symposium, which is sponsored by the Society for Modeling and Simulation
International.
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Judith Shabaya, PhD
Baldwin-Wallace College
Education
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Dr. Judith Shabaya... earned her PhD and Master's degrees in
Education at The University of Akron. She is currently serving as an Assistant
Professor in the Division of Education at Baldwin-Wallace College where she
teaches literacy courses. Prior to her current position, she served as a Reading
Field Service Professor in the College of Applied Science at the University of
Cincinnati.
Dr. Shabaya also taught as an Assistant Professor of Education at Park University,
Missouri. Dr. Shabaya has been working in the field of education for more than 20
years and has authored several scholarly papers and presented at various national
and international conferences. Her research interests include global literacy
education, metacognition and learning, bilingual education, gender and diversity
issues in the learning environment.
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Ahmad Sikainga, PhD
Ohio State University
History
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Dr. Ahmad A. Sikainga... is a Professor of African History and African
American and African Studies at the Ohio State University. He received his BA and
MA from the University of Khartoum, Sudan, and his Ph.D from the University of
California at Santa Barbara.
Professor Sikainga's area of specialization is the social and economic history of
Africa, with a focus on the Sudan and the Nile Valley. His publications include,
Slaves into Workers: Emancipation and Labor in Colonial Sudan (1996), City of
Steel and Fire: A Social History of Atbara, Sudan's Railway Town, 1906-1984
(2002). He also co-edited Civil War in Sudan (1993) and Post-Conflict
Reconstruction in Africa (2006). Before joining the Ohio State University, Professor
Sikainga taught at Bayero University and Ahmadu Bello University in Nigeria.
He was a Mellon Fellow at Harvard University in 1991-92 and a Fulbright visiting
scholar in Morocco in 1996-97. He served as the director of the Center for African
Studies at the Ohio State University from 2001 to 2005.
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Demo Solaru, PhD
ProviderGateway, Inc
Senior Principal
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Dr. Demo Solaru... is the Senior Principal at ProviderGateway Inc, a
management consulting and Human Services Technology firm. Prior to
ProviderGateway, Dr. Solaru was a Senior Manager in the Public Sector Advisory
Services of the Firm of Laventhol and Horwath, and a Senior Consultant in Ernst
and Young's Health Care practice. He earned his Bachelor's degree in computer
science at Purdue University, a Master's degree in Information Systems at
Eastern Michigan University, and a Doctor of Management from Case Western
Reserve University. Dr. Solaru's 25 year career spans consulting, technical
assistance and technology support in public, private and not-for profit
institutions. His forte is in the areas of facilitation, consensus building, model
development, strategic planning, and the creation and management of online
enterprises.
Dr. Solaru has been engaged by federal, state and local government agencies to
determine effective interventions for program, operations and strategic
improvement. He has directed projects of national significance including case
management models for National Workforce systems development, statewide
automated welfare systems, organizational culture change training solutions and
the Department of Health and Human Services.
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Maurice Soremekun, MD
Women’s Healthcare, Inc
Obstetrics and Gynecology
|
Dr. Maurice Soremekun... graduated from the Methodist Boys High
School in Lagos, Nigeria and performed his undergraduate studies at West
Virginia Wesleyan College in West Virginia. He received his Masters of Science
Degree in Biochemistry from the University of Western Ontario in Canada and his
Doctor of Medicine Degree from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. He was
the former Director of Inpatient Maternity Services for Kaiser Permanente Medical
Center in Cleveland, Ohio from 1981-1986 and the Chief of Obstetrics and
Gynecology at Kaiser from 1989-1993.
He is currently the President and CEO of Women's Healthcare, Inc., where he
specializes in providing gynecological and obstetric services to women. He is a
Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine in London, England, a Fellow of the
American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and a Fellow of the American
College of Surgeons. He is the former President of the Cleveland Society of
Obstetrics and Gynecologists and the former President of the Cleveland Medical
Association.
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Emmaunel Tuffour, MD
Ghana Care
Internal Medicine
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Dr. Emmaunel Tuffour... is a board certified internal medicine specialist
who has been practicing in the greater Cleveland, Ohio area for the last fifteen
years. His practice is open to patients of all varieties including a large senior
population. Dr. Tuffuor is committed to the urban, inner city area and has
spearheaded a number of major community initiatives designed to make health
and human services available to the less fortunate. What began as a dream to
build a hospital in his home country of Ghana when Emmanuel Tuffuor arrived in
the United States in 1970 for higher education, culminated in 1991 with opening of
the Aninwah Medical Center (AMC) in rural Emena , Ghana . This medical center
is a 75-bed hospital that provides a wide range of medical services from general
medicine to surgery. Dr. Tuffuor, envisioning the need to be creative in financing
health care in Ghana, especially as it related to AMC, created a company called
Complete Basic Health 2000 (CBH) to be the organizational conduit for financial
and technology transfer from the United States and other western countries to
Ghana.
Dr. Tuffour is also on the teaching faculty of Case Western Reserve University
where he received his medical degree and has appointments in the
departments of internal medicine and international health.
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Dr. Obiaghanwa S Ugbana, MDColumbus Children’s Hospital
Ambulatory Pediatrics
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Dr.Obiaghanwa Ugbana... attended Spartan Health Sciences
University and completed her fellowship at Howard University Hospital. Dr.
Ugbana is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University
College of Medicine and Public Health, and a member of the Section of Ambulatory
Pediatrics at Columbus Children's Hospital.
Dr. Ugbana's primary activities include residency training and medical student
teaching in the Ambulatory setting. Dr. Ugbana is a full-time attending physician in
the Primary Care Network and provides patient care and precepts medical
students and residents during their rotation in the Primary Care Center on the Main
Campus of Children's Hospital.
SM
She also provides patient care in the Evening Whitehall Close To Home
Physician Care Center.
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Peter Wairegi
Funding Group Mortgage Co.
Mortgage Broker/Financial Coach
MBA, CMC
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Mr. Peter Wairegi... graduated from Njumbi High school in Muranga
Kenya in 1975. He worked at Uchumi supermarket for three years before coming
to the U.S for higher education.
In the U.S he attended the University of Alabama and finished his Bs in Economics
at the University of Toledo and an MBA at Baldwin Wallace in 1987. In the same
year, Mr. Wairegi became a U. S citizen and also received his Real Estate license.
Among many of Mr. Wairegi’s accomplishments are, founder of OAMB – Ohio
Mortgage Providers Brokers Association and NAMB board member 1990 – 1992.
Mr. Wairegi is the CEO of Funding Group Mortgage Company in Bedford Heights,
OH and also a refereed motivational speaker. He was featured in the Money
Magazine in1995 and is currently serving as president of the prestigious ACA –
African Community Association for the 2007-2008 calendar year. Mr. Wairegi is
also the CEO of The African Community Directory and Resource Guide.
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Victor Wan-Tatah, PhD
Youngstown University
Geography
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Dr. Victor Wan-Tatah... attended Bailey CPC high school in Cameroon
and later joined Nynyasoso Theological College and Seminary for his
undergraduate. Dr. Wan-tatah joined the Harvard Umrersly Divinity School and
completed his masters in Church and Society. He later earned his Doctorate in
Theology at Harvard-Cambridge in 1984.
Dr. Wan-tatah taught at the same institution in the School of Anthropology and
later joined Youngstown State University where he has been a professor of
philosophy and religious studies for the last twenty years. Dr. Wan-tatah is a full
professor and is on his seventh year as Department Director of the African
Studies Program. He is the elected president of the Black Faculty and Staff
Association since 2004. Dr. Wan-tatah is also a minister and parish associate at
The First Presbyterian Church in Youngstown. Among his awards is The
Distinguished Professor Award in 2005 in teaching and in 2007 in Public Service.
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Christopher Williams, PhD
Kent State University
Black Studies
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Dr. Chris Williams...... was born in Freetown, Sierra Leone. He attended
Methodist Boy's High School and later traveled to the United States where he
earned his Baccalaureate Degree in History and Sociology from Langston
University in Oklahoma and both Masters and Doctorate degrees in History at Kent
State University.
Dr. William has been a professor of History in the Black Studies Department at Kent
State for the last thirty one years. He taught for the first fifteen years of his
appointment at Kent, and then served the University as College Administrator,
initially as Assistant Dean at the Salem Campus and then as Dean and Chief
Executive Officer for the Geauga Campus for another fifteen years. Dr. Williams
has also taught at various universities in North Eastern Ohio including, Case
Western Reserve University, Youngstown State University and University of Akron.
He has also published a number of articles in professional journals and
manuscripts.
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Raymond Warupa, MD
Orthopedic SurgeryThe Cardinal Orthopaedic Institute
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Dr. Raymond Wurapa... is a general Orthopedist, specializing in hand
and upper extremity surgery. He has unique expertise in tendon, nerve and soft
tissue reconstruction; arthritis; carpal tunnel and other neuropathies; and upper
extremity trauma reconstruction.
Dr. Wurapa earned his Medical Degree from Case Western Reserve University
School of Medicine. He completed his internship at Union Memorial Hospital, his
residency at Albany Medical Center and his fellowship at Rothman
Institute/Thomas Jefferson Hospital in 2001. Dr. Wurapa is a certified
Orthopedic surgeon.
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Timothy Kiogora, PHD
Eastern Kentucky University
Foreign Languages and Humanities
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Dr. Timothy Kiogora... received his Theology Diploma at Makerere
University jointly with St. Paul's College in Limutu, Kenya in 1973 and completed his
Master of Theology at Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University
in Texas in 1976.
Among his many endeavors Dr. Kiogora has served as Campus Chaplain at the
University of Nairobi from 1989 to 1993 and also as Adjunct Professor at the
Jesuit School of Theology in Nairobi during the same period. He has lectured
extensively in the US both at the University of Denver and at Eastern Kentucky
University. He also served as Associate Professor in Ethics and Humanities at
Eastern Kentucky University, Richmond, Kentucky.
In addition to his many notable posts, Dr Kiogora has acted as a consultant to the
National Council of Churches of Kenya Theology and chairman to the Church and
Society Committee, Kenya Methodists Church for a period of three years. He
retains membership to many distinguished associations.
Dr. Kiogora has served as priest in the Methodist church in Kenya from 1971 to
present. He also acted as Senior Pastor for Lavington United Church in Nairobi
1989-92. He has published a vast number of articles in topics ranging from
theology to humanities. Dr. Kiogora is currently preparing a memoir of his
personal account of African life in the global context entitled; Across Three Rivers.
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