Dr. Benard Omogo, a distinguished academic at Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology, has been awarded the prestigious Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship for the summer 2024 application cycle.
This honour serves to recognize Dr Omogo’s impactful work in promoting collaborative initiatives between African institutions and scholars residing abroad. The Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP), backed by the Carnegie Corporation of New York and overseen by the Institute of International Education, aims to enhance educational capacity and development across Africa through academic exchanges. It enables African-born scholars based in the United States to engage in educational projects at institutions within Africa.
Dr Omogo’s selection celebrates his influential contributions to advancing research and innovation across the continent. CADFP emphasizes three core areas of focus: curriculum co-development, graduate mentoring and training, and impactful research collaboration. The program fosters innovative approaches to curriculum design, aimed at strengthening educational practices and online instructional capacities.
Moreover, it seeks to improve the technical and research skills of graduate students through new mentoring strategies while promoting lasting research collaborations that enhance the capabilities of host faculties. Currently serving as a visiting scholar in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Arkansas, Dr Omogo is set to engage in collaborative efforts with esteemed scholars and institutions in both the United States and Canada.
Together with Dr Wesley Omwoyo from Maasai Mara University, Dr Omogo will focus on training postgraduate students and early career faculty in the field of nanotechnology, starting in mid-2025. Their project, titled “Collaborative Research on Noble Nanomaterials Synthesis, Characterization and Application: Training and Mentorship of Both New Faculties and Postgraduate Students in Nanotechnology,” is poised to advance research in this dynamic area.
Dr Omogo’s recognition through the CADFP not only signifies a personal achievement but also enhances the Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology’s standing as a reputable higher education institution in Kenya. This fellowship exemplifies the university’s commitment to academic excellence and its vital role in promoting international collaboration and research initiatives.
