The University Governing Council has approved the appointment of Professor Akim Osarhiemen Osunde, FSSN, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) as the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University. He is to take over from the outgoing Vice-Chancellor, Prof. M. S. Audu, FMAN, whose tenure expires on Monday, November 26, 2012.
Council approved the appointment at its 96th special meeting held on Tuesday, November 13, 2012.
An indigene of Oredo Local Government Area of Edo State, Prof Osunde was born on June 12, 1958 in Ibadan, Oyo State. He attended St. Patrick’s Primary School, Ibadan and the famous Edo College, Benin City before proceeding to Czechoslovakia in January 1974 to complete his high school education.
Between 1975 and 1987, he was in the University of Agriculture, Nitra, Czechoslovakia and the University of Agriculture and Forestry, Vienna, Austria where he bagged his M.Sc. Agronomy (with distinction) and P.h.D Agronomy (Soil Fertility) respectively.
Prof. Osunde was a postdoctoral research fellow with the joint FAO/IAEA Division of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria between April 1987 and December 1988. He joined the services of the Federal University of Technology, Minna on January 9, 1989 as Lecturer I and rose to the rank of Professor of Soil Science in 2006.
A distinguished academic, Prof. Osunde who is cited in the “Who Is Who In Nigeria,” Nigerian International Biographical Centre, Lagos, 2002 and has won many awards and honours which include: Best Graduating Student (Distinction) Award at the University of Agriculture, Nitra, Czechoslovakia (1980). He has supervised many M.Tech and Ph.D theses.
Professor Osunde has held several important positions of responsibility in the University which include Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) 2009 – to date, Member, University Governing Council (2002 – 2004 and 2009 to date), Chairman, Anti-Corruption and Transparency Monitoring Unit (2008), Dean, Students’ Affairs (2005 – 2008), Chairman, University Sports Committee (1998 –2002), and Head of Soil Science Department (1998 –2002), among others.
He is a fellow, Soil Society of Nigeria (FSSN) and belongs to several other professional bodies among which are International Union of Soil Science (IUSS) and the African Association for Biological Nitrogen Fixation (AABNF). The new Ag. VC has presented papers at many local and international academic conferences, workshops and seminars, with over 50 publications to his credit.
His hobbies include playing tennis, relaxing with music, viewing sports and current affairs programmes.
Prof. Osunde is married to Engr. Prof. Z. D. Osunde who is Chairperson, University Seminar and Colloquium Committee and they are blessed with two children and two grandchildren. The appointment is with effect from Tuesday, November 27, 2012.
Submitted by: www.seunex.com
