San Diego State University announced Thursday that a pioneering health researcher will become its next provost, which is the school’s top academic administrator.
Chukuka Enwemeka, currently the dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, will become provost and senior vice president for academic affairs July 1, replacing the resigned Nancy Marlin, according to SDSU.
In pioneering studies, he and his team demonstrated for the first time that certain wavelengths of LED blue light kill the deadly Methycillin Resistant Staphylococcus aureus, SDSU officials said. The finding suggested that blue light is a viable alternative to antibiotics, to which some bacteria have become resistant.
He’s considered a prominent authority in the use of lasers and monochromatic light for therapeutic purposes.
“I am delighted by this opportunity to serve as the chief academic leader of California State University system’s flagship institution, known for its esteemed community of outstanding students, innovative teacher-scholars and dedicated staff,” Enwemeka said. “I look forward to working closely with President (Elliot) Hirshman and the leadership team to elevate the national and international profile of SDSU to the next level.”
Enwemeka has spent the past 11 years as a tenured professor and dean at UWM and the New York Institute of Technology, and another decade as a professor and chairman at the University of Kansas Medical Center.
As the chief academic officer of the university, the provost provides the leadership required to achieve the highest standards in teaching, scholarship, creative activities and service, according to SDSU. The provost is a key participant in setting major university policies; establishing, coordinating and implementing academic goals; curriculum planning and development; program review; funding support and resource allocation; and personnel actions pertaining to faculty and academic staff.
He earned his BS degree from University of Ibadan — one of Nigeria’s top institutions of higher learning — and a Master’s from the University of Southern California. He earned a Ph.D. from New York University before undertaking post-doctoral research training at NYU’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine.
SDSU officials said Enwemeka has authored more than 90 original research papers, monographs, and book chapters, and has secured millions of dollars in grant funding.
–City News Service
