Chukuka S. Enwemeka, a former dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, joined San Diego State University as the campus’ provost and senior vice president.
He has more than 20 years in leadership in academic circles, from 10 years as a tenured professor and a chairman at the University of Kansas Medical Center to another decade as a dean.
He joined San Diego State July 1. His wife, Roselyn, also will come to campus as the assistant director of special programs at the International Student Center.
He chose SDSU, he told the campus News Center, because of its focus on research, international issues, community engagement and diversity. He also wants to help students graduate in a timely fashion, without institutional excuses.
“Academic institutions nationwide have not done a very good job with student success. We blame it on the grade schools and the high schools, but just look at how we evaluate ourselves,” he said.
“We are four-year colleges and yet, nationwide, we use the six-year graduation rate to measure success! We need to help students achieve their goal of graduating with a degree in four years.”
Enwemeka completed his undergraduate work at the University of Ibadan in Nigeria, before coming to the U.S. to earn his master’s from the University of Southern California and his Ph.D. from New York University.
He also completed post-doctoral research at NYU’s Rusk Institute of Rehabilitation Medicine.
He considered is an authority in the use of lasers and monochromatic light for therapy and also found via a study that some LED blue lights can kill the deadly Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA, making the therapy a possible alternative to bacteria-resistant antibiotics.
