About the Director, Directorate of University Advancement (DUA)
Professor Kennedy Chibuzor Onyelowe is a distinguished Nigerian academic, researcher, geotechnical engineer, editor, and international scholar currently serving as the Director of the Directorate of University Advancement (DUA) at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike (MOUAU), Nigeria. He assumed office as Director in May 2026, bringing to the Directorate an extensive blend of academic excellence, global research visibility, institutional leadership, professional integrity, and international collaborations spanning Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.
Born on December 25, 1978, in Umuohia, Ndiolumbe Autonomous Community, Isiala Ngwa South Local Government Area of Abia State, Nigeria, Professor Onyelowe began his educational journey at Community School, Ndiolumbe, where he obtained his First School Leaving Certificate in 1990. He later attended Nvosi High School, Umunkpeyi, Ovungwu Secondary School, Umuapu, and Umuopara Secondary School, Umuahia, where he completed his secondary education with SSCE/WAEC and GCE/WAEC qualifications in 1996 and 1997, respectively.
Driven by a passion for engineering and scientific innovation, he proceeded to the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, where he obtained a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering with specialization in Structures between 1998 and 2003. He subsequently advanced his postgraduate studies at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka, earning a Master of Engineering degree in Civil Engineering with specialization in Soil Mechanics and Foundation Engineering between 2009 and 2010, and later a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree in Civil Engineering with specialization in Geotechnical Engineering between 2012 and 2015.
Professor Onyelowe’s academic and professional career reflects over two decades of dedication to university teaching, advanced research, mentorship, consultancy, and institutional service. He joined the Department of Civil Engineering, Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, in October 2007 as a Graduate Assistant and steadily rose through the academic ranks to become Lecturer II in 2010, Lecturer I in 2015, Senior Lecturer in 2018, Associate Professor in 2021, and Professor in October 2024.
In addition to his substantive appointment at MOUAU, Professor Onyelowe has served in several academic and international capacities. He was Associate Professor on Sabbatical at Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State, Nigeria, between January 2024 and January 2025. Since December 2022, he has served as Research Fellow in the Department of Civil Engineering, School of Engineering, University of the Peloponnese, Patras, Greece. He also served as Contract Senior Lecturer at Kampala International University, Uganda, and Adjunct Senior Lecturer at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Nigeria.
As a renowned researcher, Professor Onyelowe has established a formidable reputation in computational geotechnics, artificial intelligence and machine learning applications in civil engineering, sustainable construction materials, environmental geotechnics, unsaturated soil mechanics, transportation geotechnics, geomaterials technology, and modeling and optimization of engineering systems. His pioneering studies on nanostructured ash synthesis, solid waste-based geopolymer materials, soil stabilization, and intelligent prediction systems have contributed significantly to advancing sustainable engineering research globally.
He has successfully supervised numerous undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students across multiple universities in Nigeria and beyond, while mentoring emerging scholars and researchers in geotechnical engineering and computational modeling. His teaching portfolio includes core engineering courses such as Soil Mechanics, Engineering Geology, Engineering Surveying, and Advanced Geotechnical Engineering subjects at undergraduate degrees and Soil Erosion, Dam & Seepage, and Subsurface Exploration and Testing of Soil at the postgraduate degrees.
Professor Onyelowe is widely recognized internationally for his exceptional research productivity and scholarly impact. He has authored and co-authored over 300 scholarly publications in reputable local and international journals indexed in major databases. His research visibility and scientific contributions earned him repeated recognition among the World Top 2% Scientists, a prestigious global ranking conducted by Stanford University, USA, and published by Elsevier in 2022–2026. He also received the Elsevier/SciVal Best Researcher Award at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, in 2022–2026 and 34th Elsevier/Scival best in Nigeria in recognition of his outstanding scholarly impact and citation performance.
His additional commendations include the Best Research Paper Award by Elsevier/ICARAE 2021 at Cape Peninsula University of Technology, Cape Town, South Africa, as well as TETFund Research and Study Fellowships awarded for postgraduate research training at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
Professor Onyelowe has played significant leadership roles in university administration and academic development. Prior to his appointment as Director of the Directorate of University Advancement, he served as Head of Department of Civil Engineering at MOUAU from February 2025, Deputy Dean of the College of Engineering and Engineering Technology from January 2022 to January 2025, and Acting Dean of the College on multiple occasions in 2022. He has also served on several strategic university committees, including the University Admissions Board, the University Council Technical Committee for the Selection of the 6th Vice Chancellor, and multiple accreditation and research committees.
As Director of the Directorate of University Advancement, Professor Onyelowe is committed to strengthening institutional growth, strategic partnerships, alumni engagement, research advancement, endowment development, industry collaboration, internationalization, innovation-driven initiatives, and sustainable institutional visibility for Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. His vision for the Directorate centers on fostering transformative collaborations between the university, industry, government, alumni, development agencies, and global academic partners to support excellence in teaching, research, innovation, entrepreneurship, and infrastructure development.
Professor Onyelowe is equally a respected editor and academic publisher. He served as Editor-In-Chief of the Umudike Journal of Engineering and Technology (UJET) and currently serves as Editor-In-Chief of the Sustainable Intelligent Infrastructure (SII). He is also an Editorial Board Member of Discover Concrete and Cement published by Springer, and Sustainable Horizons hosted by Elsevier. In addition, he serves as Guest Associate Editor and Review Editor for Frontiers in Built Environment – Geotechnical Engineering, Switzerland.
His professional affiliations span numerous reputable international engineering and scientific bodies. He is a registered engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN) and a member of organizations including the International Society of Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE), International Geosynthetics Society (IGS), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), International Association of Engineers (IAENG), International Association for Promoting Geoethics (IAPG), British Institution of Structural Engineers (BIStructE), and the Nigerian Institution of Professional Engineers and Scientists (NIPES).
Professor Onyelowe has also developed extensive global research collaborations and grant partnerships with institutions such as King Saud University, Saudi Arabia; King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL), Thailand; Hanoi University of Mining and Geology, Vietnam; University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa; Makerere University, Uganda; University of Bern, Switzerland; and the University of the Peloponnese, Greece. He serves as Principal Investigator, Investigator, Lead Researcher, and Contributor in several multinational research initiatives focused on sustainable infrastructure, geomechanics, geomaterials, and intelligent engineering systems.
Beyond academia, he is actively engaged in engineering consultancy through organizations such as Termites Hill Consult, Lagos, and Project Hub Nigeria Limited, Umuahia, where he contributes technical expertise in civil engineering design, geotechnical analysis, construction materials, and infrastructure development.
Professor Kennedy Chibuzor Onyelowe is married and blessed with three children. He remains deeply committed to academic excellence, ethical leadership, mentorship, institutional development, and the advancement of engineering education and sustainable research innovation in Nigeria and globally.
Under his leadership, the Directorate of University Advancement is positioned to drive strategic institutional growth, deepen stakeholder engagement, attract developmental partnerships, and enhance the global visibility and competitiveness of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.
Engr. Prof. K. C. Onyelowe, M.IGS, M.ASCE, M.IAENG, M.IAPG, R.Eng.
(Director)
Email: konyelowe@mouau.edu.ng
Tel: +2348039547350
Scholarship: *https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=E3zKGJwAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao
*World Top 2% Scientist
*Elsevier/Scival Outstanding Researcher
