Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Engineering doctoral student Ikechukwu P.N. Ohu was one of 107 students awarded a Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois (DFI) Program Fellow for the 2013-2014 academic year.
The Illinois Board of Higher Education awards the fellowships to increase the number of underrepresented faculty and staff in Illinois institutions of higher education. The DFI board members determined the selection process.
Ohu is an electrical, electronics and industrial engineer who works as an analyst with the largest fertilizer plant in sub-Saharan Africa. He has a bachelor’s in electrical and electronics engineering and a master’s in industrial engineering. Currently, Ohu is a joint Southern Illinois University Carbondale/SIUE Ph.D. candidate, with a focus on the complexity analysis of surgical motions, robotics, computer integrated manufacturing and workplace ergonomics.
“Ike Ohu is an established and outstanding researcher in industrial and manufacturing engineering (IME),” said Dr. Sohyung Cho, associate professor of industrial engineering at SIUE. “Due to the nature of his collaborative work, Ike’s publication based on his dissertation research appears in both engineering and medicine journals.”
The Diversifying Higher Education Faculty in Illinois Program (DFI) was established by the Illinois General Assembly and signed as Public Act 093-0862 (Appendix B) on August 4, 2004. DFI serves as a program of financial assistance to implement the policy of encouraging minority students to enroll and complete academic programs at the post baccalaureate level.
Photo: Ikechukwu P.N. Ohu.