NWOKO, Vincent Okenwa

Date of Birth: Friday (Eke) 7'" July, 1933 State of Origin: Abia Contact Address 7. Umuovom Road. Off Bende Road P.O. Box 1178 Umuahia Abia State Professor Vincent Okenwa Nwoko is atop professor of metallurgy, an eminent scientist and an international scholar. He was born on 7"' July 1933 and has lor a long tune been deeply involved in the development of science and technology as a necessary path to progress and economic emancipation ol Alncan economy and improvement of living standard. Education • St Michael's School Aba 1943-1946 Methodist Secondary School Uzuakoli 1947 - 1952 Dennis Memorial Grammar School Onitsha 1953 ( For A-Levels/1 ISC) University College Gold Coast (present University of Ghana Lcgon) 1954 - 1956 for his Intermediate Science in Pure-Mathematics Applied Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry. Faculty of Technology. University of Manchester 1957- 1960. 1962 - 1963 • Massachusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge Massachusetts USA 1963 - 1964 Sir John Cass College Universily of London England 1964 - 1968 These long academic journeys yielded the following qualifications • FirstSchool Leaving Certificate (FSLC), WASC, B.Sc Tech (Chemistry). I960 M.Sc Tech ( Corrosion Science) 1963: Master of Science (SM Metallurgy). MIT Cambridge Mass ( 1964). PhD Metallurgy and Materials 1968. Job Experience and History • Assistant Technical Officer Imperial Chemical Industries (Id) in the office of Research and Development, Pilot Plant and Process Plant in their factory located at Birmingham England UK 1960-1962 m Teacher of Mathematics, Holloway School London Lecturer at the Undergraduate Level in Dept of Chemical Technology University of Science and Technology, Kumasi Ghana 1968 - 1974 Supervised M.SC postgraduate Students at the same university. Senior Lecturer and Associate Professor , Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering , University of Benin Benin City Nigeria Ag Head ofDepartment September- November 1975, August 1978 - September 1979, Associate Professor 1980 External Examiner in Polytechnics (Akure, Idah and University of Ife. Substantive Professor of Metallurgy and Materials Engineering, Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and helped to the take off of the university. Director of Programmes in the School of Engineering 1982 - 1984 Member First Governing Council of the University (FUTO) 1982 - 1984 Member of various Committees involved in the take of the university- Planning, Admission, and Research) External Examiners again for Universities of Ife, Akure, Makurdi, Enugu as well as the Polytechnics. Served as Council Member of FUTO 1986-1987, 1990 -1992 Chaired the University Staff Management Board Owerri 1990 - 1992 OtherContributionstothe Growth ofUniversity System • Director of Centre for Industrial Studies 1985- 1987, 1996 - Feb 2000 • His line of duty was to provide Practical Training in the various Workshops and also served as a member, National Committee on Foundry Development ( 1986- 1987) • Leave of Absence to manage Aba Glass Industry as the General Manager 1987 - 1989. He made tremendous progress in the area of utilities, recruitment and overseas training of Technical Staffin the march towards the rehabilitation of the factory. Interaction with members of the Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (MAN) provided an excellent opportunity which is still being usefully exploited. On the expiration of the Leave ofAbsence, he went back to the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) and was elected Dean of School of Engineering and Engineering Technology in July 1991- 1992. National Service to the State - Nation and International Appointed Secretary to Abia State Government ( SSG) 1992 - 1993 Member, Abia State Development Committee 1991 Member, Joint Admission and Matriculation Board ( JAMB 1990 - 1992) Member, Board of Directors, Ajaokuta Steel Rolling Company 2001 -2001 Chair of Imo State Panel on the elongated University Salary Scale 1999 Provided solution to the problem of effluent disposal while he was working in the industries and the Research Centres at Manchester. M.I.T., London, Columbus, and Ohio. In Ghana, the problems facing Ghanaian Chemical Industries were examined and solution provided by Prof. Nwoko. Current Research Interest centre around Small Scale Industries and how to tackle the problem of Soil Erosions Publications Numerous including: • The Electro deposition of Copper from Non-aqueous Solution I.A.Menzies, T. Broughton and VO.Nwoko Trans Inst. Metal Finishing 459 (1965) Logarithmtic Oxidation Kneetics of Zinc - V. Nwoko and H.H. Uhlig. J. Electrochem Soc. 112 1118 ( 1965) A Decade of Chemicals and Allied Process Industries in Ghana' V. O. Nwoko Proc Is' Symposium of Chemical and Allied Process Industries in Ghana, 1972 Chemical Polishing of Electrodeposited Nickel and Nickel- alumina Electrodeposited and Surface Treatment 3, 219( 1975) Oxidation of Electrodeposited N- 1.6WT% Alumina Corrosion "31 252( 1975) Chemical Industry in Ghana" V.O. Nwoko and A.N. Patel, Chemistry and Industry ( London) P57I, 1972 Stress in Electrodeposited Ni A1203" Electroplating and Metal Finishing 24 , ( NO. 12) 1971 Corrosion of Mild Steel in some Environments, Nigeria Corrosion Journal 16( 1998) Evaluation of the Mechanical Properties of Locally produced Roofing Tiles, V.O. Nwoko and JEO Ovri, Global Journal, Pure and Applied Sciences 4 No. 4 407( 1988} Presentations ofPapers at Conferences and Workshops Centre for Industrial Studies , FUTO, Its Role in Assisting Innovation', paper presented at a national seminar on Financing Innovator for Technology Transfer and Technology in the services of Human Race" • 6,h Convocation Lecture, The Polytechnic Nekede, Owerri 1990, "where Rust Doth Corrupt" • Third Inaugural Lecture FUTO , 14™ Nov 1990 • "Tertiary Education": A bridge into the 21s1 Century 8,h Convocation Lecture, Akanu Ibiam Federal Polytechnic, Uwana 1997. • "Corrosion and its Pervasiveness" Key note Lecture AGM and Workshop Nigerian Corrosion Association, The following papers are in view .• "Entry Qualifications and the performance of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering students at FUIO • Use of Solar Energy in Catholic Protection Pipeline Awards and Distinction • Nigerian Government Scholar of the Years 1957-1960. 1962-1963 . David Goodstein Fellow at Massachusetts Institute of Technology MIT Cambridge Mass 1963 - 1964 the Fellowship was for an outstanding African Graduate from an English speaking Country and in the field ofApplied Science • United Kingdom. Ministry of Technology Grant 1964 - 1967 for research into high Strength . High Temperature Resistant Materials, Fulbright Fellow at Ohio State University, Columbus Ohio USA 1984 - 1985 Hobbies Tennis, Gardening. His role model is Chinua Achebe because this literary giant is forthright, fearless, out spoken and in spite of his present condition, still very helpful to many people who go to see him. Professor Nwoko is happily married and has four children.