FUTA Appoints Professor Funmilola Omoya as Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences

The Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), Professor Adenike Temidayo Oladiji, has approved the appointment of Professor Funmilola Omoya as the Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences (SBMS) following her election by the School.

Professor Omoya is an accomplished academic, researcher, administrator, and mentor whose career has been distinguished by outstanding contributions to Public Health and Microbiology. A Professor of Microbiology at FUTA, she has built an impressive reputation in teaching, research, university administration, and community service, with special expertise in malaria control, infectious disease epidemiology, and sustainable biological interventions for disease prevention.

An alumna of FUTA, Professor Omoya obtained her Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech.), Master of Technology (M.Tech.), and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees in Microbiology from the University. She further broadened her expertise by earning a Master of Public Health (MPH) degree from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, equipping her with a multidisciplinary perspective that integrates microbiology, environmental health, infectious diseases, and public health practice.

She joined the services of the University as a Graduate Assistant in 2001 and rose steadily through the academic ranks to attain the rank of Professor in 2020. Prior to her appointment as Dean, she served as the pioneer Head of the Department of Medical Laboratory Science, where she provided strategic leadership that laid a solid foundation for the growth and development of the Department.

Throughout her career, Professor Omoya has demonstrated exceptional commitment to the advancement of the University through active participation in several strategic committees. She has served as a member of the School of Sciences Intellectual Debate Seminar Committee, the FUTA Radio Airtime Committee, the FUTA Publications Committee, and the Examiners’ Report Committee of the School of Postgraduate Studies, among others. These roles reflect her dedication to institutional development, quality assurance, and academic excellence.

Beyond FUTA, Professor Omoya has contributed significantly to the wider academic and scientific community. She served as a Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Atmospheric Research, National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Ayingba, Kogi State, and has functioned as an External Examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in several Nigerian universities. She has also served as an assessor and reviewer for academic programmes, research proposals, scientific journals, and scholarly publications.

An internationally recognised researcher, Professor Omoya’s work focuses on malaria treatment and control, biological control of malaria vectors, natural products for antimalarial drug and vaccine development, public health, and infectious disease epidemiology. Her research has advanced environmentally sustainable approaches to malaria vector control and continues to contribute to global efforts aimed at reducing the burden of malaria, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

Professor Omoya has authored and co-authored over one hundred scholarly publications in reputable national and international peer-reviewed journals. She has presented research findings at conferences, workshops, and scientific meetings across Africa, Europe, Asia, and North America, including the Multilateral Initiative on Malaria (MIM) Pan-African Malaria Conference and conferences of the American Society for Microbiology. Her scholarly contributions have earned her recognition as a respected voice in the fields of microbiology and public health.

She is an active member of several professional bodies, including the American Society for Microbiology (ASM), Nigerian Society for Microbiology (NSM), Biotechnology Society of Nigeria (BSN), Society for Applied Microbiology (SfAM), Organization for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), and the Pan African Mosquito Control Association (PAMCA), through which she continues to promote scientific collaboration, professional development, and research excellence.

Professor Omoya is also widely recognised for her commitment to mentoring the next generation of scientists and healthcare professionals. She has successfully supervised numerous undergraduate projects, Master’s dissertations, and Doctoral theses, many of whose beneficiaries now occupy strategic positions in academia, healthcare, research institutes, government agencies, and industry.

As Dean of the School of Basic Medical Sciences, Professor Omoya is expected to provide strategic leadership that will further strengthen the School’s academic programmes, promote impactful research, enhance staff and student development, and foster collaborations that advance innovation in medical education and biomedical sciences.

Congratulations to the newly appointed Dean, School of Basic Medical Sciences.

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