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Nigerian Engineer Named Head at Drexel
Another Nigerian scientist, Dr. Chika Nwankpa has been named head of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Drexel University, Pennsylvania. Dr. Nwankpa, a full professor and fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), has been acting as interim head of department until this July when his appointment was announced in a faculty memo by Dr. Joseph B. Hughes, Dean, and College of Engineering at Drexel.
Professor Nwankpa, also the college's Director for the Center for Electric Power Engineering (CEPE), has been involved in engineering research on power systems and electronics leading to energy consumption models and renewable energy sources. His work at the center “supports the research and instructional program of Drexel University in academic areas associated with electric energy and power,” noted Dr. Hughes who also pointed out that “the CEPE works with electric utilities, state and federal agencies, private industries, nonprofit organizations and other universities on a wide spectrum of projects.”
While praising Nwankpa for his exceptional leadership as Interim head of department, Hughes also noted that the CEPE work portends the ability to reduce energy costs for the benefit of society.
Professor Nwankpa also served as Committee Chairman of IEEE CAS Power and Energy Circuits and Systems Technical Committee, focusing on theory of power systems and power electronic circuits to serve scientists and engineers who work on “analysis and design of power systems and power electronic circuits” worldwide.
At his installation as an IEEE Fellow, an elite class of engineers, Nwankpa said of his energy systems work at CEPE: “...It should be noted that the work of the center concentrates on technology development with the vision of fostering ‘a society that reaps the benefits of infrastructure characterized by lower energy costs with increased security through sustainable and secure multiple energy-type delivery systems.'”
Professor Nwankpa earned hisMasters degree from St. Petersburg Polytechnic in Russia and later a Ph.D. from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago. He joined Drexel in 1990 as Assistant Professor, later promoted to Associate Professor in 1995 and Full Professor in 2002
Located in Urban Philadelphia, with a campus spanning about 96 Acres, the university's website boasts that: “Since its founding in the midst of the industrial revolution in 1891, Drexel University has emphasized its strengths in engineering, science and technology to train men and women to become leaders. In little over a century, Drexel University has transformed itself into a large, comprehensive institution committed to excellence in education, research and service to the engineering society and to the broader community.”
The Electrical and Computer Engineering department has 1003 students currently enrolled, about 160 of whom are graduate students.