Prof. Gordon A. Awandare Appointed Pro-VC ASA

NEWS RELEASE: PROF. GORDON A. AWANDARE APPOINTED PRO VICE-CHANCELLOR (ASA)

Council, at its meeting held on Thursday, 23rd December, 2021, considered and approved the appointment of Prof. Gordon Akanzuwine Awandare as Pro Vice-Chancellor with responsibility for Academic and Student Affairs (ASA). The appointment takes effect from 1st January, 2022.

Prof. Awandare takes over from Prof. Daniel Frimpong Ofori, Provost of the College of Humanities who was appointed to act as Pro-Vice-Chancellor (ASA) from 27th October, 2021, until a substantive Pro Vice-Chancellor (ASA) is appointed.

Prof. Gordon Awandare is the founding Director of West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), and a Professor at the Department of Biochemistry, Cell and Molecular Biology (BCMB) at the University of Ghana, Legon. He is also a visiting Professor at the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.

Prof. Awandare was appointed Lecturer at the Department of Biochemistry, University of Ghana in 2002, promoted to Senior Lecturer in 2011, Associate Professor in 2015 and Professor in 2018. He was Head of Department of Biochemistry from 2013 to 2017. In 2014, he led the establishment of WACCBIP after winning one of the World Bank’s African Centres of excellence grants. Subsequently WACCBIP has won several other big grants, including a Wellcome Trust DELTAS grant, which altogether have secured over $40 million to University of Ghana for equipment, infrastructure, and fellowships to about 300 African scientists for Masters, doctoral and postdoctoral training. He has supervised 14 postdoctoral fellows, 20 PhD students and 23 Master’s students.

He brings significant experience in university management and governance. He is currently the Foundation Chairman of the Governing Council of the CK Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences in Navrongo, where he is also Chairman of the University’s Finance Committee. He has previously served on the Governing Council of the University of Development Studies, Tamale, where he was also the Chairman of the University’s Audit Report Implementing Committee. Within the University of Ghana, he has been a member of Academic Board and served on the Business and Executive Committee for many years. Prof. Awandare has also been Chairman, Centre Management Committee for WACCBIP, and member of Management committees/boards for many units, including, Office of Research Innovation and Development (ORID), Noguchi Memorial Institute for Medical Research, School of Pharmacy, Legon Centre for International Affairs and Diplomacy, School of Biological Sciences, and School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, Ghana Atomic Energy Commission. He has also chaired or served on numerous adhoc committees at the University of Ghana, including the Search Committee for Vice Chancellor in 2020/2021.

Prof. Awandare was a recipient of the Royal Society Pfizer award for 2015 for achievements in molecular and cellular studies of malaria, and science capacity building in Africa. At the University of Ghana, he received the Distinguished Award for Meritorious Service in 2014, Citation of Honor in recognition of contributions to science development in the College of Basic and Applied Sciences in particular, and University of Ghana in general in 2020 and Meritorious Award in Recognition of Outstanding Service, College of Basic and Applied Sciences in 2021.

 

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