Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025): UNIZIK Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences

					View Vol. 4 No. 1 (2025): UNIZIK Journal of Engineering and Applied Sciences

This special issue is dedicated to Professor Onukwuli Okechukwu Dominic (FAS), marking his retirement and celebrating a remarkable career. It highlights his lasting contributions as a scholar and mentor.

PROFILE

Okechukwu Dominic Onukwuli, a chemical engineer, an eminent scholar, and a seasoned academician was born on August 5th, 1955 at Umuoji, Anambra State to late Mr Matthias Onukwuli and late Mrs Mercelina Onukwuli. He attended Saint John’s Primary School, Inalende, Ibadan from 1961 to 1966 and Saint Francis Catholic School, Mgbago, Umuoji in 1966. He had his post-primary education at Archbishop Heery Memorial Secondary Technical School, Ogidi (1970-1971) and Notre Dame High School, Abatete (1972-1974) where he completed his secondary education. He excelled in his studies and won for himself a Hungarian scholarship, awarded through the Bureau of External Aid for Education, to study chemical engineering in Hungary.

Professor Onukwuli obtained the B.Sc. (1979) and M.Sc. (1981) degrees in Chemical Engineering from Pannonia University in Veszprem, Hungary. He later earned a Ph.D. degree in 1988 from the University of Lagos. His academic career commenced in 1982 at Anambra State University of Technology, Enugu, and continued from 1992 to date at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka. Onukwuli is internationally acclaimed for his work in the areas of catalysis, composites, hydrometallurgy, wastewater treatment, and local material valorization. He introduced a novel method of regeneration that successfully doubled the lifespan of the very expensive Pt-containing reforming catalyst and carried out a synthesis of efficient novel bio coagulants for wastewater treatment. He and Prof. Menkiti postulated the correlation constant – “the Menkonu constant” that relates single and multiangle nephelometry for the design of flocculators and developed an alkyd polycondensation reaction kinetic model of best-known accuracy. He has successfully demonstrated the use of palm kernel stearin (PKS) and rubber seed oil to innovatively synthesize non-oxidative drying alkyd resin that ensures production cost reduction and valorization of PKS to useful coating material.

Osoka and Onukwuli proposed a modification of the Halpin-Tsai equation, the Osoka-Onukwuli model, that improved its effectiveness in modeling composites from natural (plant) fibers as opposed to synthetic fibers. The new modified model gave modulus prediction that followed the profile of the experimental based on the R2 value. He also developed some local clay-based catalysts for biodiesel production and produced roofing sheets that meet standard water absorption and thermal properties using polyester-modified, cement raffia palm fiber ash composite. Professor Onukwuli has successfully supervised 47 Ph.D. and 65 master theses and has to his credit: 2 books, 10 book chapters, 520 journal articles, and over 30 refereed conference proceedings. For some years now, Professor Onukwuli has been adjudged one of the most cited and published researchers at Nnamdi Azikiwe University and Webometrics. His works has been cited 6827 times (scholar.google.com) with an h-index of 40 and i-10 index of 183. He was congratulated by Elsevier in 2024 for publishing 8 open access journal articles between 2020-2022, six of which were linked to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, helping to tackle some of the World’s greatest challenges. Currently, over ten of his former students have been elevated to the rank of professor.

At different times during his career, he was Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering Representative to the University Senate, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Project Manager, at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, STEP B Project, Chairman of the Emeritus Professorship Committee, and a member of many Academy of Engineering Committees and Nnamdi Azikiwe University Senate Committees. He had participated in many NUC and COREN accreditation exercises as a member/chairman of many universities in the country. He had also served as Editor-in-chief, Editorial Board Member, and Consulting Editor of several reputable journals. He has been honored by various professional organizations, various student bodies, and by his communities for his leadership efforts.

Professor Onukwuli is a COREN registered engineer, a fellow of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers; a Fellow of, the Materials Science and Technology Society of Nigeria; a Fellow, of the Nigerian Society of Engineers; a Fellow of, the Nigerian Academy of Engineers, and a Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Sciences. He is married to Dr Vivian Ozoemena Onukwuli, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the Department of Pediatrics, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus and they are blessed with children, Dr Chibuikem Okechukwu Onukwuli and Kamsiyochukwu Chimebuka Onukwuli.

Published: 2025-01-08

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