PROF. NYONGESA FRANCIS WANJALA

PROFESSION: Physicist

ACADEMIC POSITION: Associate Professor, Department of Physics, University of Nairobi, Kenya.

CURRENT ADMINISTRATIVE POSITION: Chairman, Department of Physics, University of Nairobi.

COUNTRIES VISITED: United States of America (USA), Japan, Germany, Italy, China, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda, Tanzania.

Prof. Francis Nyongesa Wanjala holds a PhD in Physics and he is currently serving as the academic Chair of the Department of Physics of the University of Nairobi. He obtained his PhD in Physics (UoN) in 2000. Prof. Francis Nyongesa is an accomplished scholar with proven track record in research and training as demonstrated by his publications in peer review journals and supervision and mentorship of postgraduate student. He has over 22 research publications in Material Science and Renewable Energy in refereed journals and over 15 oral presentations in international conferences in the following countries: United States of America (USA), Japan, Germany, Italy, China, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Uganda and Tanzania. He has supervision and mentorship many postgraduate students. His research interest include: Functional Materials for Energy Efficient Systems, Solar Energy Materials (Perovskite Solar Cells, Dye Sensitized Solar Cells (DSSCs), and applications of Nanotechnology for Water Purification Systems.

He is a recipient of the Third World Academy of Science (TWAS) Award for Young Scientist in 2007 for his contribution in scientific publications in Physics and several fellowships and research grants including: The PASET-RSIF Research Grants Award for PhD Program in 2020, the PASET-RSIF Capacity Building Grants Award in 2020, the National Science, Technology & Innovation (ST&I) Research grant (NACOSTI) in 2012, the U.S-Africa Materials Institute (USAMI) visiting fellowship at Princeton University (USA) in 2008 and the Abdus Salam Young Student Fellowship (Trieste, Italy) in 1999. He is among the founder members of the Global Young Scientists Academy (GYSA). He is a member of African Materials Research Society (AMRS) and the Ultrasonic Nondestructive Testing (NDT) Society of Kenya among others. He has served on the editorial board of the African Journal of Physical Sciences (AJPS) and the Tanzania Journal of Science.