School of Humanities and Social Sciences

Biography:

Ambassador Professor Ruthie Chepkoech Rono is currently a Professor of Psychology. She is the immediate former Deputy Vice Chancellor for Academic and Student Affairs and Professor of Psychology at the United States International University, Africa (USIU-Africa).

She is the immediate former Kenya High Commissioner to Zambia, Malawi and Permanent Representative to the Common Market to Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) from 2013 to 2014. She also served as Kenya’s Ambassador Plenipotentiary and Extraordinary to The Kingdom of The Netherlands in The Hague with concurrent accreditation to The Czech Republic from 2007 to 2013. She was also concurrently Kenya’s Permanent Representative to The Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and Governor to the Common Fund for Commodities (CFC) based in the Netherlands.

Prof. Rono is an accomplished academician and diplomat who has a wealth of skills and experience as a diplomat, psychologist, educationist, researcher, author and administrator having previously served as an ambassador and high commissioner. She served as Coordinator of Psychology Program, Associate Dean, and Dean of the School of Arts & Sciences at USIU - Africa, Kenya from 1998 to 2007.

Prof. Rono has written and published widely for various audiences. She has authored and co-authored published books in various aspects of psychology and gender and contributed significantly in several published works, including contributions to renowned international journals such as Cross-Cultural Psychology, the World Psychiatry Journal and the Journal of Traumatology, editor and co-author of the African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health, among others.

Prof. Rono is the recipient of “The Outstanding African Ambassador Award 2012” presented by the Voice Magazine, Netherlands 2012 Achiever’s Award. She is also the recipient of a Role Model Award from Kericho County, “The Certificate of Recognition as a Woman of Exemplary Achievement” given by the Kericho Family Support Network in 2007.

Prof. Rono was recognized as one of the Outstanding Kenyans in 2004, and decorated by the Head of State, receiving the “The Head of State Commendation (HSC)” given by His Excellency President Mwai Kibaki.

Academic Degrees:

• 1992: Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology, Kenyatta University.
• Post Graduate Certificate in Educational Management, University of London, Institute of Education
• 1980: Master of Arts in Educational Foundations, University of Cincinnati.
• 1978: Bachelor of Arts in Educational Psychology, Bethel College.

Publications:

Journal Articles

1. Gichimu, E W., Rono, R.C, Kihara, M. (2021). Influence of age and gender on mental health help – seeking behavior among mental health patients in Nyeri County Hospital. African Journal of Education. Vol. 6, No.2
2. Gichovi, Faith, Rono, Ruthie C., Basnight-Brown, DANA, M. (2018). Adoption and efficacy of Wechsler Intelligence Scales for children, Fifth Edition (WISC – V) among learners in selected primary schools in Embu West Sub – County, Kenya. African Journal of Clinical Psychology. Vol. 01, Issue 02.
3. Ruthie C. Rono et al. The Global Deception Research Team (2006): A World of Lies. Journal of Cross - Cultural Psychology. Vol. 37:60-74.
4. Rono, Ruthie et al. (2005). The effects of the US Embassy bomb blast on pregnant mothers and their unborn babies. World Psychiatry Journal. Vol.4. No1.
5. Rono, R.; Munywoki, S.; Porkhariyal, G. & Ogunde M. (2005). A comparison of Multi-Sensory Trauma Processing and Conventional Treatments for victims of torture/trauma in Kenya and the East African Region: A treatment Outcomes Research. Component of USIU Victims of Torture Project funded by USAID (2003-2005). Submitted to Journal of Traumatology, 2007.
6. Rono, Ruthie (2003). Book Review: Psychology & Environmental Change by Raymond Nickerson in Applied Environmental Education & Communication: An International Journal. Vol. 2 Number 3/2003. p. 179 – 187.
7. Rono, R.; Munywoki, S.; Reyes, F. Employment survey for psychology graduates. In Rono, Ruthie (2002) .Perspectives of Psychology in Africa. Nairobi. USIU Publications.
8. Rono, Ruthie (Researcher) In Myers, Robert G. & the Consultative Group on Early Childhood Care and Development (1992). Towards an Analysis of the Costs and Effectiveness of Community – Based Early Childhood Education in Kenya. CD – ROM. Washington DC. World Bank, 1999.
9. Rono Ruthie (1997). Community Involvement in improving the quality of Life for Children: The case of Kiwanja – Kamaye Project, Nairobi. East African Environmental Network Proceedings. Nairobi. (p. 41 – 46).

Books & Book Chapters

1. Ruthie et al (2006).Co-Editor. The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. African Medical Research Foundation. Nairobi. (AMREF).
2. Rono, Ruthie (Editor). (2002) Perspectives of Psychology. Nairobi. USIU Publications. (ISBN 9966-947-01-9).
3. Rono, Ruthie; Kimani, Elisheba and Kabira, Wanjiku (2000). Gender Analysis For Educational Policy Making: A workshop Manual. Nairobi. Forum for African Women Educationalists – FAWE/ UNESCO.
4. Rono, Ruthie, Ndambuki, Philomena, and Ingule, F.O (1996). An Introduction to Educational Psychology. Nairobi. East-African Educational Publishers
5. Rono, Ruthie et.al (2006) Paediatrics-Psychological Assessment. In Mwangi, Susan (Ed). Beyond the Scars: A Medical History of the 1998 Nairobi Bombing of the American Embassy. Nairobi. AMREF/USAID. pp. 93 – 104.
6. Rono Ruthie (2006). Psychological Testing. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp. 69 – 72.
7. Rono Ruthie et al. (2006). Introduction to Mental Health and Clinical Psychiatry. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp. 3 –5
8. Rono Ruthie et al. (2006). Human Development and Life Cycle. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp. 31 – 47.
9. Rono Ruthie; Khasakhala & Ndetei David (2006). Personality and Personality Traits. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp 48 – 54.
10. Rono Ruthie et al. (2006. Human Learning. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp. 56 – 58.
11. Rono Ruthie et al. (2006). Human Motivation and Emotions. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp 59 - 61.
12. Rono Ruthie et al. (2006). Memory and Forgetting. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp 62 – 65.
13. Rono Ruthie; Onen Tom; Kilonzo Gad; Ndetei David & Obondo Ann. (2006). Psychotherapy. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp. 495 – 503.
14. Rono Ruthie et al. (2006. Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp 504 -506.
15. Rono Ruthie et al. (2006. Loss Bereavement Therapies. In Ndetei David Musyimi et al. (2006). The African Textbook of Clinical Psychiatry and Mental Health. Nairobi. African Research Foundation. Pp. 516 -521.

Areas of Interest/Specialization:

• Child and Adolescent Psychology
• Learning, Cognition & personality

Teaching:

• PSY 2105: Social Psychology
• PSY 2120: Psychology of Learning
• PSY 4117: Cognitive Psychology
• PSY 6110: Personality & Affect
• PSY 6114: Life span Developmental Psychology,
• PSY 6220: Professional Ethics & the Law.