Team Members
Jan 10, 2022
The Project Team
 | Dr. Paul Okanda, Lead Scaling activity for the MCF e-Learning Initiative Dr. Okanda is an Associate Professor of Information Science & Technology, and the Director, Information & Communications Technology at USIU-Africa. Paul Okanda graduated with a First-Class Honors degree in Computer Science. Has a PhD in Computer Science from Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications in United Kingdom in 2006. Worked at Procter & Gamble as a Systems Analyst before he became the Manager, Applications at the company. He worked as a Researcher on several European Union (EU) funded research projects involving several Universities and industrial players all over Europe. Paul was a member of Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications Next Generation Middleware Group for over six years after which he joined InfoLab21’s Knowledge Business Centre (KBC) as Head of the InfoLab21 Student Academy. He joined United States International University-Africa in July 2013 as Associate Dean, School of Science & Technology and Associate Professor of Information Science & Technology. Paul is currently Director, Information and Communications Technology & Chief Information Officer. He led ISA’s core activity which involved Information & Communications Technology Transfer and Knowledge Exchange initiatives between Lancaster University’s InfoLab21 and industry. Paul has done consultancy and supervised the delivery of IT projects by PhD, MSc and UG students to over 150 businesses over the years. He has also provided academic supervision to several PhD students pursuing Lancaster University’s flagship HighWire PhD program (www.highwire.lancs.ac.uk ) in the Doctoral Training Centre (DTC). Paul has been a Program Committee member of the African Conference on Software Engineering and Applied Computing. He is a Fellow of the Computer Society of Kenya (CSK) He has published several journals and peer reviewed papers presented at International Conferences and is a principal author of two books; ‘OpenPING: A Principled Approach to Construction of flexible Distributed Virtual Environments using Structural Reflection’ and ‘An adaptive Framework for run-time Group-based Communication’. |
 | Eannes Ongus, Chief Manager, Development, USIU-Africa Mr. Ongus holds a BSc. Information Systems & Technology from USIU-Africa, MA Leadership and Organizational Development from York St. John University – United Kingdom and is currently an MA Communication Studies finalist at USIU-Africa. He is a member of Association of Fundraising Professional since 2013. Mr. Eannes Ongus is the Chief Manager, Development at United States International University – Africa, prior to his appointment, he served as Principal Development Officer since March, 2015. In his current role, he works closely with the Director, University Advancement and Vice Chancellor where he leads the university’s resource mobilization/fundraising efforts with a focus on grants, annual and capital campaigns, partnership development and alternative funding models for financing university’s infrastructural projects. Mr. Ongus also leads the university’s CSR initiatives/commitments to Education, Sustainability and Governance. Previously, he served as Director - Fundraising, Grants and Partnership and Diversity Education Institute (DEI) contact for Africa, was Fundraising and External Relations Officer at USIU-Africa and Administration Officer at United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR- Kakuma). Through a partnership approach, Mr. Ongus is currently the Chairman, Kasarani Neighborhood Association (KNA). This is a membership organization bringing together 9 organizations including USIU-Africa, Pan Africa Christian (PAC) University, Safari Park Hotel, Mountain View School, Ruaraka Academy, Thika Road Baptist Church and School, St. Joseph of Arimathea ACK Church, Jesus Winner Ministry and Kenya Institute of Special Education with key priorities of Security, Education, Environmental, Social and Economic wellbeing of its members and the surroundings since 2016 to date. He is also the Director and Co-Founder of Lighthouse CBO – a community-based organization dealing with issues of vulnerable/street/orphan and special need children. Mr. Ongus is passionate about capacity building and development of African institutions to raise much needed resources for institutional growth. His work centers around leadership development, resource mobilization, community empowerment/development and he regularly donates his time, finances and skills to support community health, social and educational programs. He is married and blessed with two children - Brianna Ongus and Larry Ongus. |
 | Everlyne Anyal Musa, Network Facilitator/Coordinator She currently facilitates the work of various teams, partners and stakeholders to strengthen and support the capacities of several universities in the MCF Scholars Program eLearning Initiative to deliver quality, inclusive and resilient eLearning to leaners. Everlyn holds an MBA (Strategic Management) from the University of Nairobi and a BA (Literature and Linguistics) from Kenyatta University. Everlyn has over 18 years of commitment and management of Education, Scholarship and Development programs for individual and organizational capacities development. Leading the Ford Foundation International Fellowships Program – IFP in Kenya, and focusing on social inclusion, Everlyn reached, selected and supported individuals from marginalized backgrounds to access quality higher education to become change leaders in their communities and around the world. She facilitated the formation of IFP alumni association, evaluated and made grants to alumni members’ organizations for community development and established networking with alumni of other Scholarship programs. Before then, Everlyn managed the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program – CADFP and mobilized African born Diaspora scholars in the USA and Canada connecting them with universities in Africa for mutual collaboration on research, curriculum co-development and graduate students teaching and mentorship. She has published in the area of Higher Education and Leadership and has attended and facilitated many local and international conferences. |
 | Prof. Henry Wambuii, Faculty Advisor - Online Pedagogy Consultant for the MCF e-Learning Initiative. He is a graduate of the University of Nairobi [BA] and Western Michigan University [MA in International development and PhD in Political Science.] Prof. Wambuii teaches Political Science and International Development at the University of Central Missouri, U.S.A., with over seventeen years of teaching and class design experience both face to face and online. He has engaged extensively in various online teaching and educational leadership workshops and seminars and brings with him innovative knowledge on teaching online pedagogy. He was honored with the Excellence in Teaching Award-Tenure Track Faculty at the University of Central Missouri [2020] and has previously received the Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship [Institute of International Education (IIE), 2020/2021] to support collaboration in developing online classes with faculty at the United States International University-Africa. His recent research and publications have focused on public policy formulation and capacity building in developing countries, poverty alleviation, and strategies for socio-economic and political growth in developing countries. |
 | Dr. Onesimus Otieno, Lead Trainer, Online Pedagogy He is a graduate of the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton (BS), Ohio University (MA, MS), and Oklahoma State University (PhD). His interdisciplinary background includes Agriculture, International Affairs, Environmental, and Biological Sciences. He is a trained and accomplished facilitator in Online Pedagogy, Critical Thinking, Problem-Based Learning, Quality Matters – QM, and the use of Case Studies in teaching science. Has been a Professor of Biological Sciences at Oakwood University for the last 19 years.Much of his teaching has been in the traditional face-to-face format, he has taught fully online courses for over 10 years using several Learning Management Systems at multiple institutions. Additionally, he has spent the last 8 years training faculty on pedagogical approaches for integrating Critical Thinking in both the traditional and online formats. Dr. Otieno has a passion for teaching and mentoring young professionals as well as non-traditional students in both scientific content and professional development. He has mentored from Undergraduate to Post-doctoral candidates who have launched successful careers into more than 120 different Medical, Dental, Graduate and professional schools. Dr. Otieno remains active in international Development and has conducted successful Capacity Development Training in Costa Rica, Thailand, and several countries in Africa. Dr. Otieno is a two-time Carnegie Fellow where he worked with the Adventist University of Africa, School of Postgraduate Studies, to develop an online curriculum for the Masters in Public Health program. His most recent assignment was to train Faculty in Online Pedagogy at USIU, Africa and UEA, Baraton. His research partnerships include; the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Space and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the Organization for Tropical Studies, the United States Geological Survey (USGS), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), and the United States Agency of International Development (USAID) among others. |
 | Dr. Joselyne Chenane Nkogo, Faculty Advisor - Online Pedagogy Consultant for the MCF e-Learning Initiative. Dr. Nkogo earned her Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska, Omaha in 2018. Additionally, she holds a Master’s degree in criminal justice from the State University of New York, college at Buffalo and a Bachelor’s degree in Education Arts (with a specialization in English and Literature) from Egerton University, Kenya. Dr. Nkogo is an Assistant Professor in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies at the University of Massachusetts, Lowell. She is also an alumnus of the African Diaspora Carnegie Fellowship Program (USIU-Africa, Summer 2021). Her research interests include immigration, police-citizen relations, police legitimacy, consequences of contact with the criminal justice system, race and justice, and neighborhood contexts and crime and comparative criminal justice. Dr. Nkogo has published work in journals, such as Criminal Justice and Behavior, Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, Policing and Society, British Journal of Criminology, Crime and Delinquency and Race and Justice. She has authored and co-authored over 15 peer reviewed articles and book chapters. Dr. Nkogo is an active member of the American Society of Criminology’s (ASC) Divisions such as Policing, International Criminology (executive council member) and People of Color and Crime. She has received some awards including, Outstanding Teacher Award (2020) from the University of Massachusetts Lowell; Morgan Outstanding Graduate Award (2012) and Outstanding Master’s Thesis Award (2012) from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She is currently serving on the editorial board of Spring Nature (SN) Social Sciences Journal and International Journal of Criminology and Sociology. |
 | Prof. Safary Wa-Mbaleka, Faculty Advisors, Instructional Design Prof. Wa-Mbaleka obtained a PhD in Online Education from Capella University in the USA. He holds 2 doctorates and 2 master’s degrees from the USA and one additional master’s degree from the Philippines. Prof. Safary Wa-Mbaleka was the Director of the Adventist University of Africa Online, located in Ongata Rongai (Nairobi), Kenya until April 2021. He is currently the Dean of the School of Postgraduate Studies at the same university. He is specialized in the fields of online education, curriculum and instruction, applied linguistics, and qualitative research. He has worked with online education for 17 years now, in 4 continents, and in different capacities: online course designer, online course facilitator, director of online instructional design, instructional designer, and now director of online education. In 2020, he was one of the lead architects of the standards and guidelines for online education as mandated by Kenya’s Commission on University Education. He has worked mainly in higher education in different colleges and universities in the USA, Puerto Rico, Philippines, and now in Kenya. He has also been a visiting professor in Myanmar, Thailand, Ghana, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He is also a prolific author of books and journal articles; some on online education. He has authored and co-authored more than 40 journal articles in national and international peer-reviewed journals, and more than 10 books, including the recent one, Planning and Delivering Quality Online Education: Fear No More (2020). He has delivered several conference presentations, research seminars, and trainings around the Philippines, the USA, Portugal, Kenya, Ghana, Tanzania, Uganda, the Bahamas, Belize, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Costa Rica, Cambodia, Malaysia, Italy, Macau, Singapore, and Thailand. Click here for more information. |
 | Dr. Wanjira Kinuthia, Lead Trainer, Instructional Design. Dr. Kinuthia received her Ph.D. in Instructional Design and Development and served as an Associate Professor for many years at Georgia State University. Dr. Wanjira Kinuthia works on learning design projects in the US, Africa, the Caribbean, and UAE. Current activities include consulting on higher education and NGOs on eLearning and curriculum development programs and mentoring graduate students. Service activities include Editorial Board membership on the International Journal of Education and Development using Information and Communication (IJEDICT) and the e/Merge Africa mentorship program. Her research projects focus on the use of OER and mLearning where she has edited several books and published many articles in this area. |
The Technical Team
 | David Baraza, E-Learning Coordinator He reports to the steering committee of the eLearning program. He is responsible for all the day to-day oversight functions of the eLearning program. He serves as a key member of the steering committee with responsibilities in design, administration and evaluation of program outcomes. . Mr. Baraza has a Bachelor’s of Education Technology (Kenyatta University), Masters in Information Technology (Strathmore University) and has attended various e-Learning professional courses. He has published in the areas of e-Learning adoption models, online learning interactions and e-learning for society. Baraza has the experience of successful commitment and delivery of public and Private organizational visions through effective leadership of teams and stakeholders in implementing e-Learning programs. Mr. Baraza major skills lies in e-Learning strategy, design, development, implementation and Evaluation of e-learning programs. He has led teams in successfully implementing distributed learning for both Anglophone and Francophone countries. He has demonstrated commitment and integrity for delivery of sustained positive results in e-Learning programs focusing on individual and organizational mentorship in learning through technology. He makes critical e-Learning decisions in complex circumstances through use of available data. He is a member of e-learning Africa, Editorial board member DJERR Donnis Journals and is a Judge at the Kenya Science and Engineering Fairs association His passion is to see a society that has equal opportunities for access and quality to Education through embracing affordable learning Technologies. |
 | Daniel Wambugu, IT Specialist Is in charge of various key activities in the project ranging from scaling, project data collection analysis and reporting. He holds a bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Moi University. He has 4 years working experience as an IT Technician working for the Institute of Advanced Technology (IAT) for 3 years and Intel College for 1 year. He is a trained tutor and has doubled up as an Ms. Excel consultant in both of his former workplaces. |
 | Brian Nyamwe, IT Specialist His key activities are; 1. Ecosystem Design 2. Training and Knowledge Management 3. Scaling, and 4. Monitoring and Evaluation. He’s responsible for the projects’ various data analytics and reporting. Brian holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Mathematics and Computer Science and a Master of Science Degree in Information Systems and Technology from USIU-A. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science Degree in Statistics at the University of Nairobi. He has over five years of experience in the ICT field Other interests: Brian is a statistician with great enthusiasm and passion for Data Science |
 | Emmy Chepkemoi, IT Specialist She is responsible for maintaining, improving and regularly evaluating IT systems to ensure they meet the necessary demands. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Egerton University and CCNA certificate from African Advanced Level Telecommunications Institute (AFRALTI). She has 8 years working experience as IT Support, System/ Network/Database Administrator. She is a member of the Computer society of Kenya and is passionate about technology to increase productivity and efficiency in processes. . |
 | Deborah Njuguna, IT Specialist Her key activities are; 1. Ecosystem Design 2. Training and Knowledge Management 3. Scaling and 4. Monitoring and Evaluation. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information System and she is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Business Administration at USIU-Africa. She has over 4 years’ experience in the ICT field in the areas of hardware repairs and maintenance, end user support, Microsoft 365 and Microsoft exchange. |
 | Henry Nyoike, IT Specialist Henry holds a Bachelor of Science in Information Technology from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology. Has 7 years working experience in IT in various areas; eLearning systems implementation, Web Development and End User Systems Support. |
