Dedan Kimathi University Vice Chancellor
Dedan Kimathi University Vice Chancellor – See the profile of the Vice Chancellor of Dedan Kimathi University Vice Chancellor.
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He was at Cambridge University, England, on Shell International Cambridge Scholarship and Overseas Research Studentship awards, graduating with a Doctor of Philosophy degree, in 1994 at 28 years old. He went to the University of Nairobi (UoN) for his Bachelor degree, graduating with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering (1st Class) in 1988. Upon graduation, he briefly worked as a Plant Engineer at Unilever Kenya Limited, formerly East Africa Industries Ltd, before proceeding for further studies in 1990. He also spent some six months in 1990 in the University of New South Wales, Australia, as a PhD research student. He went to Kianyaga High School for his O –levels, Alliance High School for his A-level education where he took Mathematics, Further Mathematics, Chemistry and Physics earning the famed Gandhi Nidhi Smarak Award following his outstanding performance. In the two year gap period between high school and the University, he attended the then mandatory pre-university three-month paramilitary training at Kenya National Youth Service, Gilgil, and also served as teacher in rural secondary schools. For his primary school education, he attended a local primary school in Nyandarua County.
He joined the Department of Mechanical Engineering of Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) as a lecturer in May 1994, rising up to become an Associate Professor. He served in many positions and made many crucial contributions to the development of the University. He was appointed a Chairman of the Department in 1996. Under his watch he rapidly transformed the department with emphasis on one hand, enhancing the academic and research capabilities and, on the other hand, with a focus on creating capabilities for building a human resource which could contribute to rapid technology transfer and technology development in the country. In 1999 he was elected, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering- JKUAT, becoming the youngest dean in the country, and went on to serve two full consecutive terms.
As a lecturer, he researched and worked on laser applications, a broad research area on which now a number of M.Sc. students have written their theses; He lectures on thermo-fluids at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, and on history of technology among other engineering courses, has supervised 12 master’s thesis and three PhD students and has published widely locally and abroad. He has an interest in the development of technology in Kenya and Africa at large. His main research interests are: reactive flows combining the intricacies of fluid flow with the complexity of fast reaction chemistry experienced in flames, and hence in combustion devices. This he pursued both through computational fluid dynamics and laboratory based experiments, in which laser diagnostics, among other research tools, are applied; has carried out research in other areas in transient fluid flows in pipes, flows in ducts, combustion of bio-diesel, and applications of lasers in material processing.
His other activities include: Serving as a member of the founding editorial board of the Journal of Agriculture and Technology in 1996, and has since then served as one of its reviewer; he founded the Mechanical Engineering Conference in 1996 (subsequently evolving into the Sustainable Research and Innovation International Conference and currently in its 18th year).
In this capacity he,
- spearheaded the restructuring of the faculty, oversaw the establishment of a School of Architecture and Build Space as an off-shot from Faculty of Engineering,
- initiated creation of a number of new departments and the development of new degree programmes in response to changes in technology such as Mechatronic Engineering,
- oversaw the successful opening up of the engineering courses to self-sponsored students,
- initiated an engineering students’ exchange program under the IAESTE (International Association of Exchange of Students for Technical Experience) which has enabled over 50 undergraduate students to obtain experience abroad.
He served on a number of internal committees; representing the University in several national forums. He served as the University’s liaison person, between 2003 and 2008, on Republic of Kenya’s collaboration with Republic of South Africa ; served for two years as a Director of the African Laser Centre, an African Union initiative with offices in the Republic of South Africa; as a curriculum standards development expert under the auspices of the Inter-University Council of East Africa, as well as the Association of African University on Quality Assurance Evaluations; served as a committee member of the National Council of Science and Technology (NCST), now NACOSTI and was involved in the implementation of Japanese International Cooperation Assistance project for six years; has served as an external examiner for KIST, Rwanda; University of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, and University of Zambia; has also been a visiting research fellow at Tottori University, Japan in 1999; and at Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany in 1996 – 2002. As a lead consultant, he spearheaded the development of both diploma and degree programmes in engineering and computer science for Kigali Institute of Science Technology and Management (KIST), Rwanda.
Prof. Kioni, has been involved in the affairs of DeKUT since August 1999, following a request to serve on the Board of Trustees of Kimathi Institute of Technology (KIT), (the predecessor of DeKUT) later as a Board member; and on a number of committees aimed at upgrading the Institute to a University status leading to the admission of the first degree students at the Institute in 2006, under the auspices (JKUAT) and, eventually the upgrading of KIT in August 2007 to Kimathi University of Technology(KUCT), a constituent university college of JKUAT. In November 2008, he was appointed the substantive Principal of the KUCT and, with the University Council, Management and staff built and transformed the institution, from a nascent Institute in 2007 of about 500 students and just over 70 staff to a modern technological institution with 21 degree programmes, including one doctoral and two master degree programmes, a student population of close to 5000 and over 400 staff. Currently, Prof. Ndirangu Kioni is serving as the first Vice Chancellor of Dedan Kimathi University of Technology (DeKUT) following the Charter award on 14th December 2012. Prof. Kioni’s vision is to see DeKUT, become an outstanding institution of technology in Kenya and beyond.
He is a registered engineer with the Engineers’ Registration Board. As a member of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) he sits in the IEK Council as the Chairman of the Central Kenya IEK Branch. He has been the Chairman of the Board of Governors of Nyandarua Institute of Science and Technology (NIST) since 2008.