Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Professor Chioma Blaise Chikere is a Professor of Environmental Microbiology and Biotechnology & HoD at the Department of Microbiology, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria. She was the Director, Entrepreneurial Centre, University of Port Harcourt 2022-2024. Chioma holds is an Academic Associate, as Professor Extraordinarius, at the Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa (UNISA) in South Africa. She received Organization for Women in Science for the developing World OWSD PhD Fellowship in 2005 for split-site Ph. D. Programme at Universities of Port Harcourt, Nigeria and Pretoria, South Africa respectively. She has published widely with over 60 journal articles and more than 70 conference papers. Prof. Chikere was awarded International Foundation of Science (IFS) research grants in 2007 and 2012. Her Ph.D. Thesis titled ‘Bacterial Diversity and Community Dynamics during the Bioremediation of Crude Oil- Polluted soil’ was selected in 2013 by National Universities Commission (NUC) as the BEST DOCTORAL THESIS IN BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES for 2010. Other awards she received are: University of Port Harcourt 2015 distinguished merit award for diligent and meritorious service; TWAS-UNESCO Associateship (June 2016- December 2020) to Department of Environmental Sciences, University of South Africa under Professor Memory Tekere and the Elsevier Foundation (EF) 2017 Chemistry for Climate Action Challenge 2nd prize held in Berlin, Germany. The EF project has benefitted a Niger Delta Community that suffered untold environmental degradation occasioned by crude oil pollution. The International Foundation for Science (IFS) research grant she was awarded in 2012 sponsored 2 Masters Project students’ researches from 2012 to 2015 in her Department. She equally secured 6 PhD fellowships for her graduate students (4 women and 2 men) she supervised at the World Bank Africa Centre of Excellence in Oilfield Chemicals Research (ACE-CEFOR) University of Port Harcourt in 2014-2017, 2017-2020 and 2018-2022. Five of these students (3 women and 2 men) have defended their PhD theses & all have good records of journal publications & international conference papers (with SfAM travel grants) from their researches while one concluded her PhD programme Nov. 2022. Prof. Chikere has active collaborations with experts in University of South Africa; University of Pretoria, Auburn University at Montgomery, USA; University of Glasgow, Scotland; Cape Peninsula University of Technology, South Africa & many more for SDGs-R&D
Research and development activities geared towards enhancing academic excellence in the department of environmental sciences, college of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences (CAES) Unisa
I’m currently serving as the Head, department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science at the University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria 🇳🇬! My roles include teaching, mentoring, coordination of research and development, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of academic activities from the undergraduate to the postgraduate levels to my line managers, ensuring maximum effectiveness, compliance and accountability in all aspects of teaching and learning in the department and driving stable, sustainable and efficient practices for students and staff welfare in our communities. It’s expected that in my tenure, the department will continue to be amongst the best in terms of research impact and academic performance. I believe that a team of dedicated and committed staff members will always deliver on tasks and targets effectively and efficiently!
Teaching and supervision of undergraduate and graduate students research projects in the Department of Microbiology
ISME is a global scientific society for the growing field of microbial ecology and its affiliated disciplines. It is the proud owner of the International Symposia on Microbial Ecology, a biennial global conference that brings together global experts in ecosystem research in line with UN SDGs and the ISME Journal published by Springer Nature with an impact factor (IF) of *13.214* (2021 *5-year impact factor according to Reuters Thomson). The ISME head office is based at the Netherlands’ Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) in Wageningen, the Netherlands.
SETAC AFRICA COUNCIL MEMBER
research area molecular environmental and petroleum microbiology. Use of culture dependent and independent techniques in studying microbial diversity and dynamics during bioremediation of crude oil-polluted matrices. Have done many researches and published research and review articles in local and international journals. Also have competence in phylogenetics. Can use phylogenetic programmes and software to describe microbial genetic relationships and interpretation of such molecular data can be used to characterize and classify microorganisms. can organize workshops and symposia on molecular microbiology techniques and phylogenetics.