BY AKINWALE ABOLUWADE, IBADAN
Professor Kayode Adebowale of the Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, has been appointed as the new Vice-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan.
Adebowale became the university’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Administration) in June 2018 and was re-appointed for a second term in June 2020.
Born on January 11, 1962 in Ibadan, the new Vice-Chancellor attended the University of Ibadan for his first, second and third degrees, respectively.
The new Vice-Chancellor was employed as a graduate assistant in the Department of Chemistry in 1987, and was promoted to the professorial cadre in 2006.
Adebowale held many administrative positions and served on several committees of the university, including Examinations Officer, Department of Chemistry, 2003 to 2005; and Postgraduate Coordinator, Department of Chemistry, 2000 to 2002.
Among other positions, he was the Sub-Dean (Postgraduate), Faculty of Science, 2002 to 2004; Dean, Faculty of Science, 2009 to 2011; member, Committee of Provosts and Deans, 2009 to 2011; member, Committee on the Appointment of Emeritus Professors, 2012 to date.
The new Vice-Chancellor was Convener, Investigative Panel on the Determination of the Class of Degree of two students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Technology, 2013; and the Director, Special Duties, Office of the Vice-Chancellor, between 2015 and 2016.
He won several awards and distinctions, including Fellow, Nigerian Academy of Science, FAS 2012; Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria, and Research Fellow, Alexandra von Humboldt Foundation, Germany, 1996 to date.
Others included Regular Associate, Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics, Trieste, Italy, 2003 to 2006; recipient, International Foundation for Science Grant, 2002 to 2004; and recipient, African Union Kwame Nkrumah Continental Scientific Award for Science, Technology and Innovation, 2013.
He supervised many B.Sc projects, over 150 M.Sc dissertations and 15 doctoral students. He published over 120 articles in both local and international journals of repute, with one patent to his credit.
Adebowale is married to Dr ‘Yemisi Ajibola-Adebowale, and the marriage is blessed with three children: Temitayo, Ayobami and Ayomitunde.
