Edwin Ekwue

A Brief Biographical Note of Professor Edwin Ekwue: B.Eng, MSc, PhD, MASABE, CEng, FIAgrE

I obtained my first degree in Agricultural Engineering from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in June 1981 and then Masters of Science in September 1984 and PhD in December 1987, both from Silsoe College, Cranfield University in the UK. My academic life started in January 1988 as Lecturer II in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), Nigeria. I was promoted to Lecturer I in October 1989 and Senior Lecturer in October 1991. While at UNIMAID, I was the Faculty of Engineering Examinations Officer and Associate Editor of the Journal of Arid Agriculture.

In January 1992, I was appointed as a Lecturer in the Agricultural Engineering Programme in the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department, St. Augustine Campus, Trinidad. The University of the West Indies (UWI). In August 1995, I was granted a tenured appointment and allowed to cross the bar at the Lecturer Scale at the same time. In August 1998, I was promoted to Senior Lecturer (below the bar). In January 2003, I was appointed Deputy Dean (Undergraduate Student Affairs) in the Faculty of Engineering and from 2005 to 2009, was the Chairman of the Faculty Continuing Education Committee as well as the Manager of the Engineering Institute, which is the outreach arm of Faculty of Engineering. My promotion to Senior Lecturer above bar took place in August 2006 and in October 2007, I was promoted to the exalted rank of Professor of Biosystems (Agricultural) Engineering. In August 2008, I was appointed Deputy Dean (Research and Postgraduate Student Affairs) and in August 2009, the Head of the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, an appointment that lasted for six years up to July 2015. In August 2015, I was again re-appointed as Deputy Dean (Research and Postgraduate Student Affairs) a post I held for three years up to July 2018. I was appointed the Dean, Faculty of Engineering in August 2018. In August 2021, I was elected as the Chair of the St. Augustine Campus Committee of Deans. From August 22 to September 2, 2022, as well as from May 15 to 18, 2003, I acted as the Campus Deputy Principal. I acted as Campus Principal from January 3 to 9, 2023. I officially retired from UWI in September 2023 but have continued to teach full-time and part-time currently.

I am a Fellow of the Institution of Agricultural Engineers as well as a Chartered Engineer of the Engineering Council of the UK as well as a Member Engineer of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers. I have completed several research projects both at UNIMAID and UWI. My main contribution to knowledge has been increasing the understanding of the influence of organic and other amendments on soil erosion, strength, cultivation, compaction, thermal properties, and compression. I have also made inroads into my wider area of specialty (Soil and Water) by conducting research and publishing in the areas of Water Resources, Hydrology, and Irrigation. My subsidiary area of specialization is Structures and Environment, in which I have teaching capabilities, have conducted research and published journal papers. I have also published papers dealing with the development and design of simple devices and equipment for use in agricultural technology. In all, I have written or contributed to writing about 124 academic papers, 76 of which have so far appeared in refereed journals. I have also been involved in several consultancy and professional activities.

My teaching is multidisciplinary. I teach introductory Mechanical Engineering courses of Engineering Statics and Strength of Materials which have now been merged into a single course: Statics and Strength of Materials. I also teach specialized Biosystems courses of Basic Engineering Infrastructure, Drainage and Irrigation Engineering and Soil and Water Engineering.

I was awarded the Prestigious UWI/Guardian Life of the Caribbean Premium Teaching Award in September 2006; Special Awards by the Nigerian Community in recognition of the great contribution made to the growth of the Nigerian Community in Trinidad and Tobago in 2005 and 2014 as well as the Excellence of Education Award from the Society of Maintenance and Reliability Practitioners, Trinidad Chapter in 2018. I have made professional visits to Nigeria, United Kingdom, United States, Spain, Barbados, Indonesia, Belize, Panama, Guyana, Canada, Finland, Antigua, St. Lucia, Belgium and Jamaica.