Dr. Ruth Lorivi Moirana is a lecturer at the Nelson Mandela African Institution of Science and Technology (NM-AIST) in Tanzania and a researcher at the University of Nairobi (UoN) in Kenya. She holds a PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from NM-AIST which was obtained in 2023. She specializes in structural materials, with a focus on the remediation and treatment of contaminated soil, water, and wastewater. She is currently investigating the interactive behaviour between fluoride and soil elements in fluoride-contaminated soils. Dr. Moirana has received numerous honors, including being the 1st Runner-up in a business plan competition in 2022 and the Top PhD student in research and innovation at the School of Materials, Energy, Water, and Environmental Sciences (MEWES) in 2023 and won the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talent Award for Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024.

Dr. Saeed Ibn Idris Kofi Yeboah is a postdoctoral fellow under the ARUA–Carnegie Early Career Research Fellowship at the Institute for Water Research, Rhodes University, South Africa and a staff member in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Energy and Natural Resources, Ghana. He holds a PhD, MSc and BSc in Environmental Engineering and Management from UENR. His research spans water–environment–health interactions, spatial hydrology, climate impacts and environmental risk assessment. Saeed has received competitive awards, including World Bank ACE scholarships, international mobility grants, recognition in the U&AI SDGs Youth Innovation Bootcamp and has published in reputable international journals. His current work examines the fate and transport of pathogens under current and future climate and socioeconomic scenarios, while contributing to research and capacity-building activities within the ARUA Water CoE.

Dr. Steve Ngoy Kabemba is a construction engineer and postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Construction Economics and Management at the University of Cape Town. He holds a PhD in Construction Management from the University of Zambia and recipient of the ARUA Mastercard–Carnegie Early Career Research Fellowship (2025) and Erasmus+ Mobility Grant at Riga Technical University (2023–2024). His research focuses on sustainable construction technologies, alternative building materials, and low-carbon housing. He manages the Journal of Construction Business and Management, lectures, serves on scientific committees, supervises postgraduate students, and engages industry and policymakers on construction innovation and carbon-reduction strategies.

Dr. Susan Kamundia is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Research (ACEIR), University of Cape Town, where she earned her PhD in Economics. She also holds a Master in Economics (Econometrics) and a Bachelor in Economics and Statistics from Kenyatta University, Kenya. Her research focuses on poverty and inequality, particularly multidimensional and asset-based poverty measurement across countries such as Kenya and South Africa. She has worked on spatial economics, maternal and child health, and impact evaluation. Susan has received research grants from the African Economic Research Consortium and ACEIR and was a UNU-WIDER PhD Research Fellow in 2021.

My name is Dr. Toleshi Teshome Ketema. I am a researcher and lecturer at the Chemistry Department and a Postgraduate Program Director at Bonga University, Ethiopia. I graduated from Jimma University by PhD in Analytical Chemistry on July 1, 2024, MSc in Analytical Chemistry from Haramaya University on June 28, 2018 and BSc in Chemistry from Jimma University on June 18, 2016. My research focuses on the synthesis of nanomaterials for diverse applications, particularly in sensing and photocatalysis for applications in agriculture, food safety, and water quality. I have a proven track record of publishing numerous articles in esteemed international and national journals. I am actively involved in the Society for Women and HIV/AIDS in Africa, Ethiopia, where I have successfully conducted training on school-based peer learning related to gender inequalities.

Dr. Tunde Lewis Yusuf is a Lecturer in Inorganic and Materials Chemistry at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, an MSc (Distinction) from the University of Ibadan, and a BSc (Hons) from the University of Ilorin. His research focuses on nanostructured materials for a sustainable environment. He has published extensively and received competitive grants from the Royal Society of Chemistry, the Water Research Council, and the Medical Research Council. Dr Yusuf leads projects on piezo-photocatalysis, supervises postgraduate students, and engages in collaborative research advancing clean water and energy solutions.

Dr. Williams Appau Miller is a Lecturer at the Department of Real Estate, University of Business and Integrated Development Studies (UBIDS), Wa, Ghana, and a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of Lagos, Nigeria. He holds a PhD in Built Environment (Durban University of Technology), MPhil in Development Management (University for Development Studies), MSc in Geo-Information Science (University of Twente), and BSc in Real Estate (University for Development Studies). His research specializes in Sustainable Real Estate and Facilities. A recipient of the ARUA Early-Career Fellowship Award, he is currently working on the integration of Adaptive HVAC Systems in shopping malls.

Dr. Mildred Awuor Airo is a Lecturer and Head of Nanomaterials Research in the Department of Chemistry at Maseno University, Kenya. She holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of the Witwatersrand and a BSc (Hons) from Egerton University, and has completed three postdoctoral fellowships in South Africa. Her research focuses on functional nanomaterials for renewable energy, environmental sensing, and circular economy applications using biochar-derived materials. She has over 30 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 11), has received international awards from OWSD/TWAS-DFG, NRF South Africa, the Vallee Foundation, and the ARUA–Mastercard–Carnegie ECR Fellowship, and secured grants from Afretech–Carnegie Mellon, the Royal Society of Chemistry, and PHC France–Kenya Pamoja. She is an active STEM and DEI advocate, mentoring young scientists, bridging gender gaps through workshops and outreach, and consulting with Angaza Africa and E-Safiri.

Dr. Mujittapha Umar Sirajo is a Lecturer in the Department of Anatomy, Federal University of Health Sciences, Azare. He holds a PhD in Anatomy (Neuroscience) from Bayero University Kano. His current research focuses developing cost-effective nutritional and mobile‐health interventions to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease in low-resource settings. His work has attracted multiple international grants and recognitions, including Internal Brain Research Organization (2020, 2022, 2024), International Society for Neurochemistry (ISN) (2024), CAJAL Neurokit Grant (2023), among others. He has published 10 articles in high-impact Scopus indexed journals. He teaches anatomy, mentors students and collaborates to translate research into policy and practice.

Dr. Mwende Mbilo is an ARUA–Carnegie–Mastercard Early Career Research Fellow and Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Pretoria. She holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Nairobi, an MSc and a BSc in Physics from Pwani University. Her work focuses on materials science and renewable energy technologies, with a specialization in optoelectronic materials. She has published extensively and received awards, including the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Young Talents Award and the RSIF Junior Investigator Research Award (2025). Dr. Mbilo leads the RSIF/JIRA project and contributes to the development of next-generation materials for energy harvesting applications.