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.

Dr. Ntombifuthi Precious Nzimande is a lecturer within the Discipline of Geography at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa. She received her Bachelors of Social Sciences in Geography and Environmental Management, Bachelor of Science (Honours), and Masters of Science qualifications from UKZN, and her Doctoral in Earth Sciences from the University of Szeged (summa cum laude). Ntombifuthi has recently completed her studies in Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education also from UKZN. Her research interests are multidisciplinary – cutting across geography, environmental education, disaster management. She is currently working on different projects involving environmental education, disaster management, green campus initiatives.

Dr. Onyekachi Ewa Ibe is a lecturer and haemato-oncology researcher with a PhD in Haematology and Blood Transfusion Science. Her work focuses on the molecular and inflammatory mechanisms of breast cancer progression, with particular interest in the role of coagulation pathways and tumor immune interactions. She has hands-on expertise in haematological analysis, molecular diagnostics, and cancer biomarker evaluation, and has contributed to peer-reviewed publications and competitive research proposals in oncology. Dr. Ibe is actively engaged in translational cancer research aimed at improving early detection and therapeutic strategies in resource-limited settings, while also mentoring emerging scientists in biomedical research and academic writing.

Palesa Nqambaza is an essayist and researcher whose work sits at the intersections of gender and race studies within the context of South African political history. Her work draws from indigenous epistemologies and various Black cultural forms to explore the intellectual and political dimensions of contemporary South Africa. Her current core project is an intellectual archaeology of South African feminist traditions. She is a CDTA Postdoctoral fellow at the University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa, and a recipient of the ARUA Early Career Fellowship, based at the Notions of Identity, Centre of Excellence.

Dr. Precious Wapukha is a lecturer of History in the department of social sciences Kibabii University. She holds a PhD in History from Masinde Muliro University, MA in History from Kibabii University, Bachelors of Education (Arts) from Moi University. Her research focuses on conflict, gender, governance and indigenous knowledge. She is a member of CODESRIA and the African Studies Center Leiden. She has participated in reputable workshops including MIASA, UNESCO and SSRC. She is also an AFRIAK Fellow researching about digitization of Bukusu oral histories as a pathway to cultural preservation.

Dr. Rapheal Wangalwa is a Lecturer in the Department of Biology at Mbarara University of Science and Technology (MUST), Uganda. He holds a PhD in Biology with specialization in Ecology and Ethnobotany. He is dedicated to advancing ecological research and biodiversity conservation while applying science-based solutions to pressing environmental and public health challenges. With expertise in ecology, microbiology, and GIS/Remote Sensing, he contributes to evidence-based policy and capacity building. Dr. Wangalwa is a PI/Co-PI on several projects, including the FUNGI-BIP a mycorrhizal fungi study project (SPUN-Funded), INTERACT-Africa green technologies initiative (EU-Funded), agro-climatic suitability modelling for key food crops (GoU-Funded), and the Novartem™ and pharma-grade excipients development project (GoU-Funded).

Dr. Ravaka Felandranja Andriatsitohaina, PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences from University of Antananarivo, is a lecturer-researcher at the Institut Supérieur de Technologie Régional de la Côte-Est, University of Toamasina, Madagascar. Her research focuses on the remediation of degraded soils, particularly those affected by erosion, as well as soils polluted by microplastics and heavy metals, with a strong emphasis on soil health and environmental sustainability. An alumna of the TWAS-SISSA Lincei and Eugen Ionescu programs, she is also the founder of Lonatany Madagascar, a consultancy firm supporting rural communities in their transition toward sustainable agricultural practices.

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.