The Immediate Past Chairman NSE Ilorin, Engr. Dr. Temitope E. Odetoye, who is also her first female chair, has been promoted to rank of full Professor of Chemical Engineering.
The Management of University of Ilorin made this announcement along with promotion of 48 of its academic staff members to the rank of professors.
The bulletin issued on Monday by the university stated that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Wahab Egbewole, disclosed this at a meeting he held with the new professors at the university.
Mr Egbewole said that 59 others were also elevated to the rank of associate professor in the latest promotion exercise carried out by the institution.
He congratulated the new professors for attaining the peak of their careers, even as he expressed confidence in their dignity and competence, stating that the promotions were meritorious and well-deserved. He encouraged the newly-promoted dons not to rest on their oars, but work harder on their responsibilities so as to justify the confidence reposed in them by the authorities of the university and the society at large.
Prof. Temitope E. Odetoye made history on Thursday 27th August, 2020, when she was elected the 21st Branch Chairman of NSE Ilorin branch and became first female Engineer to so elected since the establishment of the Branch over four decades ago.
Engr. Prof. Temitope Elizabeth Odetoye (nee Obala) completed her primary education at the Baptist Primary School, Idikan, Ibadan in 1986 and attended Ilorin Grammar School, Ilorin (1986-1992). Her leadership skill was recognized early enough when she was made the head girl in her primary school days and the college head girl in her secondary school, course leader during her undergraduate and postgraduate days!
Odetoye had her earliest engineering experience at NNPC Eleme Petrochemical Company Limited, Port Harcourt, Rivers State in 1997 as a student of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, Nigeria (1992-1998) where she bagged her Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering. She proceeded to the University of Ilorin, to bag her M.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees in 2003 (Industrial Chemistry) and 2008 (Chemistry) respectively. Her quest for knowledge and doggedness propelled her to bag another Ph.D. degree (Chemical Engineering) in 2016 from LAUTECH.
This erudite scholar has enjoyed international recognitions. She has been awarded the L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science, Sub-Saharan Africa Fellowship, 2014 in South Africa, Visiting Scholarship to Aston University, Birmingham, United Kingdom under the auspices of European Bioenergy Research Institute, in 2012 and an alternate awardee of the Association of American University Women fellowship. She served as a proctor for the American Society for Engineering Management, 2015 and as a reviewer to various reputable academic journal outfits both locally and internationally.
She has also served as resource person, external examiner to local and international professional bodies and universities. She has about thirty publications in reputable journals and has made presentations at NSE conferences and other local and international fora.
She serves as Head at the Department of Chemical Engineering University of Ilorin, Ilorin, Kwara State mentoring students in process design, bioenergy and product development. Professionally, Engr. Dr. Temitope Elizabeth Odetoye is a registered Engineer with the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria (COREN).
Before now, she previously served as the Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Society of Engineers Ilorin Branch, former General Secretary (2016-2018), Financial Secretary (2011), Asst. Treasurer (2009), EXCO member (2012-2013) and Care-Taker Secretary (2012). She had served as the Chairperson (2012-2013), Technical Secretary, Financial Secretary, Treasurer, Asst Secretary of the Association of Professional Women Engineers of Nigeria (APWEN), Ilorin Chapter. She is a Technical Committee member of NSChE Oyo-Osun-Kwara Chapter. She has also contributed in various committees of NSE Ilorin Branch.
She is also a member of the Nigerian Society of Chemical Engineers (NSChE), APWEN, Chemical Society of Nigeria (CSN), Institute of Chartered Chemists of Nigeria (ICCON), Nigerian Young Academy (NYA), Organization for Women in Science for Developing World (OWSD) among others.
Engr. Dr. Mrs. Temitope Odetoye, FNSE is no doubt an outstanding diligent engineering researcher and a role model within and outside Nigeria who has made her marks in her engineering profession. She is happily married to Arc. Adeola Sunday Odetoye (National Treasurer, Nigerian Institutes of Architects) and blessed with four God-fearing children and two grandchildren.