Nigerian professor wins distinguished scholar award in US varsity

Chris Wolumati Ogbondah, a Nigerian professor, has won the Distinguished Scholar Award in the United States.

The Distinguished Scholar Award is given annually to a lecturer accomplished in scholarly and creative activity.

The honour accorded to the academic is for the 2021/2022 academic year at the University of Northern Iowa.

It was announced on March 11 in a letter signed by Gabriela Olivares, the associate dean at the graduate college of the university.

“The graduate college is pleased to inform you that the faculty committee for the 2021-2022 Distinguished Scholar Award has selected you as the recipient from a group of excellent nominees,” the letter read in part.

“A recognition award will be presented at the annual graduate faculty meeting on Thursday, April 28, 2022.

“The Graduate College will recognize your achievements across campus and our community.

“This includes official announcements via different communication platforms and recognition at the Annual Graduate Faculty meeting in April and the Annual Fall Faculty meeting.

“You have established a truly commendable record over your long and distinguished career and should be proud of your accomplishments. Your selection is a recognition of superior achievement as a faculty member.”

Ogbondah obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka prior to proceeding to the US where he obtained his master’s and doctorate degrees in Journalism.

In 2009, Ogbondah received the State of Iowa Board of Regents Award for Faculty Excellence, an honour the board annually gives to deserving tenured lecturers in the state’s three regency institutions of higher learning.

This includes the University of Iowa, Iowa State University, and the University of Northern Iowa.

Ogbondah is a four-time recipient of the American Press Institute Fellowship.

He previously received the American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) Excellence in Journalism Fellowship.

He is also a three-time recipient of the Apple Polisher Award in recognition of excellence in classroom teaching and mentorship of students at the University of Northern Iowa.

Ogbondah was a former sports editor at The Tide group of newspapers in Port Harcourt prior to going to the US.

He was a reporter at the WNTV/WNBS broadcast station in Ibadan.

Ogbondah has worked at six US newspapers as a reporter and is an ex-contributor to the Newswatch magazine.

He served on the international panel of press freedom that ranks the countries of the world on a scale of press freedom at Freedom House, New York.

The academic is a visiting Professor of Journalism in the Department of Mass Communication at the Cross River University of Technology, Calabar.