Francis O. Otuonye, Ph.D.

Education:

• B.S., Mining Engineering, West Virginia University (cum laude)
• M.S., Mining Engineering, West Virginia University
• Ph.D., Civil Engineering, The Ohio State University

Background:

Francis Otuonye, Ph.D., is currently Associate Vice President for Research and Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Tennessee Tech University. He previously served as Interim Vice President for Research and Economic Development, and Associate Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies. Prior to his positions at Tennessee Tech University, he was Professor and Chairman of the Mining Engineering Department at Michigan Technological University, and served as Director of the Michigan Mine Safety and Health Training Program.

He has served on numerous panels. He was appointed twice by the U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services to serve a four-year term on the Safety and Occupational Health Study Section of the National Institute for Occupation Safety and Health (NIOSH), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. He previously served as president of the Tennessee Conference of Graduate Schools, and he is an Institutional Councilor for Oak Ridge Associated Universities.

Otuonye has served as principal investigator on several grants and contracts, has numerous publications and presentations, and received several national awards and recognitions. Recently, he was honored with the Janice Lumpkin (Golden Torch) Educator Award from the National Society of Black Engineers for his contributions to African American students’ academic excellence and professional success.