A Nigerian Professor Makes History as the First Black Provost/VC Of University Of Illinois

A Professor of Nigerian descent, Ilesanmi Adesida made history last month by becoming the first black Provost/Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs of the well-respected University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign in the United States.
A native of Ifon in Ondo State, Prof. Adesida, 63, is a Nigerian engineer whose outstanding works in the field of Nanotechnology with special emphasis on high speed devices used in communication, has received accolades in the scientific community.
A former head at the Electrical Engineering Department of Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, Nigeria, Prof Adesida is a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Vacuum Society, and the Optical Society of America. He is also the past-president of IEEE Electron Devices Society.
Commenting on his recently appointment, Prof Adesida said: “I’m honoured and humbled to be selected as provost of this great campus. This is something I take very seriously. I know how to work very hard and I’m ready to roll up my sleeves and get the job done.”