AKINWALE ABOLUWADE
The Nigerian Academy of Science has inducted Prof. Esther Titilayo Akinlabi, former Director, Pan African University, Life and Earth Sciences Institute, University of Ibadan, alongside nine others as its fellows during its 2023 public lecture and induction of fellows held at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja.
Lecture titled, ‘Great Nations Pay Heed to Nurturing the Mental Health of the Developing Brain,’ was on the occasion delivered by Prof. Olayinka Omigbodun, Provost, College of Medicine, University of Ibadan, Ibadan.
In attendance at the event among others with Prof. Esther Akinlabi, Deputy Faculty Pro Vice Chancellor (Research & Knowledge Exchange), Northumbria University, UK, was her husband, Prof. Stephen Akinwale Akinlabi, also an engineer.
Esther Akinlabi is a seasoned Mechanical Engineer with years of service in research academia and administration. Her research fields are in friction stir welding and additive manufacturing. The university don, described as a frontier in friction stir welding technology on the African continent, ranked top three globally in additive manufacturing in publication metrics.
Esther Akinlabi has over 500 publications to her credit in a wide variety of high impact international journals with over 5,000 citations and a Google Scholar H-Index of 33, proving the relevance of her research output over the years.
In addition, over her 15 years in academic work, Prof. Esther Akinlabi has supervised over 60 postgraduate students successfully, all around the globe in both Master’s and Ph.D.
As the winner of the 2016 Women in Science Awards in South Africa, Co-chair of the selection of 2016 new members of the South African Young Academy of Science, and Chair in 2017, 2018, and 2020, Prof. Esther Akinlabi demonstrated her expertise in leadership and administration. These qualities were principal to her appointment by the African Union Commission in July 2020 as the Director of the Pan African University, Life and Earth Sciences Institute.
Her publications include, Friction Stir welding Laser Additive Manufacturing Surface Engineering Functionally graded material by Public Accessco-Authors Functionally graded material: An overview RM Mahamood, ET Akinlabi, M Shukla, SL PityanaInternational Association of Engineers (IAENG), 2012451; Types of functionally graded materials and their areas of application RM Mahamood, ET Akinlabi, RM Mahamood, ET Akinlabi Functionally graded materials, 9-21, 2017332; Microstructures, hardness and bioactivity of hydroxyapatite coatings deposited by direct laser melting process M Tlotleng, E Akinlabi, M Shukla, S PityanaMaterials Science and Engineering: C 43, 189-198, 201480; Properties of physically deposited thin aluminium film coatings: A review FM Mwema, OP Oladijo, SA Akinlabi, ET AkinlabiJournal of alloys and compounds 747, 306-323, 201876; and Laser metal deposition of Ti6Al4V: A study on the effect of laser power on microstructure and microhardness RM Mahamood, ET Akinlabi, M Shukla, SL PityanaIMECS 2013, 201373.
A lecture, titled, ‘Nexus of Science and Evidence-based Decision Making Towards a Responsive and Strong Nigerian Health System,’ was last year, delivered at the NAS event by Prof. Obinna Onwujekwe from The Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
