CALVIN UNIVERSITY NAMES CORRIDOR IN HONOR OF AFRICA’S FIRST BLACK FEMALE PHYSICS PROFESSOR
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April 14, 2023 | Matt Kucinski


An African woman wearing a beautiful headdress, pink shirt, and pearl necklace.
A framed image of Dr. Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye is now displayed on the wall of a corridor on the Calvin University campus named in her honor.

[GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., U.S.]—On Thursday, April 13, 2023, Calvin University dedicated a corridor on its campus to honor the legacy and impact of Professor Deborah Ajakaiye, who, in 1980, became the first black female physics professor on the entire continent of Africa. A dedication service with guests from around the world took place in the University Chapel.

Opening doors
Ajakaiye has taught at several universities around the world, including at Ahmadu Bello University, where she earned her PhD in geophysics, and the University of Jos, where she served as the dean of natural sciences. She also taught a pair of interim classes at Calvin University in the late 1990s.

A well-accomplished scholar, Ajakaiye has published over 150 works that have contributed to the creation of a gravity map of Nigeria and to helping locate Nigerian groundwater and mineral deposits which have been instrumental in guiding investments and driving growth in the Nigerian economy. She is also the first female fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Sciences, first Black African to be awarded the Honorary Fellowship of the Geological Society of London, and the first president of the Association of Geoscientists for International Development.

Honoring a lifetime of impact
Ajakaiye’s son Danladi Verheijen is a 1997 graduate of Calvin University. He and his wife Olubukola provided a generous gift to create a space at Calvin where women in the history of Calvin, the broader academy, and the world will be celebrated for their impact. They are naming the space after their mom, honoring her for her inspirational work ethic, exceptional leadership skills, humility and approachability, and for her unwavering faith in God.

“She sees her work in science and nonprofit as ways to honor God and to make a positive impact on the world,” said Verheijen during the dedication service. “Her faith gives her meaning and purpose and therefore the strength and perseverance to overcome obstacles and stay focused on her goals. Faith has been an anchor for this woman. She has lived her life thinking nothing is impossible … All of this has translated into the work of breaking barriers and opening doors for countless African women to pursue their passion for science.”

Creating a pathway, inspiring possibilities
The corridor that connects the Chapel Patio to the Hekman Library via Hiemenga Hall’s third floor is now named “Dr. Deborah Enilo Ajakaiye Corridor” and will include a wall that honors women who have made an impact. Ajakaiye is the first to have a placard hung in her honor.

“We are excited to be able to create this space at Calvin University. And it is a blessing for it to be named after a woman who has impacted so many, including my own life,” said Wiebe Boer, president of Calvin University, who grew up close friends with Ajakaiye’s family in Nigeria. “Professor Ajakaiye is an example of someone who chose impact in God’s world over personal wealth and treasure—who showed so much commitment to the most poor and needy when others of her level, status, and experience were chasing lucrative contracts and government positions. She is a living example of what we hope our students aspire to be, agents of renewal in the world.”

While Ajakaiye’s teaching career has now sunsetted, she hasn’t stopped sowing good into the world. She remains the president of Christian Care for Widows, Widowers and the Aged (CCWA), an organization she founded which helps to support the needs of 90,000 widows, widowers, orphans, and the elderly across Nigeria.

In addition to the corridor bearing her name, a lecture series at Calvin will as well. The Ajakaiye Lecture Series will bring guest speakers to campus who will reinforce and elevate the importance of cross-cultural understanding, the richness and beauty of cultural diversity, and the value of cross-cultural intelligence for current and future students of Calvin University.

Learn more about Ajakaiye and her impact.

https://calvin.edu/news/archive/calvin-university-names-corridor-in-honor-of-africa-s-first-black-female-physics-professor

nlfpmod mynd44

Congratulations to Prof Ajakaiye.

To learn more about Ajakaiye and her impact
https://calvin.edu/news/?dotcmsredir=1

Kudos to her. Her mates are still hoarding grades in Wakanda Republic public schools.
A for God, B for Lecturer, C for brilliant student, D for average student, E for below average student, F for the unlucky ones.

At the end the knowledge acquired hardly produces anything tangible and that's related to it. They end up as bankers, marketers, technicians, yahoo boys, yahoo girls, shrine owners and more.

Congratulations

Black Lives are mattering, finally, in Calvin