缅北禁地

Ms. Francisca Nneka Okeke is a Professor of Physics at the University of  Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN). She has contributed to the development of physics at the secondary and tertiary levels in her country Nigeria, writing several textbooks and articles that have enhanced the teaching and learning of the subject in the country.
A trailblazer, Prof. Okeke was the first female Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy (2003-2006), the first female Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences (2008-2010), the first indigenous woman who became a Professor in the Faculty of Science and Engineering of the UNN and the first woman Professor of Physics in East Nigeria. She currently serves as the Director of ICCSEE-UNN, where she continues supporting Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) and mentoring women and girls in science.  

Prof. Okeke received several awards and recognitions for her contribution to her field. She is a laureate of the L’Oreal-UNESCO 2013 Award for Women in Science for Physical Sciences. She was included in CNN's "African Voices" feature in 2015 to recognize her achievements and contributions to sciences. She also received accolades from Nigerian academia in 2016 as one of the 10 Most Influential Nigerian Women in Science and among the top 10 lecturers in research and publication at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN).

She has supervised 25 doctorate and 38 master's students, including two who won the AU-TWAS Young Scientist Award in 2010 and the PG First VC’s Award for 2015-2016, respectively, while publishing 140 papers in international journals.

She is a Fellow of the World Academy of Science (FTWS), the Africa Academy of Science (FAAS), the Nigerian Academy of Science (FAS), and the Japanese Society for Promotion of Science (FJSPS). She has also been organizing workshops, speaking at international conferences on STEM.