TITLE: DR.

NAME: OCHULOR, EZENWANYI FIDELIA

POSITION: ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR SPECIALISATION: MATERIALS PROCESSING, CHARACTERISATION AND DEVELOPMENT, PHYSICAL METALLURGY OF DUCTILE IRONS, GELATIN BIOCOMPOSITES

EDUCATION/TRAINING

A. Personal Statement

I am a motivated advanced career researcher in Material processing, characterization, and development. Required service performance is germane during the design of the production process of any material or part. My work focuses on designing production and heat treatment processes that will produce carbide-free Thin Wall Ductile Iron (TWDI) and Ductile Iron (DI) parts with the required microstructure and properties for effective automotive applications, consequently reducing the production of defective castings.

Also, I am passionate about the zero-waste concept, where waste is converted to useful products, considering the tonnes of waste that cause environmental pollution when not properly disposed of or utilized. My focus here is the use of Gelatin biopolymer extracted from cow bone biowaste being adopted for the production of biocomposites, which has extensive use in biomedical applications and other industries. Gelatin, being biocompatible, biodegradable, and bioactive, has shown suitability in this area. In another innovative way, I have also, in collaboration with colleagues in the College of Medicine, adopted Gelatin in the production of skin mannequins for capacity building in ultrasonography. Here, the advantage is that medical students can train using the student-centered approach instead of the problematic patient-centered approach, which is currently practiced; this also has the potential of boosting enterprise in gelatin production.

B. Positions, Scientific Appointments, and Honours

• Best graduating student in Materials and Metallurgical Engineering for the 1997 graduating class at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO). Imo State, Nigeria

• Chairperson Caretaker Committee, Catholic Teachers Association, St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. Gbaja. Lagos 2019.

• Medical Committee, FGGC Owerri OGA (Old Girls Association). Lagos Branch. 2024 – Date

• Journal Reviewer (Nigerian Journal of Technology, Nijotech)

• Council for Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria, COREN (17,126)

• American Society of Metals, ASM International C-06054426

C. Selected Most Recent Publications/Contributions to Knowledge

1. Ochulor, E.F., Adeosun, S.O., and Awe, D.E. (2024). Impact of Varying Austempering Treatment Parameters on Mechanical and Wear Properties of Austempered Ductile Iron. Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences 9(2), 764-777

2. Ochulor, E. F., Adeosun, S.O., Kareem, A. J. and Ashade, A. I. (2023). Effects of Annealing Soaking Time on Carbide Precipitates and Mechanical Properties of As-Cast Thin-Wall Ductile Iron. ABUAD Journal of Engineering Research and Development, 6(2), 230-238.

3. Ochulor, E. F., Gbenebor, O. P., Lawal, I. O. (2022). Physicochemical properties, morphology, and functional group analyses of gelatin extracted from croaker fish (Pseudotolithus senegalensis) scale for suitability in biomedical applications. Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences (RJEES), 7(2), 436-446.

4. Gbenebor, O. P., Ochulor, E. F., Shogunwa, A. A. and Adeosun, S. O. (2022). Evaluation studies of hydrogen bond, crystallinity, and water propensity of acid-treated Bambusa vulgaris cellulose particles. Nigerian Research Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences (RJEES), 7(1), 266-272.

5. Obasa, V. D., Olanrewaju,O. A., Gbenebor, O. P., Ochulor, E. F, Odili, C. C., Abiodun, Y. O and Adeosun, S. O (2022). A Review on Lignin-Based Carbon Fibres for Carbon Footprint Reduction. Atmosphere, 13(10), 1605.

D. Collaborators/ Networks

1. Prof ADEOSUN, Samson. O. University of Lagos. Akoka. Lagos, Nigeria

2. Prof. ESEZOBOR, David. E. University of Lagos. Akoka. Lagos, Nigeria

3. Prof. POPOOLA, Patricia, Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa

4. Prof. OBIKWELU, Daniel, University of Nigeria, Nsukka

5. Prof. ALANEME, Kenneth, Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria (FUTA)