School of Science and Technology

Paul M. Okanda, PhD

Associate Professor of Information Science & Technology

Director, Information & Communications Technology

United States International University - Africa

Phone: +254 730 116 299

E-mail: pokanda@usiu.ac.ke

Biography

Paul Okanda graduated with a First-Class Honors degree in Computer Science and worked at Procter & Gamble as a Systems Analyst before he became the Manager, of Applications at the company. He then left for the United Kingdom (UK) where he graduated with a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications in 2006. He worked as a Researcher on several European Union (EU) funded research projects involving several Universities and industrial players all over Europe. Paul was a member of Lancaster University’s School of Computing and Communications Next Generation Middleware Group ( http://www.comp.lancs.ac.uk/computing/research/mpg/reflection/ ) for over six years after which he joined InfoLab21’s Knowledge Business Centre (KBC) as Head of the InfoLab21 Student Academy (ISA - http://www.infolab21.org.uk/people/student_academy/ ). He led ISA’s core activity which involved Information & Communications Technology Transfer and Knowledge Exchange initiatives between Lancaster University’s InfoLab21 and industry.

Paul has done consultancy and supervised the delivery of IT projects by Ph.D., MSc, and UG students to over 150 businesses over the years. He has also provided academic supervision to several Ph.D. students pursuing Lancaster University’s flagship HighWire Ph.D. program (www.highwire.lancs.ac.uk ) in the Doctoral Training Centre (DTC).

Paul has been a Program Committee member of the African Conference on Software Engineering and Applied Computing. He is a Fellow of the Computer Society of Kenya (CSK) He has published several journals and peer-reviewed papers presented at International Conferences and is a principal author of two books; ‘OpenPING: A Principled Approach to Construction of flexible Distributed Virtual Environments using Structural Reflection’ and ‘An adaptive Framework for run-time Group-based Communication’. He joined United States International University-Africa in July 2013 as Associate Dean, School of Science & Technology and Associate Professor of Information Science & Technology. Paul is currently Director, Information and Communications Technology & Chief Information Officer.

Academic Degrees

• PhD. in Computing, Computing Department, Lancaster University, United Kingdom.

Thesis Title: “A Principled Approach to Construction of flexible Distributed Virtual Environments using Structural Reflection”

Supervisor: Professor Gordon Blair.

• MPhil. Computing, Computing Department, Lancaster University, United Kingdom.

Supervisor: Professor Gordon Blair.

• B.Sc. (Computer Science) – 1st Class Honors, Egerton University, Kenya.

BOOK & PAPER PUBLICATIONS

• Paul Okanda, “High-performance computing (HPC) – A cost-effective approach towards exploiting its potential in Africa”, Book publication, Generis Publishing, April 2023, (ISBN: 979-8-88876-793-3), https://www.generis-publishing.com/book.php?title=high-performance-computing-hpc-1403
• Paul Okanda, Ernest Andugo, “Deploying Contemporary Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Solutions for Academic Delivery in Higher Education Institutions (HEIs) – The USIU-Africa Experience”, publication in the Journal of International Education Studies and Sustainability, April 2023, http://www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/iess/article/view/16103
• Paul Okanda, “A sustainability model for continental Hybridization of High-performance computing (HPC) in Africa”, publication in the Journal of International Education Studies and Sustainability, April 2023, http://www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/iess/article/view/16102
• Collins Oduor, Paul Okanda, "A study on the Adoption of ICT Approaches in Teaching of Mathematics and Sciences: A Case Study of Public Secondary Schools in Oloitokitok Sub County, Kajiado County, Kenya" International Conference on Online Learning and Teaching, 27th February 2023, Kitchener, Canada.
• Paul Okanda, “Here are the key ingredients that make for a solid EdTech foundation”, paper submission to Daily Nation, 2nd May 2022,
  https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/here-are-the-key-ingredients-that-make-for-a-solid-edtech-foundation-3801824
• Paul Okanda, “EdTech: Deploying Contemporary IT Solutions For Academic Delivery”, paper submission to CIO Africa, April 2022, https://www.cioafrica.co/edtech-deploying-contemporary-it-solutions-for-academic-delivery/
• Paul Okanda, “EdTech: Deploying Contemporary IT Solutions For Academic Delivery”, paper submission to Business Quest, April 2022,
  https://www.businessquest.co.ke/edtech-deploying-contemporary-information-technology-solutions-for-academic-delivery/
• Paul Okanda, “EdTech: Deploying Contemporary IT Solutions For Academic Delivery”, paper submission to Capital FM, April 2022,
  https://www.capitalfm.co.ke/news/2022/04/edtech-deploying-contemporary-information-technology-solutions-for-academic-delivery/
• Esther Maina, Paul Okanda, “Use of Data Analytics to Improve Compliance with the Data Privacy Act”, Book publication, Lambert VDM Publishing House Ltd, November 2022, on More Books at https://morebooks.de/shop-ui/shop/search?q=%20978-620-5-51432-0&page=1.
• Anne Inapat Osamong, Paul Okanda, Collins Oduor, “A Knowledge Management Model for the Retail Industry in Kenya”, Book publication, Lambert VDM Publishing House Ltd, November 2022, on MoreBooks at https://www.morebooks.de/shop-ui/shop/search?q=978-620-5-51377-4&page=1
• Eric Gacheru Kariuki, Paul Okanda, “Adoption of m-health and usability challenges in m-health applications in Kenya”, Book publication, Lambert VDM Publishing House Ltd, October 2022. On MoreBooks at https://morebooks.de/shop-ui/shop/search?q=%20978-620-5-51324-8&page=1.
• Esther Maina, Paul Okanda, “The Use of Technology To Enhance Compliance To Data Protection Regulations In Organizations”, publication in the Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa Vol. 12 No. 2 (2021): Special Issue on Technology & Society in collaboration with Google Africa 2021, February, 2022, https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jolte/article/view/221017.
• Anne Inapat Osamong, Paul Okanda, “Improved e-Business Through Effective Knowledge Management Using The Business-To-Consumer e-Business Model”, publication in the Journal of Language, Technology & Entrepreneurship in Africa Vol. 12 No. 2 (2021): Special Issue on Technology & Society in collaboration with Google Africa 2021, February, 2022, https://www.ajol.info/index.php/jolte/article/view/221132 .
• Paul Mzee Okanda, Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, “Democratizing Knowledge in a Closed World: An African Perspective”, paper submission to The International Association of Universities (IAU) Horizons, March 2021.
• Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Paul Okanda, “Enhancing the Digital Transformation of African Universities: COVID-19 as Accelerator”, paper submission to The Elephant, February 9th, 2021,https://www.theelephant.info/long-reads/2021/02/09/enhancing-the-digital-transformation-of-african-universities-covid-19-as-accelerator/.
• Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Paul Mzee Okanda, “Enhancing the Digital Transformation of African Universities: COVID-19 as Accelerator”, paper submission to the Journal for Higher Education in Africa, February 3rd, 2021.
• Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Paul Okanda, “Promoting the Digital Transformation of African Universities: A Twelve-Point Agenda”, paper submission to University World News (UWN), February 3rd, 2021, https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20210208135348558.
• Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Paul Okanda, “A time for organisational resilience, flexibility, leadership”, paper submission to University World News (UWN), December 10th, 2020, https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=2020120704584843
• Paul Tiyambe Zeleza, Paul Okanda, “Enhancing demand driven digital and technological skills development”, paper specially presented at the African Economic Conference (AEC), convened by the African Development Bank (AfDB), United Nations Development Program (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa, Sham el-Sheikh, Egypt, December 2nd to 4th, 2019, http://erepo.usiu.ac.ke/handle/11732/5792.
• Paul Okanda, “Kenya’s low investment in Big Data may deny us digital fruits”, Daily Nation, Nairobi, Kenya, July 12th, 2019, https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/opinion/Kenya-low-investment-in-Big-Data-deny-us-digital-fruits/440808-5188122-128d6wmz/index.html
• Paul Okanda, “Seize the Big Data moment to revolutionize education sector”, Daily Nation, Nairobi, Kenya, June 14th, 2019, https://www.nation.co.ke/oped/opinion/Seize-the-Big-Data-moment/440808-5156798-f8eskc/index.html.
• Xavier Francis Ochieng, Paul Okanda, “Mapping of HPC Clusters in Africa and Model to improve Access”, IST-Africa 2019 Conference, Nairobi, Kenya, May 8th – 10th, 2019.
• Paul Okanda, Valerie Adema, Xavier Francis, “High performance computing (HPC): A tool to improve research quality and Africa’s work force development (WfD)”, Graduate ICT Research and Education Summit 2018 (GIRES III), Carnegie Mellon University Campus, Kigali, Rwanda, November 16th – 17th, 2018.
• Paul Okanda, “HPC and Higher Education, Research and Innovation”, HPC for Research and Innovation Forum”, USIU-Africa & United Nations Environment Assembly (UNEA), Nairobi, KENYA, 1st – 4th December, 2017.
• Gloria Obel, Paul Okanda, “Adoption of e-learning and usability challenges in e-learning applications in Kenya: Case of elimu digital e-learning prototype application”, Distance Education and Open Learning in Africa Conference, Nairobi, Kenya, 21st – 24th August, 2019.
• Eric G. Kariuki, Paul Okanda, “Adoption of m-health and usability challenges in m- health applications in Kenya: Case of Uzazi Poa m-health prototype application”, (accepted to be presented at) IEEE Africon 2017, Cape Town, South Africa, September 18th – 20th, 2017.
• Paul Okanda, “An adaptive Framework for run-time Group-based Communication”, Book publication, VDM Publishing House Ltd, October 2015. On Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/adaptive-Framework-run-time-Group-based-Communication/dp/3659789291
• Sylvester Namuye, Melanie Platz, Paul Okanda, Leah Mutanu, “Leveraging Health through Early Warning Systems Using Mobile and Service Oriented Technology”, IST-Africa 2015 Conference, Lilongwe, Malawi, May 6th – 8th, 2015.
• Paul Okanda, John Kanyaru, “SmartPrescription: A principled approach towards eliminating prescription errors in Healthcare”, IST-Africa 2104 Conference, Port Louis, Mauritius, May 6th – 9th, 2014.
• Paul Okanda, “Leveraging Voice Interaction to create efficiencies in the 21st Century Workplace”, East African Multidisciplinary Annual Research Conference (EAMARC 1), Nairobi, Kenya November 12th – 14th, 2013.
• Paul Okanda, “A Principled Approach to the Construction to the Construction of Next Generation DVEs”, Book publication, VDM Publishing House Ltd, July 2009. On Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Principled-Approach-Construction-Next-Generation/dp/3639003748/
• Paul Okanda, Sebastian Steinhauer, Gordon Blair, “Virtual Overlays: An Approach to the Management of Competing or Collaborating Overlay Structures”, The 8th IFIP International Conference on Distributed Applications and Interoperable Systems (DAIS’08), Oslo, Norway, June 4th – 6th, 2008.
• Paul M. Okanda, “A Principled Approach to Construction of flexible Distributed Virtual Environments using Structural Reflection”, PhD Thesis, Computing Department, InfoLab21, Lancaster University, Lancaster, March 2006.
• Hector A. Duran-Limon, Gordon S. Blair, Adrian Friday, Thirunavukkarasu Sivaharan, Maomao Wu, Paul Okanda, Carl-Fredrik Srensen, “Context-Aware Middleware for Pervasive and Mobile Ad Hoc Environments”, In Quinto Encuentro Internacional de Computación ENC’04, Mobile Computing Workshop, pp 583 – 588, September 2004, Mexico. Editors: Miguel Arias Estrada and Alexander Gelbuk, Publishers: Mexican Society of Computer Science (SMCC) and Universidad de Colima, ISBN: 970-692-170-2.
• Carl-Fredrik Srensen, Maomao Wu, Thirunavukkarasu Sivaharan, Gordon Blair, Paul Okanda, Adrian Friday and Hector Duran-Limon, “Context-Aware Middleware for Applications in Mobile Ad Hoc Environments”, ACM/IFIP/USENIX 5th International Middleware conference, 2nd Workshop on Middleware for Pervasive and Ad-Hoc Computing, Toronto, Canada, October 18th – 22nd, 2004.
• Maomao Wu, Adrian Friday, Gordon Blair, Thirunavukkarasu Sivaharan, Paul Okanda, Hector Duran Limon, Carl-Fredrik Srensen, Gregory Biegel and René Meier, “Novel Component Middleware for Building Dependable Sentient Computing Applications”, Workshop on Component-oriented approaches to context-aware systems, Oslo, Norway, June 2004. Affiliated with 18th European Conference on Object-Oriented Programming (ECOOP 2004).
• Thirunavukkarasu Sivaharan, Gordon Blair, Adrian Friday, Maomao Wu, Hector Duran-Limon, Paul Okanda and Carl-Fredrik Srensen, “Cooperating Sentient Vehicles for Next Generation Automobiles”, ACM MobiSys 2004 International Workshop on Applications of Mobile Embedded Systems, Boston, USA, June 2004.
• Okanda P., Blair G., “OpenPING: A Reflective Middleware for the Construction of Adaptive Networked Game Applications”, ACM SIGCOMM, In Proceedings of the Workshop on Network and System Support for Games in conjunction with the International Conference on Data Communications, Oregon/Portland, USA, October 2004.
• Okanda P., Blair G., “OpenPING: A Reflective Middleware Platform for construction of Adaptive Virtual Reality Applications”, In Proceedings of the Workshop on Adaptive Distributed Systems in conjunction with the 17th International Symposium on Distributed Computing, Sorrento, Italy, October 2003.
• Okanda P., Blair G., “The Role of Structural Reflection in Distributed Virtual Reality”, ACM SIGGRAPH, In Proceedings of the 10th ACM Symposium on Virtual Reality Software and Technology, Osaka, Japan, October 2003.
• Okanda P., Blair G., “A model for Construction of flexible DVEs using Object Behavioural Reflection”, In Proceedings of the 1st Workshop on Network and System Support for Games, NetGames’02, Braunschweig, Germany, April 2002.
• Okanda P., Blair G., “Experiments and Evaluation of the OpenPING Framework”, Report No. MPG-02-02, Computing Department, Lancaster University, November 2002.
• Okanda P., Blair G., “Analysis of Techniques used in Distributed Virtual Environments”, Report No. MPG-02-01, Computing Department, Lancaster University, November 2002.

GRANT-FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS & CONSULTANCIES

• 2022 - Present: MasterCard Foundation Workstream B e-Learning Initiative in Africa: $6M.
• 2020 – Present: Master Card Foundation e-Learning Initiative in Africa: $1.6M
• 2018 – Present: African Development Bank Coding for Employment Program: Unleashing Africa’s Next Generation of Digital Innovators.
• 2017 – 2019: Joint National Research Foundation (NRF) funded Project with Centre for Biotechnology and Biostatistics (CEBIB), University of Nairobi (UoN) Incorporating Local Microbes towards Integrated Effective Industrial Waste Treatment.
• 2017 - Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP).
• 2016 – Present: Mentor, Presidential Digital Talent Programme (PDTP).
• 2019 – Present: Fellow, Computer Society of Kenya (CSK).
• 2017 – 2018: Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP).
• 2015 – 2017: KENET Faculty Mini-Grants – Innovations in the use of Raspberry- Pi in Engineering and Computer Science Teaching Labs.
• 2014 – 2015: Carnegie African Diaspora Fellowship Program (CADFP).
• 2012 – 2014: InfoLab21 Strategic Innovation Support (ISIS) II – European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
• 2009 – 2017: Doctoral Training Centre (DTC) – Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC).
• 2009 – 2013: InfoLab21 Strategic Technology Exploitation Programme (ISTEP) – ERDF.
• 2009 – 2013: InfoLab21 Strategic Technology Exploitation Programme (ISTEP) – ERDF.
• 2009 – 2013: InfoLab21 Strategic Innovation Support (ISIS) – ERDF
• 2006 – 2008: InfoLab21 Graduate Academy (IGA) – ERDF
• 2006 -2008: Knowledge Economy Initiative (KEI) – ERDF
• 2005 – 2006: Cumbria and Lancashire Knowledge Economy Initiative (CLKEI) II – ERDF.
• 2004 – 2006: Blackpool Business Development Initiative (BBDI) – ERDF
• 2004 – 2006: Re-configurable Ubiquitous Networked Embedded Systems (RUNES) – European Union (EU).
• 2002 – 2005: Cumbria and Lancashire Knowledge Economy Initiative (CLKEI) – ERDF
• 2000 – 2017: Higher Education Innovation Fund (HEIF) – Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
• 2000 – 2004: Co-operating Real-time Sentient Objects: Experimental Evaluation (CORTEX) – EU.
• 2000 – 2002: Platform for Interactive Networked Games (PING) – EU.