As a young student growing up in Western Kenya, Olubayi Olubayi, ’83, treasured learning.
“It was about 10 hours away from the capital city,” Olubayi said of his rural childhood village, which had no paved roads, running water, electricity, or telephones. “We walked to the [village] primary school barefoot...My mother was a teacher, so I loved school. And also, I saw school as an opportunity,” he added.
Excelling in his studies, Olubayi was soon chosen to attend a top Kenyan high school, where “I fell in love with reading,” he said. “The school had an excellent library and that really became a permanent transformation in my mind, because I fell in love with the idea of having libraries— needing libraries.”
After graduation, Olubayi received a full scholarship to attend Farmingdale State College (FSC), then known as the Agricultural and Technical College at Farmingdale, through an international student program.
I credit landing at Farmingdale as one of the foundational, grounding pieces of my life. I loved being on campus and felt very much supported here. - Dr. Olubayi Olubayi, ’83
“I credit landing at Farmingdale as one of the foundational, grounding pieces of my life. I loved being on campus and felt very much supported here,” said Olubayi, who worked in the campus bookstore as he pursued an associate degree in biotechnology. “The quality of the textbooks, the student-centric approach of the professors and their willingness to listen to students, and the excellent biotech labs—it all deepened my interest in science dramatically.”
Olubayi went on to earn a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree from Florida Atlantic University. In 1995, Olubayi earned a PhD in plant biology from Rutgers University, where his research focused on the biology of bacteria-plant-cell interactions. In addition, he has authored multiple books, journal articles, and research papers on microbiology, biotechnology, and social science, and holds a U.S. research patent on the flocculation of bacteria.
“His body of work is simply outstanding and worthy of recognition,” said Yetunde Odugbesan-Omede, PhD, director of FSC’s Office of Community and Civic Engagement and professor of global affairs and politics, who was a student of Olubayi’s in 2005.
“We remained in touch over the years, and today we are both Rutgers African American Alumni Alliance Hall of Fame inductees. Dr. Olubayi has devoted his life to advancing education, humanitarian ventures, and global literacy.”
Over his extensive career, Olubayi has held university faculty positions around the world, and acted as a government advisor to several Kenyan and South African officials and as a consultant for the prestigious United Nations Development Programme. He also served as vice chancellor and president of the International University of East Africa in Uganda before joining Africa Education Holdings as chief academic officer in 2016, where he currently leads programming for four universities.
Taking a page out of his alma mater’s book, Olubayi is thrilled to offer his students the student centric approach he first experienced at FSC.
“[In Kenya] the practical work was fairly limited for students,” he said. “So, I’ve focused on faculty development and moved them away from traditional lectures to project-based learning. And it was very rewarding seeing that transformation of pedagogy. Student outcomes were better. Students were happier with their studies.”
Feeling bound to give back to his global community, Olubayi also co-founded Kiwimbi International, a nonprofit that promotes opportunity through education, and the Global Literacy Project, a nonprofit that provides libraries and service learning opportunities to students worldwide
“One of the most fulfilling projects of my life is I’ve been able to go back to my village and set up a library that serves over 50,000 students. It is the first free public library in a county of more than one million people,” he said.
“In my family, there was always an ethos of volunteerism, of service, and that was enhanced by my Farmingdale experience,” added Olubayi, who shared he was deeply touched by how FSC’s faculty and administration always treated students equitably. “A reminder that really, if you are in a position of privilege or good fortune, it means that you should serve, that you should give back to the best of your ability.”
Share This
