Nkem Khumbah

Nkem Khumbah has been a lecturer of Mathematics at the Comprehensive Studies Program in the University of Michigan since 2005, providing introductory Mathematics courses, academic advising, and mentoring to CSP affiliated students. The courses taught include Intermediate Algebra, Calculus sequence, Images and Mathematics, and Mathematics for the Information Age.

Aside from teaching, Khumbah is also involved in various science and policy initiatives. They are a Faculty Affiliate of Science, Technology and Public Policy at the Ford School of Public Policy, University of Michigan, where they participate in the Challenges in International Science Partnerships working group. In this role, they examine and develop articulation of the benefits of scientific partnerships and international research collaborations with resource-limited countries, exploring solutions to ongoing challenges associated with their design and execution.

Nkem Khumbah is also the Chair for Policy and Strategy at The African Light Source Initiative, leading the development of policies and a strategic roadmap for realizing the establishment of a synchrotron facility in Africa. They engage African Ministers and Heads of States for political leadership, major bilateral funding sources, and training of technical manpower required to establish a synchrotron light source.

As a Senior Fellow at the Global Federation of Competitiveness Councils, Khumbah serves as a strategic advisor to guide GFCC members to catalyze cross-learning and creation of competitiveness and innovation strategies, policies and initiatives.

Other roles Khumbah has undertaken include being an Evaluator for the World Bank Africa Centers of Excellence project, serving as the Chair for STEM for Africa Committee at the Constituency for Africa, and being the Founding Executive Curator of the Next Einstein Forum, Africa’s Global Forum for Science, Policy and Society.

Nkem Khumbah has also coordinated and provided leadership to the STEM-Africa Initiative at the University of Michigan, a unique Initiative among peer institutions in the U.S. that engages science as a trans-Atlantic affair. They have organized major STEM-Africa conferences and worked to further US-Africa STEM research collaborations, including training and mentoring in scientific disciplines, and associated aspects of medical sciences and policy.

Before joining the University of Michigan, Khumbah was a Research Fellow at the Mathematical Science Research Institute, UC Berkeley, and the Institute for Pure and Applied Mathematics, UCLA. They have also served as an Assistant Professor (Tenure-Track) at North Georgia College and State University, where they taught courses such as Pre-calculus, Statistics, Probability and Statistics, and Numerical Analysis.