Prof. Michael A. Adewumi received his B.Sc. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Ibadan, with First Class division, in 1976. He later earned an MS, and Ph.D. in Gas Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Illinois, in 1981 and 1985, respectively. Since 2008, Prof. Adewumi has been serving as Vice Provost for Global Programs at The Pennsylvania State University (Penn State). In this role, he provides leadership and oversight for all Penn State’s global engagements, ranging from hosting thousands of students from more than 100 countries, sending thousands more overseas to participate in over 200 study abroad programs, and building strategic partnerships with institutions around the world.
Previously, Prof. Adewumi has served as Director of the Alliance for Earth Science, Engineering and Development in Africa (AESEDA) at Penn State; UNESCO Chair in Georesources Management; and Visiting Professor of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Ibadan. He had prior industrial experience with the Ribway Industrial Group; Shell-BP Petroleum Development Company Nig. Ltd.; and Nigerian Agip Oil Company, Ltd. On the academic front, he lectured at the University of Ibadan (1977-1979) and was a Research Fellow at the world-renowned Institute of Gas Technology, Chicago, Illinois (1980-1985). He joined Penn State as Assistant Professor of Petroleum and Natural Gas Engineering in 1985 and was promoted to Professor and Quentin E. & Louise L. Wood University Endowed Faculty Fellow in 1995.
Prof. Adewumi is an internationally known expert in the areas of natural gas engineering, phase behavior and multi-phase fluid dynamics and has published widely in these areas, authoring and/or co-authoring more than 100 technical articles. His research projects have been funded by a wide variety of agencies including National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, Engineering Foundation, Multinational oil and gas companies as well as independents. He has consulted for major multinational oil companies, gas companies, UNDP, Gas Research Institute in Chicago, etc. Under his supervision, more than 40 Ph.D. and M.S. candidates completed their degrees at Penn State. He has also supervised 10 post-doctoral research associates and research associates. In addition, he has taught short courses for multinational oil companies around the world.
Prof. Adewumi previously held a number of administrative and governance positions at Penn State including serving as Chair of the Petroleum & Natural Gas Engineering graduate program, the on-line Master of Engineering Program in Oil and Gas Engineering Management. In addition, Prof. Adewumi has served Penn State University as a member and chair of committees at all levels (Departmental, College and University). These include Promotion and Tenure Committees and many important Search Committees. He served for many years as an elected member of the Universitys Graduate Council. He served as Chair of the Graduate Council committee on Programs and Courses, which reviews and evaluates all new and revised graduate programs.
A participant in several national and international committees, he has also organized and participated in several other specialized workshops and conferences. Prof. Adewumi is well published and has served on the board of several international journals and special publications. As a result of his numerous achievements, he has received various awards and recognitions including the CHBE Charles W. Pierce Distinguished Alumni Award (IIT Armour College of Engineering), 2013; Champion Partnership Award (Congressional Black Caucus 35th Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.); Member American Chemical Society (ACS), 1982; Member American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE), 1981; Member Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE), 1978. He was elected to the Academy in 2008.