Born 28th March, 1945, in Agbor, in the present Delta State. Prof. Thomas Okpo Kimber Audu attended Anglican Grammar School, Ubulu-Uku in Delta state and the Federal School of Science, Lagos between 1959 and 1966.

In 1966, he was at the Borough Polytechnic (now South Bank University) London for a Diploma in Applied Chemistry and later went to the University of Surrey for another diploma in Chemical Engineering. Prof. Audu later obtained his Masters and Doctorate Degrees in Chemical Engineering from Aston University in 1971 and 1973 respectively. He was also at the University of Karlsrule, West Germany for his Post-doctoral Fellowship between 1976 and 1977.

Prof. Audu started his professional career as a Process Development Manager with Lever Brothers in 1970. He joined the services of the University of Benin in 1975 as Lecturer II in the Department of Chemical Engineering. He rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Chemical Engineering in 1984. He has also held several appointments in the University and is currently the Dean of Faculty of Engineering.

Prof. Audu has over 40 publications to his credit and has written more than 15 academic books. He was awarded the MOULTON MEDAL in Chemical Engineering by the Institute of Chemical Engineering in 1975. In 1997, he was bestowed the rare privilege of being invited by the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences to submit proposals for the award of the Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Prof. Audu has supervised well over 100 students both at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. He had served as external examiner in several Nigerian and foreign Universities. A Chartered Engineer since 1977, Prof. Audu became a fellow of Nigerian Institute of Chemical Engineers 1988 and honorary fellow of Nigerian Institute of Biomedical Engineering in 2000.

His current research activities centre around Process Analysis and Development which embraces Raw Materials for small scale industries, Recycling of Waste and Energy Studies.

SPECIALIZATIONS

• Heat Mars Transfer Operation & Renewable Energy