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Esther Ngumbi

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Esther Ngumbi
Ngumbi in 2015
Born
Kenya
Alma materKenyatta University
Auburn University
Scientific career
InstitutionsUniversity of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign
Auburn University

Esther Ndumi Ngumbi is a Kenyan entomologist and academic who is currently Assistant Professor of Entomology and African-American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She was awarded the 2018 Society for Experimental Biology Presidential Award.

Early life and education

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Esther Ngumbi grew up in Kwale County, a rural farming community in Kenya.[1][2] She was introduced to farming at the age of seven, when her parents gave her a strip of land to cultivate cabbages.[3] As a child she became aware of the challenges that farmers faced, including drought and bad soils.[3] The first time she left her village was to attend Kenyatta University, where she earned her Bachelor's and Master's degrees.[4][5] In 2007 she was awarded an American Association of University Women (AAUW) International Fellowship that allowed her to complete a doctoral degree in entomology at Auburn University.[1][6][7] In 2011 she became one of the first people from her community to achieve a doctorate.[1][8] After earning her PhD she remained at Auburn University as a postdoctoral scholar.[3]

Research and career

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Ngumbi was appointed Assistant Professor of Entomology and African-American studies and the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in 2018.[9] She also teaches science communication.[10] She studies the way that herbivores, plants, micro-organisms and insects make use of volatile and non-volatile chemical signals.[9] These include volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that mediate conversations between plants, herbivores and microbes.[9] Ngumbi believes that better urban agriculture can help to combat unhealthy eating.[11] In 2019 Ngumbi delivered the plenary lecture at the British Ecological Society annual meeting.[12]

Academic service and recognition

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Ngumbi at right discussing food security at Spotlight Health Aspen Ideas Festival in 2015

She was awarded the 2017 Emerging Sustainability Leader Award and Women of Colour Award.[13][14] In 2018 Ngumbi was awarded the Society for Experimental Biology's President's Medal.[15]

Ngumbi is an active science communicator and has contributed to Mail & Guardian, The Moth, Scientific American and the World Economic Forum.[16][17][18][19] She has appeared on Wisconsin Public Radio.[20] Ngumbi was selected by Barack Obama to be part of the Young African Leadership Initiative.[12] She mentors young researchers through the Clinton Foundation. She has campaigned for girls from rural communities to have better access to education, particularly in science and technology.[4] Working with her family, Ngumbi helped to establish Dr Ndumi Faulu Academy, a school in her hometown that serves over 100 middle school students.[1][21][22] in 2021 Ngumbi was awarded the Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science by the American Association for the Advancement of Science.[10]

Selected publications

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Her publications include:

  • Ngumbi, Esther (2016). "Bacterial-mediated drought tolerance: current and future prospects". Applied Soil Ecology. 105: 109–125. Bibcode:2016AppSE.105..109N. doi:10.1016/j.apsoil.2016.04.009.
  • Ngumbi, Esther (2009). "Comparative GC-EAD Responses of A Specialist (Microplitis croceipes) and A Generalist (Cotesia marginiventris) Parasitoid to Cotton Volatiles Induced by Two Caterpillar Species". Journal of Chemical Ecology. 35 (9): 1009–1020. Bibcode:2009JCEco..35.1009N. doi:10.1007/s10886-009-9700-y. PMID 19802643. S2CID 5921837.
  • Ngumbi, Esther (2012-12-01). "Comparison of associative learning of host-related plant volatiles in two parasitoids with different degrees of host specificity, Cotesia marginiventris and Microplitis croceipes". Chemoecology. 22 (4): 207–215. Bibcode:2012Checo..22..207N. doi:10.1007/s00049-012-0106-x. S2CID 14865498.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "4 Questions for Esther Ngumbi: Entomologist Extraordinaire". AAUW: Empowering Women Since 1881. Archived from the original on 2019-12-22. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  2. ^ "Founders". Spring Break Kenya. Archived from the original on 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  3. ^ a b c "Esther Ngumbi". CropLife International. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  4. ^ a b "Girls Leading: From Rural Economies to Global Solutions". digital.thechicagocouncil.org. Archived from the original on 2019-08-12. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  5. ^ "Three Black Scholars Honored With Prestigious Awards". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. 2018-04-27. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  6. ^ iamglamscientist (2017-03-27). "Meet this young Kenyan scientist whose pioneering research led to the issuance of two US patents". Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  7. ^ "Beyond Auburn Fall '11". Issuu. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  8. ^ "International Women's Day Celebrates Esther Ngumbi – Global Tiger Tales". Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  9. ^ a b c "Esther Ngumbi | School of Integrative Biology | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign". sib.illinois.edu. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  10. ^ a b Cohen, Adam D. "Entomologist Esther Ngumbi Receives 2021 AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science". American Association for the Advancement of Science. Retrieved 10 February 2021.
  11. ^ "How good urban farming can combat bad eating". African Arguments. 2019-03-13. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  12. ^ a b "Plenary Lectures". British Ecological Society. Archived from the original on 2019-12-22. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  13. ^ "Insects". www.mdpi.com. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  14. ^ "New Voices Fellowship". newvoicesfellows.aspeninstitute.org. Archived from the original on 2019-12-22. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  15. ^ "President's Medal". www.sebiology.org. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  16. ^ The Moth Presents: Esther Ngumbi, 29 March 2018, retrieved 2019-12-22
  17. ^ "Authors". World Economic Forum. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  18. ^ "Esther Ngumbi - Mail & Guardian". mg.co.za. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  19. ^ Ngumbi, Esther. "How to Become a Scientist Communicator". Scientific American Blog Network. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  20. ^ Brown, Gretchen (2018-03-05). "Science Should Be Accessible, Scientist Says". Wisconsin Public Radio. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  21. ^ "College to dedicate Center for Civic and Social Change". www.monmouthcollege.edu. Archived from the original on 2020-01-16. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
  22. ^ "Dr. Esther Ngumbi | Powerful Women Magazine". 23 August 2016. Archived from the original on 2019-12-22. Retrieved 2019-12-22.
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