Who We Are

Dr. Daniel Schwab is the Founder and President of STEM for Development (SFD), providing strategic direction and oversight for all educational programs and regional partnerships. In addition to his role with SFD, Dr. Schwab serves as a Science & Technology Policy Advisor in the Office of Science, Office of International Activities, Research Security, and Interagency Coordination (IRIC) at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), where he supports science policy and programs related to international affairs. Prior to his current work, Dr. Schwab held fellowship positions at the U.S. Department of Defense Basic Research Office and the U.S. Embassy in Tokyo, and served as the Chair of the Education Committee at Afrisnet: Africa STEM Network. He holds a PhD in Evolution, Ecology, and Behavior from Indiana University, Bloomington, and is passionate about science diplomacy and supporting STEM talent across the world. He seeks to ensure that all students have equal opportunity to obtain advanced STEM education and achieve their dreams.

Nicholas Offei graduated from the University of Ghana in 2021 with a BSc in Biochemistry, Cell, and Molecular Biology. After graduation, he spent a year as a Research Assistant at the West African Centre for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens (WACCBIP), where he explored the anticancer effects of natural products on cancer metastasis. He will be starting a PhD position in the Cellular and Molecular Pharmacology Program at Rutgers University in Fall 2023. He hopes to hone his skills in translational cancer research and contribute to the scientific community. Outside of work and school, he likes choral singing and teaching children. He is excited about mentoring early career STEM researchers, and is eager to assist them with their graduate school application process. 

Naomi Ducat is a business development proposal writer within the Chief Growth Office at Booz Allen Hamilton, where she writes proposal content on behalf of company executives pursuing billion-dollar federal contracts. She obtained this role after holding consulting positions for the U.S. Department of Defense, where she developed communications and business processes to drive operational efficiencies, enabling government leaders to foster international relationships, understand policies, identify and mitigate risks, plan for crises, and make strategic operational decisions. Naomi is PMP certified and has a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Oxford. 

Oluwadamilola Salau is a PhD Student in Geography and a University Fellow at the Ohio State University (OSU). She is a hydro-climatologist interested in modeling the impact of extreme weather events on vulnerable populations and infrastructure. She holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Geography and Planning from the University of Lagos, Nigeria. Oluwadamilola advocates for the inclusion of vulnerable communities in urban planning geared towards mitigating climate-related disasters. 

Moses Kabuu is a Biologist from Kenya. He pursued a B.Sc. in Microbiology at Moi University Kenya and is currently undertaking an M.Sc. in Microbiology at Friedrich Schiller University Jena in Germany. His research interest is in Antibiotic resistance and drug discovery. He is particularly focused on the discovery of novel bioactive molecules as well as novel drug targets in pathogens. Moses has received various recognitions, including the DAAD Leadership for Africa (LFA) Scholarship (2021), and the World Literacy Foundation Ambassador (2020). He is a graduate of the LEAD Program at the University of Cologne in Germany (2023) where he trained on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), leadership, and governance. 

Alongside his career as a biologist, he is passionate about leadership and STEM outreach both in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). He is a co-founder and Head of African Affairs of STEM for Development (SFD). In his role at SFD, he hopes to expand the number of STEM students from Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) to access graduate programs in world-class institutions, as well as collaborate with institutions from Sub-Saharan Africa for the mutual growth and sustainability of SFD.  He also volunteers with the African STEM Network (Afrisnet), and Research Awake Africa Initiative (RAAI), non-profits that champion the professional development of talented students and researchers from Africa.