Who We Are

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. 

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. 

Stephanie Adama is currently a post-baccalaureate research assistant at the West African Center for Cell Biology of Infectious Pathogens. She is researching the association between HIV and HPV and how that influences cervical cancer progression. She is passionate about cancer research and developing novel therapies to improve patient outcomes in the near future. Stephanie graduated from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology with a Bachelors in Biochemistry. She believes mentorship is crucial to the success of every student’s journey and is excited to contribute to helping underrepresented students through Stem for Development (SFD). Outside of academia, she enjoys watching biographical documentaries, spending time with her family and two dogs.

  Mayowa Jason Abiodun leads STEM for Development Extramural Education programs. He is an enthusiastic Cell Biologist and Geneticist passionate about molecular biology. He has spent the last two years working as a molecular scientist, gaining valuable expertise in the field and volunteering as a research scientist, where he contributes his skills and knowledge to the scientific community. Mayowa is an enthusiastic young scientist striving to expand his knowledge and expertise in molecular biology. His primary research interests are cancer genomics, which he pursues in his graduate studies. With a resolution to contribute to the development of new cancer therapies and treatments, Mayowa looks to contribute to the study of cancer and its genetic basis. 

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.