Who We Are

 Ankita completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in India. Currently, she is pursuing her PhD in Bioinformatics and Oncology at Semmelweis University in Budapest, Hungary. Her research is focused on advancing personalized medicine for cancer patients with an emphasis on therapeutic strategies and early prognosis. Ankita is passionate about diversity and inclusion advocacy in STEM. Through her involvement with SFD, she looks forward to elevating the STEM talent pool from the underrepresented countries on their educational journey. 

Dr. Xolelwa Zulu-Magwenyane holds a PhD in Chemistry from the University of KwaZulu-Natal and a Master of Science in Technology and Innovation Management from the University of Pretoria. Dr. Zulu-Magwenyane is currently working as a Manager for Strategic Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). Her responsibilities include overseeing and supporting the development and implementation of the CSIR RDI Strategy. She leads and guides investment funding, designs and develops programmes, and efficiently aligns resources to the strategy. She was previously appointed as the Deputy Chair of the Locally Engaged Staff Association at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office of the British Government while working as a Science and Innovation Attache. She is currently serving as an Independent Director at CenGen (Pty) Ltd. She was a Black Women in Science (BWIS-SA) Fellow for 2019/2020, and an Executive Committee member of BWIS-SA is and an alumnus of the South African Brightest Young Minds Initiative. She is a member of the Institute of Directors South Africa (IoDSA), Southern Africa Research and Innovation Management Association(SARIMA) and Organisation for Women in Science in the Developing World (OWSD).

Christabel Arthur is a Ph.D. student in the Integrative Neuroscience Graduate Program at the University of Nevada, Reno. Her research is focused on using Adaptive Optics Scanning Laser Ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO) to answer questions on color vision function. As a co-lead of the mentorship program, she hopes to bring students all over the world closer to attaining their dreams of seeking higher education.

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.