About the Founder and pRESIDENT
Education
Chief, Sir Professor Alexander Dozie Wozuzu Acholonu was born at Awaka in Owerri North Local Government Area (LGA), Imo Sate, Nigeria, on November 30, 1932. He was the second son of Court Clerk and Counselor Wilfred Wozuzu Acholou and Mrs. Esther Rose Acholonu, both late, but now the oldest of the living children. He got his Standard (elementary) six certificate in 1947 at Our Lady’s School, Emekuku, Owerri, Imo State and his Cambridge School Certificate at Christ the King College, Onitsha, Anambra, in 1952. He got his B. S degree at Howard University in Washington D.C. in 1958, M.S. at Prairie View A& M University, Texas , 1961, Ph. D. at Colorado State University, Colorado in 1964 and Continuing Education Certificate in Public Health and Tropical Medicine, at Tulane University, Louisiana in 1994.
Professional Accomplishments and Recognitions
He is a seasoned and renowned educator and a scholar who has published one book, two booklets, four book chapters and over 80 scientific articles, and presented numerous papers to various scientific organizations(over 40). He has excelled in his field of expertise and has won many national and international recognitions and accolades. He is cited in the American Men of Science, Men of Achievement, International Who’s Who of Intellectuals, Who’s Who in America, and Who’s Who in Nigeria . In 2002, he was cited as one of 2000 Outstanding Intellectuals of the 21st Century, and as one of the Great Minds of the 21st Century by the International Biographical Center, Cambridge, England. In the same year, he received a Universal Award of Accomplishments in Microbiology and Parasitology from the American Biographical Institute, International Educator of the Year 2003, One of the Top 100 Educators of the year 2005 and Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers, 2005, America’s Registry of Outstanding Professionals, 2006-2007, listed in the Global Directory of Who’s Who, 2007, Vicksburg’s Prominent 400, Mississippi 2006. He is a recipient of the Nigerian National Honors award of Officer of the order of the Niger (OON), 2003, a Life Achievement Award in Microbiology and Parasitology, 2004 by the Nigerian Academy of Science. He is a Fellow of the Nigerian Society for Parasitology (FNSP) and a Fellow of the Nigerian Academy of Science (FAS), the highest honor given to a scientist in Nigeria . He was the Editor of the Nigerian Journal of Microbiology, 1982-90, and President of the Nigerian Society for Parasitology, 1980-81. He was an Executive Board Member of the World Federation of Parasitologists 1998-2002; and re-elected in 2006, and a member of Council from 1998- present. He was the Chairman of the Division of Zoology and Entomology of the Mississippi Academy of Sciences, 2002-2004, Vice Chairman and a Board Member, 1998-2002, and Vice Chairman, 2006-present. He served as President of the Faculty Senate of Alcorn State University in Mississippi from 1999 – 2004.
He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of Advances in Science and Technology, an international journal (2007 to present).
Prof. Acholonu is an intellectual giant whose research and quest for knowledge have taken him to many parts of the U.S. and the world. He was one of those selected to participate in the 2005 Academic Scholars Program in China as a visiting Scholar to teach at Huaiyin Teachers University from May 20 to June 5, 2005. He has supervised the research of many under-graduate and graduate students (B.S, M.S, and Ph. D.). He has been doing good things on both sides of the Atlantic and getting recognitions. In 2002, he was appointed a Member of the Food Advisory Committee (FAC) of the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to serve in this capacity from 2002 to 2005, because of his expertise in Microbiology and Parasitology--a rare and prestigious appointment, and received a Distinguished Service Award in 2005 from FDA. One of his most outstanding research accomplishments is his discovery, naming and description of 14 new species of parasites.
Service to Nigeria
Prof. Acholonu has rendered service to Nigeria in many ways. He was a member of the National Expert Committee for the Control of Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), 1990-92(He was in charge of the eastern region of Nigeria); Member of the Committee for the Control of Malaria, 1982-86; and Member of the Governing Board of Nigerian Institute for Trypanosomiasis Research, Kaduna and Chairman of the Research Program Committee, 1981-1983. He established a prize for the best Medical student in Parasitology at the College of Medicine , University of Lagos , a prize at the Federal Polytechnic Nekede, Imo State for the best student in Architecture and a prize at Imo State University for the best student in the Biological Sciences. He donated five hundred thousand Naira (=N=500,000) for annual lectureship in honor of his late father at Imo State University in 1999; delivered four (4) shipments of books to Imo State University worth ten million Naira (=N=10,000,000), one shipment of books and educational materials to the Federal University of Technology worth ten million Naira (=N=10,000,000) and one shipment of books and educational materials to Federal polytechnic, Imo State, Nekede and Christ the King College, Onitsha, Anambra worth 55 million Naira. He made a donation of ten thousand naira (=N=10,000) to the Red Cross Motherless Babies Home in Owerri, Imo State in January, 2002, twenty thousand naira (=N= 20,000) in January 2007 and twenty five thousand naira (=N=25,000) in January 2008 and a big sack of used and new baby clothes. He awarded scholarship to a young man to study Engineering at FUTO through the Willy-Esther Foundation of which he is the Founder/President and CEO. In 2004, he made a donation of =N=726,000.00 (seven hundred and twenty-six thousand naira) to his alma mater, Christ the King College, Onitsha for the rehabilitation of the Physics Laboratory. He sank a borehole for the Awaka community to provide them with much needed potable water and donated =N=50,000 naira to the Awaka Club 1 in 2003 and another one of =N=350,000 (three hundred and fifty thousand naira) in 2004 for the construction of a civic center that will serve, among other functions, as a center for HIV/AIDS education and support services. He has been instrumental in the education of many Nigerians both his relations and others-sponsoring and helping them to go to America to acquire knowledge for the betterment of his community, local government, state and Nigeria at large. Because of his national and international accomplishments and services to his community and Nigeria, Prof. Acholonu was in 1992, conferred a chieftaincy title with the name: Ogbuhoro Uzo 1 of Awaka and Amaigbo (that is, the one who opened the gateway to America for his people). On the 24th of December, 2002, , a traditional ruler, His Royal Highness, Eze Godwin Nwankwere of Ihetta Ogada, Imo State, now late, conferred on him another chieftaincy title as a further recognition of his accomplishments and good deeds and gave him the title of Ekwueme 1 of Ihitta Ogada and Awaka.
Very much interested in continuing to help his people, his Local Government Area, his State, and Nigeria at large, Prof. Acholonu recently returned from a trip to Nigerian (March, 2008, Easter period) where he not only caused a medical mission to be conducted in his home town, Awaka, and Emii but also participated in it and screened people for HIV and AIDS. It was a very successful medical mission and was very much appreciated by the people and the Government of Imo State which showed support for the mission.
Social Organizations
He belongs to several religious and social organizations. He is a Knight (Knight of Columbus), which gave him the title of “Sir” which he uses. He is a member of the Uratta Council of Chiefs and of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, World Owerri Peoples Congress in the U. S. of which he is the Patron, and which gave him a Distinguished Service Award in 2005, Christ the King College, Onitsha, Alumni Association in America (CKC-AAA), a group that gave him Exceptional Service Award in 2006, Center Point, Awaka Club one, etc.
Acholonu Family
Today, the Acholonus in America number up to 180 and he is directly and indirectly responsible for their living in the United States and flourishing. Their professions practically cover all walks of life. There are medical doctors, attorneys (lawyers), pharmacists, engineers, scientists (Biochemists, Microbiologists, etc), computer scientists, clinical laboratory scientists, accountants/CPA, Book keeping and finance experts, Public Health experts, Nurses, etc. Many are in universities that include the Ivy League schools like Harvard and Stanford.
Prof. Acholonu is a hard-working indefatigable man. He said that his motto is: “Take time to work. It is the price of success. ”He further said that the road to success is always under construction. At age 86, he looks unbelievably strong and professionally agile.
Professor Acholonu has seven children-two boys and five girls and sixteen grand children. He is married to Lolo Mrs. Mary Ekeoma Acholonu, (nee Atukpawu of Umuawaka, Emii) a former Vice –Principal at Herbert Macholy Grammar School in Lagos, Nigeria and a former High School teacher in the U.S. with M.S degree in Education Administration.
Professor Acholonu has other national and international accomplishments too many to mention here. He is a man who has made monumental contributions in education, research, and in service to his community, his state, Nigeria and America alike.
He is a man of many parts, a benevolent man, and a well known philanthropist hence, the title bestowed on him on March 31, 2007 as Omereoha (meaning one who does or helps people in general) by His Royal Highness, Eze Emmanuel Sonde Okoro, Omenyi II of Emii, who in his infinite wisdom decided to give him a further recognition for his achievements and contributions “to the development of humanity and communities” by conferring on him a third Chieftaincy title.
Chief, Sir, Professor Alex Dozie Wozuzu Acholonu deserves the honors bestowed on him.