Prof. Steiner-Aseidu Receives AU Nkrumah Scientific Award

Prof. Matilda Steiner-Asiedu, Head of Department of the Nutrition and Food Science has been named the Western Region Laureate for Life and Earth Sciences Sector under the African Union Nkrumah Scientific Awards, Laureates for the Regional Awards 2012 Prof. Steiner-Asiedu earned her undergraduate degree in BSc Home Science, (Food and Nutrition Option) from the University of Ghana in 1982. She then undertook two years national service with the National Mobilization Unit as a youth coordinator. She was tasked to organize students and the youth to undertake various voluntary developmental projects between 1982 and 1984, a period of military revolution in Ghana. During the second year of the  service, she felt she needed to further her education in order to enable her work effectively in community outreach. In 1983 she applied and won an award to do a degree in BSc. Biology and Chemistry at the University of Bergen, Norway. On completion in 1987, she continued to do a graduate programme in Nutritional Biology at the same university. She was very hard working and did so well that upon completion of her Master of Philosophy in 1989 her supervisors found her a grant to do a PhD program in Nutrition. Once again she proved herself to be among the best and completed and successfully defended a dissertation titled "Evaluation of the Nutritive Value of Locally Processed Fish and Cereals from Africa. Special Emphasis on their Use in Weaning Food" in record time in 1994. She is the first black female to have obtained a PhD from the University of Bergen. Her experiences from her community work raised her awareness of many public health problems in the many communities. In 2002, she applied and she won an award from Brown University Institute of Community Health Promotion, to undertake a master's degree in public health. In May 2004 she was awarded a Master of Public Health degree. Her work in the communities is driven by her passion towards helping others to improve on their quality of live. She was appointed as lecturer in Nutrition at the University of Ghana in 1993. Since 1993, Matilda, has been teaching and supervising local and international students who are studying nutrition, food science, agriculture, medicine, dietetics and public health at both undergraduate and graduate levels at the university of Ghana. A number of the students whom she has tutored and mentored are occupying important positions across the Globe working in different organizations, for example, academia, businesses, governmental and non-governmental. She has also been giving public health nutrition talks and lectures to diverse groups of the general population and writes on health promotion issues in the local newspapers. As a team player, Matilda, collaborates with sister universities in research to improve nutrition and health especially among children and women since they are the most vulnerable in society. To this end she has continued to supervise international students who come to Ghana for research. She is able to bridge the gap between cultural barriers to ensure successful planning and implementation of the field activities in Ghana. She continues to work  collaboratively with Professors from other universities, examples,' University of Georgia, Brown University, and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill all in the United States of America. Currently, her major research interest area is obesity focusing on childhood obesity and the related risk factors associated with it. She also does research in the following areas: nutrition education, weight control, obesity and obesity advocacy, health promotion with high/low literate populations, infant and child nutrition (breast-feeding/weaning foods) dietary communication and change research, and effect of processing on nutrient composition of foods. She has written and published over 30 scientific papers in peer reviewed journals, co¬authored chapters in books and books.  Matilda is not limited to the classroom alone but also plays an active role in University Sports. It is not surprising that in 2009 when the University of Ghana Sports Directorate was undergoing reorganization, she was made the Deputy Director of Sports (first female in the position) which she performed efficiently in combination with her academic work till 2011. She has served and continues to serve on many university Committees and Boards as well as boards outside the University. She is a member of the Ghana Science Association and the President of the Ghana Nutrition Association.  Through innovation and hard work, she motivates herself and those around her to do their best. She is a creative teacher and excellent role model who is dedicated to her work. Matilda maintains high standards for herself as well as those she works with, always quietly providing the necessary support to help her peers and students succeed. She likes traveling, singing and dancing. Matilda believes all these achievements could not have been possible without the Hand of God Almighty. She owes it All to God. She worships with the Royal House Chapel International, Accra, Ghana. The African Union Commission launched on 9 September 2008, the prestigious African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards Programme. The objective of the programme is to give out scientific awards to top African scientists for their scientific achievements and valuable discoveries and findings. The programme is implemented at national level for young researchers, regional level for women scientists and continental level open to all scientists. The Continental level is the highest and level of the programme. Prizes are awarded to top African scientists in each of the following two sectors (a) Life and Earth Sciences; and (b) Basic Science, Technology and Innovation at the national, regional and continental levels. The African Union Kwame Nkrumah Scientific Awards Programme is implemented using the following rules of procedure.  This is one of the holistic and deliberate measures taken by the Commission to maintain science and technology on top of Africa's development, cooperation and political agenda. The Commission urges its Member States, Regional Economic Communities and other key stakeholders to popularize science among African citizens, empower them, celebrate their achievements and promote all efforts to transform scientific research into Africa's sustainable development. The Commission is implementing the regional component of the programme through the Regional Economic Communities which continue to serve as “fundamental pillars” for the execution of regional development. Each successful laureate walks away with a Cash Prize of USD20,000, a Medal and a Certificate.