RJHS 11(2).cdr FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK EDITORIAL FELICITATION ON APPOINTMENT AS VICE-CHANCELLOR PROFESSOR OMOLOLA O. IRINOYE, PhD. chievers University appointed one of the Editorial Board members of the Research A Journal of Health Sciences as its first female Vice Chancellor, Prof. Omolola Irinoye. Professor Irinoye's emergence came following the demise of Prof. Samuel Aje, who passed on in December after assuming duty as the head of the institution in June 2020. The Ondo State-based private university ratified the appointment of Irinoye at a special council meeting of the institution. In her acceptance speech, Professor Irinoye promised to contribute her quota to the growth of the 15-year- old institution. “This is God's business and assignment, and I look forward to a good working relationship with the council, senate, management, all frontline officers, and indeed, all staff and students to fulfill God's purpose for each and everyone, as well as the purpose of establishment of the institution.” Profile of Professor Omolola. O. Irinoye, PhD, RN, RM, RPHN Omolola was born 66 years ago by Mr Samuel Bolarinde Oni and Mrs Elizabeth Aina Oni from Imesi-Ile, Osun State. She had her primary education from Methodist Primary School, Oyo, (1969), her secondary education from Imesi-Ile High School, Imesi-Ile (1975). She started her nursing education from the School of Nursing, University College Hospital Ibadan (1980) and proceeded to the University of Ibadan where she had her Bachelor of Science in Nursing Degree (1984). She had her Masters Degree in Nursing from the Obafemi Awolowo University (1991) and another Masters degree in Women, Development and Administration from University of York, York, United Kingdom as a Chevening Scholar (1998). She had her PhD in Nursing from the University of Kwazulu-Natal, Durban South Africa (2005). She also had the International Visiting Scholar's Program Certificate from the University of Maryland School of Nursing, Office of Global health, University of Maryland, USA (2013). She practiced as a staff nurse at the University College Hospital, (UCH) briefly before her University education and worked in private practice for some years after her NYSC before advancing her education. She joined the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife as Lecturer II and rose through the ranks to become a Professor of Community-Public Health Nursing in 2013. She is Registered Nurse-Midwife-Public Health Nurse. She had many distinctions, fellowships and other awards at all levels of her education from the School of Nursing, through her University education and thereafter. These include the Abbot Laboratory Award in Nutrition, School of Nursing, UCH, Ibadan, (1980); the Bronze Academic Editor’s Desk Research Journal of Health Sciences Res. J. Health Sci. Vol 11(2), June 2023 180 Research Journal of Health Sciences subscribed to terms and conditions of Open Access publication. Articles are distributed under the terms of Creative Commons Licence (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0). (http://creativecommons.org/licences/by-nc-nd/4.0). http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/rejhs.v11i2.11 Medal of the School of Nursing, UCH, Ibadan (1980); the Departmental Award, Department of Nursing, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, (1984); Award for an outstanding piece of Master's work given by the Centre for Women's Studies, University of York, York, U.K. (1999); Federal Government Scholarship Award (1989/90); the British Chevening Scholarship Award (1997/98); The Carnegie Fellowship Award for Female Academic Staff of the Centre for Gender and Social Policy Studies, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife (2004). She was also among the few National Trainers in Distance Learning from an award by the British Council in conjunction with the National Universities Commission in 2011. At the national level, she had the Nigerian Healthcare Excellence Award - Nursing and Midwifery Excellence Award of the Year in 2018. She has won some research grants over the years. Some of these include the Visiting Researcher's Grant of the Medical Research Council of South Africa (2002); Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) Small Grant for Thesis Writing (2004); The HIV Research Trust Grant, U.K. (2004). She also recently got the French Embassy “Research in Health, Innovation, Information and Artificial Intelligence” FSPI (RS3I) Project Grant for OAU to work on E-Health Systems for Strengthening Health Literacy, Promotion, Screening and Health Care Access for Population Groups (2022). Her specialty of practice and interest is public/community health nursing though she teaches, conducts research, mentors and supports service delivery across all specialties in nursing. As a resource, she has contributed to the establishment, upgrade and implementation of nursing programmes at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels nationally and regionally. She has provided leadership as the head of her department in the past and has supported the establishment of new departments of nursing and upgrading of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in nursing in many universities in Nigeria. As a certified Trainer for Distance Learning Education by the National Universities Commission and has facilitated several trainings for capacity building for the deployment of e-Learning in Open and Distance learning for the Centre for Distance Learning, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and for further development of the nursing programme of the National Open University of Nigeria. She is collaborating with institutions, organizations, agencies and communities to drive improved and quality access to nursing education and health care services adopting the blended learning approach and technology moderated health care delivery approach. She is actively collaborating with others in developing software to enhance health promotion and access to health care for vulnerable populations while promoting research and capacity building for the utilization of such at the community level. She has served as consultant to many international, national, and local organizations on projects, programmes and service conception, development and evaluation for many years in the areas of sexual & reproductive health, especially during the early stage of emergence of HIV and AIDS in Nigeria. Nationally, she contributed to the development of the National Plan of Action for care and support for Orphans and Vulnerable Children in Nigeria and has worked with core organizations that mobilized for care and support to reduce the burden of HIV and AIDS in the country for many years. She is currently working as the lead consultant to the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs to conduct a national survey on the status of vulnerable children in Nigeria. She is a gender and human right activist and continues to participate in advocacy and capacity building interventions in all these areas especially as such contribute to health and health care access. As a scholar, she co-authored a book on leadership roles of female students in Nigerian tertiary institutions and contributed to a book on responses and coping strategies to the HIV/AIDS Epidemic in Africa. She has over 80 publications in reputable national and international journals and eight (8) technical reports. She has participated in several national and international Res. J. Health Sci. Vol 11(2), June 2023 181 Felicitation with Prof Omolola O.Irinoye on appointment as Vice Chancellor conferences, workshops and seminars. She has conducted several workshops building capacities for research, curriculum enhancement, education/training, programme development and service delivery for health and social services. She served as a Training Specialist with the New York University Rory Meyers College of Nursing in the Human Resource for Health Project at the School of Nursing and Midwifery of the College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda for 2 years. She has supervised 23 Masters Students and five PhD students in Nursing and co-supervised some others in social science programmes. She has served as the Head of Department of Nursing Science, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile- Ife on three occasions for periods spanning between one and four sessions. She has also served in many committees at the Faculty, College and University levels. She was principally responsible for the establishment of the Department of Nursing in the College of Health Sciences, Osun State University. She spent her Sabbatical leave and accumulated leave with us in other to achieve this and also to get the programme accredited by both the National Universities Commission and the Nursing and Midwifery council of Nigeria. She diverted all her energy, experience and academic connections into performing this great feat within the shortest possible time. She helped the University to recruit her qualified students and mentees with the requisite qualifications to ensure adequate staffing of the Department for teaching and accreditations. In the process of doing this personal money and resources were expended and we could decipher that she derives joy from rendering such selfless services. She worked round the clock with her mentees and the College staff to the extent that she was nicknamed “One woman riot squad” Our B.NSc Programme has blossomed so much that our Nursing graduates are well sought after and the programme is one of the most highly subscribed programmes in the University. She is a foundation member of the editorial board of the official Journal of Uniosun College of Health Sciences, the Research Journal of Health Sciences which she has continued to promote beyond the shores of Nigeria. Even now that she is a Vice Chancellor she still responds promptly to all editorial board assignments. We appreciate her, for her diligence, resourcefulness, resilience and for being a goal getter. She believes very much that with God all things are possible and would say work hard, play your own role very well and never give up. We felicitate with her on her recent appointment as the Vice Chancellor of Achievers University. She is an achiever herself and has gone to head that University with the spirit of an achiever so we pray that God will crown all her efforts with resounding success and that University will grow in leaps and bounds in Jesus name. Amen. On behalf of the Editorial Board of the Research Journal of Health Sciences, all the staff and students of the College of Health Sciences, Osun State University; we say, Congratulations to our indefatigable board member, friend, mentor, selfless Nurse Educator, achiever, team player, a stabilizer of the health team and a goal-getter who is very proud of her profession. Professor Akinwusi P.O. Editor, Research Journal of Health Sciences, College of Health Sciences, Osun State University, Osogbo, Nigeria Res. J. Health Sci. Vol 11(2), June 2023 182 Felicitation with Prof Omolola O.Irinoye on appointment as Vice Chancellor