By Amaechi Agbo

The past two years in the Department of Industrial Physics, ESUT, under the headship of Dr Chima Iheanyichukwu, were transformational.

Serving as the Head of the Department of Industrial Physics at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) from 2024 to 2026 has been both an absolute privilege and a deeply rewarding experience.

His stewardship follows a long foundation of service; between 2010 and 2024, he was privileged to work closely under three distinguished predecessors: Professor Ugwoke (2010–2015), Professor Onyia (2016–2020), and Professor Nnabuchi (2020–2024). The invaluable institutional insights gained from serving the academic leaders contributed immensely to the successes recorded during his two-year tenure.

Over the past two years, the Department underwent a massive transformation in its student demographics and physical infrastructure to support a rapidly expanding academic community.

Through deliberate repositioning, the undergraduate student population skyrocketed from fewer than 50 students in 2024 to over 200. Similarly, postgraduate enrollment witnessed a significant surge, growing from just 10 students to more than 50. To accommodate the burgeoning student population and fix urgent structural needs, the administration executed several infrastructure interventions;

Reconstructed over 80 classroom seats to support the growing student populace, made possible through the swift backing of the Faculty Dean.

Under Dr Chima, the department successfully reroofed a major section of the Postgraduate (PG) classroom following severe storm damage in April 2025. He aslo attracted a key sponsorship from distinguished alumnus Dr. Patrick Otiji to fully furnish the PG classroom, which was officially commissioned by the Vice-Chancellor on April 15, 2025.

He further attracted an alumni grant to completely rewire the Department and procure a brand-new Fireman Eco 4990ES generator, ensuring a reliable power supply for departmental activities.

Bridging the gap between rigorous classroom theory and industrial application was a central pillar of Chima’s 2024–2026 agenda. Through external funding, academic publishing, and landmark institutional partnerships, the Department’s visibility expanded exponentially. During the Year One student orientation on November 18, 2025, the Department secured a ₦1,000,000 donation from Dr. Patrick Otiji. The generous fund allocated ₦500,000 to cover the operational costs of hosting the programme, while the remaining ₦500,000 was distributed directly as welfare grants to the first 100 freshmen in attendance.

He facilitated and signed a historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the National Space Research and Development Agency (NASRDA), Abuja, and ESUT on November 13, 2025. The MoU gave birth to  building of a multi-billion naira project to ESUT—the establishment of the Advanced High Energy Cosmic Ray Laboratory by NASRDA in November 2025.

For the first time in the history of the department and in the South East region of the country, Dr Chima through hosted the 15th Annual Conference of the Astronomical Society of Nigeria (ASN) from November 11–15, 2025. This historic event made ESUT the first university in the entire Southeast region to host the conference.

This mileage was swiftly followed by securing funding to sponsor selected undergraduate and postgraduate students to attend the Nigerian Institute of Physics conference at Rivers State University (May 12–15, 2025), fully covering their transit, feeding, registration, and four nights of hotel accommodations.

Furthermore, the past twenty-four months witnessed three separate industrial excursions to give students practical workplace exposure. Additionally, under the new Core Curriculum and Minimum Academic Standards (CCMAS) guidelines, the Department authored two new textbooks and successfully reviewed four existing titles.

On September 1 2026, `Dr Chima handed over to his predecessor with renewed commitment to support his administration at all times and expressed gratitude to the university management, staff and student of the department for their support during his tenure.

“This successful journey would not have been possible without collective effort. I extend my profound gratitude to our visionary Vice-Chancellor for the privilege to serve under his watch. My deepest thanks also go to the Dean of the Faculty, Professor Gabriel Ugwu, and to my esteemed departmental colleagues—most notably the senior Professors who, despite differences in age brackets, extended immense patience, commitment, and wisdom to my administration. My dedication to this institution remains unchanged. I stand fully ready to assist the new leadership in any capacity required.

“It is my distinct honor to formally hand over the leadership of the Department of Industrial Physics to my successor, Dr. Nwobodo Anthonia. I wish her a remarkably successful, peaceful, and productive tenure as she takes the Department to even greater heights.”

DuriDr Chima’s stewardship as Department of Industrial Physics in summary:

1. Increased the total number of undergraduate students from less than 50 in 2024 to over 200 students and number of postgraduate students also increase from 10 to over 50.
2. Reconstruction of over 80 seats for student use due to increase in students’ populations with the support of the Dean.
3. Attracted a grant of five hundred thousand  naira only(500,000) during the orientation of year one students which was given to first 100 student that attended the orientation program on 18^th November 2025 and another 500,000 for hosting of the programe all donated by Dr Patrick Otiji whose is an alumnus of the Department.
4. Reroofed a section of Postgraduate (PG) class destroyed by rains in April 2025
5. Attracted the furnishing of PG class by an Alumnus of the Department (Dr Patrick Otiji) which was commission by Vice chancellor on 15^th April 2025.
6. Rewired the Department and bought a brand-new Fireman Eco 4990ES generator to power the Department with a grant attracted by another alumnus of the Department.
7. Attracted funds and sponsored some selected undergraduate and postgraduate student to attend Nigerian Institute of  Physics conference in River State University from 12^th to 15^th of May 2025 (this covers transportation, hotel accommodation for four nights, feeding and registration).
8. Attracted the signing of MOU between Nigerian Space Research Development Agency Abuja and ESUT on 13^th November,2025.
9. Hosted 15^th Annual Conference of Astronomical Society of Nigerian from 11^th to 15^th of November 2025.ESUT became the first university to host this conference in Southeast.
10. Attracted a multibillion project to ESUT which is the establishment of the Advanced High Energy Cosmic Ray Lab by Nigerian Space Research and Development Agency Abuja in November 2025.
11. Embarked on three different excursions to close the gap between classroom learning with the industry experience.
12. Under my watch two new books were written by the Department and four books reviewed according to CCMAS.
13. Facilitated partnerships with industry stakeholders, enhancing students’ practical exposure and employability.

These efforts have collectively contributed to the growth and visibility of the Department of Industrial Physics within and beyond the institution.

The post From Classroom to Cosmos: Dr. Chima’s 24-month Transformation of Industrial Physics at ESUT appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

New Leadership and Big Dreams

The Department of Industrial Chemistry at Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) has welcomed Dr. Okechukwu Nsude as its new Head of Department. Dr. Nsude, who recently replaced Dr. Ozoemena Ike, has promised to reposition the department and enhance collaboration with its alumni network.

Speaking with the ESUT Monitor in his office, Dr. Nsude shared that his deep-rooted passion for the department stems from being an alumnus himself. “When I was appointed as the Acting Head, I had many dreams. With God’s guidance, I will ensure these dreams become reality moving forward,” he stated.

Immediate Administrative and Infrastructure Reforms
Reflecting on his first few weeks in office, the new HOD highlighted several visible changes aimed at creating a professional environment. The HOD office has been completely repainted, and old curtains have been upgraded to premium window blinds.

Beyond aesthetics, Dr. Nsude has launched a major administrative overhaul to manage student data more efficiently. “This is a major servicing department that handles chemistry courses for all first-year science, engineering, agriculture, and environmental science students—spanning over 40 departments,” Dr. Nsude explained. To fix the previous system where all results were piled together, the department is constructing a centralized records shelf with nearly 50 dedicated slots. This setup will allow staff to locate specific departmental results instantly.

Technological Innovation and Legacy Projects
Dr. Nsude wants his tenure to be defined by modernization and industrial relevance. A key part of his vision is equipping the laboratories with advanced, automated machinery. Specifically, he aims to acquire a Fourier-Transform Infrared Spectrometer (FTIR)—a vital piece of analytical hardware the department currently lacks.

“Right now, we have to send our samples outside the university to be tested and determined,” Dr. Nsude noted. “Leaving a legacy where the department owns its own automated testing machines would make me incredibly fulfilled.”

Addressing Student Retention and Medical Redeployment Challenges
A major hurdle facing the department is a high student attrition rate during the transition from first to second year. While 170 students were admitted into Industrial Chemistry last year, only 110 remained by their second year.

According to Dr. Nsude, roughly 40 to 60 students regularly exit the program to redeploy into newly expanded medical disciplines. With nine different medical fields now available at the university—including Nursing, Physiotherapy, Optometry, Radiography, and Medical Laboratory Science—many students treat Industrial Chemistry as a temporary stepping stone while waiting for medical openings.

Leveraging Alumni Collaboration for Facility Upgrades
To solve power and facility issues, the HOD revealed plans to install solar panel systems. This green energy alternative will ensure that students and staff have uninterrupted power to print documents and run basic operations.

However, deeper infrastructure issues persist. The laboratory roofing is deteriorated, causing water leaks during rainstorms, and much of the existing laboratory equipment has become obsolete. Recognizing that relying solely on university funding or government budgets might take too long, Dr. Nsude is aggressively reaching out to the department’s alumni network to crowdfund and fix these urgent structural issues.

Expanding Career Horizons: Upcoming Student Orientation
To combat the student flight to medical courses, the department is organizing a comprehensive student orientation workshop. The initiative aims to correct the misconception that chemistry graduates are limited to secondary school teaching roles.

Dr. Nsude emphasized that Industrial Chemistry is a highly lucrative, engineering-adjacent field. Graduates are fully equipped to work in high-paying sectors like oil and gas with giants like Shell and Mobil. They are also vital to the plastics, textiles, paint, and consumer goods industries.

“Students need to realize they can become successful entrepreneurs straight out of graduation,” Dr. Nsude concluded, pointing to successful alumni running local businesses. “I have friends owning foam production firms at 9th Mile, tissue production factories in Emene, and paint production plants in Udi. Our graduates have the exact technical knowledge needed to launch and own these types of manufacturing firms.”

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Nigeria’s premier state university, the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) will host the 15^th Annual National Conference and General Meeting of the Astronomical Society of Nigeria, ASN.

As an affiliate branch, the Industrial Physics Department, ESUT, will be welcoming hundreds of the astronomers from across universities, research and other tertiary institutions in the country who will be attending the congress.

The ASN Annual National Congress/General Meeting which is anchored on the theme: “Astronomy and Space Science for National Development: The Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI)” will hold from Tuesday, 11^th to Friday, 14^th November, 2025.

ESUT Monitor reports that this is the first time ESUT is hosting this prestigious body as it aligns with its mandate on research and technological advancement to enhance the society.

Former Director-General of Director General of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), Dr. Anthony Anuforom will deliver the Kenote Address while the Director of the Centre for Space Research (CSR) at North-West University (NWU), South Africa, Professor Amare Abebe Gidelew will be the Guest Lecturer.

The Astronomical Society of Nigeria (ASN) was established in 1966 as an umbrella body of professional Nigerians who are actively involved in teaching and research in astronomy, space science and other related disciplines in universities, other tertiary institutions and research centres in Nigeria.

A key objective of ASN is to encourage and promote effective astronomy and space science education and research in Nigeria through public mobilization and enlightenment. The society also seeks to explore possible collaborations with governmental, inter-governmental and non-governmental agencies aimed at providing world-class research and education facilities in Nigeria.

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No fewer than 13 students of the Department of Industrial Physics from ESUT recently attended the Annual Conference of the Nigeria Institute of Physics (NIP) in Rivers State.

The 46th Annual Conference was held at the Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt in May.

The 13 students which comprised 6 Postgraduate and 7 undergraduate students were sponsored by the departe for the two-day conference.

The Head of the Department, Dr Chima Iheanyichukwu said the department decided to sponsor the students to the conference in order to give them exposure as well as connect them to the players in Physics industry.

He noted that the NIP which is the umbrella body of Physicists in the country offers students and members the opportunity to interact, share ideas and network.

“The department decided to sponsor the students to the conference so that they can get exposure and also connect with members from other universities. The Conference brings both Professors, researchers and students together for cross-fertilization of ideas on how to make the Physics profession better and improve our society

“It offered the students apple opportunity to meet with the key players in the sector and also helped them to get connected so that as they grow in the sector, they will have people to interact, collaborate and partner with in their careers,” he said.

The Nigerian Institute of Physics held its 46th Annual Conference at the Rivers State University (RSU), Port Harcourt, with a strong call for deeper investment in physics education and research to drive Nigeria’s innovation and economic transformation.

Themed “Physics in the Quadruple Helix Model for Innovative Research and Economic Development,” the conference brought together leading academics, industry experts, policymakers, and civil society actors to explore the critical role of physics in national development.

Speaking at the opening ceremony held on Tuesday, May 13, 2025, at the Faculty of Communication and Media Studies Auditorium, the Vice Chancellor of Rivers State University, Professor Isaac Zeb-Obipi, welcomed delegates and expressed gratitude to the Institute for choosing RSU as the host.

He reiterated the importance of physics as a cornerstone for national development and expressed hope that the outcomes of the conference would yield actionable insights.

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