July 26, 2015
Ashesi is happy to welcome Dr. Fred McBagonluri, renowned Ghanaian engineer, to our team as head of our new Engineering department. Ashesi’s engineering programme, which starts in September 2015, will have majors in Computer, Mechanical, and Electrical and Electronic Engineering. In his new role, Fred will lead the implementation of the new engineering curriculum, and will help shape the training of future engineering students.
“I returned to Ghana to help foster and refocus the next stages of economic development on an innovation footpath,” says Fred. “The ecosystem at Ashesi – its highest ethical disposition, deliberate and revolutionary curricula – made it an easy choice. Engineering at Ashesi will be the paradigm shift in our collective thinking about what the role of education is in national development and in global competitiveness. With a strong focus on engineering fundamentals, streamlined core and electives, strong liberal arts components, leadership, and practical hands-on experience, Ashesi’s engineering program will create innovative African leaders ready to create, to innovate, to lead and to effectively compete.”
Prior to joining Ashesi, Fred lived and worked in the U.S, and was Vice President of New Product Development at Joerns Healthcare in Arlington, Texas. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing Engineering from Central State University, a Master of Science in Engineering Science and Mechanics from Virginia Tech and a Doctorate in Materials Engineering from the University of Dayton. He also holds a Masters of Business Administration Degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
He has held various roles in Engineering, Strategy, Marketing and Research, and has worked with several institutions in the U.S, including Princeton University, Siemens Healthcare and Becton Dickinson and Co. In 2008, Fred was awarded the Black Engineer of the Year’s Most Promising Scientist, and has over forty patents and patent applications in his name. He has also authored eight books, including three novels, and developed a passion for writing whilst a student at Nandom Secondary School, in the Upper West Region of Ghana.
He is a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Society of Manufacturing Engineers, an MIT Alfred P. Sloan Fellow, and was awarded the State of New Jersey NJBiz Healthcare Innovator Hero Award in 2008.