Dr Chinedu Christian Odoemelam, is the Dean of Student Affairs (Ag.). Appointed on June 10, 2023. He is an Associate Professor of Communication who interrogates Health, Counterterrorism, Climate Change and Branding, from a critical communication perspective. He holds a tenured position at the department of Mass Communication, Igbinedion University, Okada, Edo State, Nigeria, where he combines qualitative and quantitative methods in his research approaches to provide normative recommendations that can inform better policy, mass media practice and decisions.

Education and Career

Dr. Odoemelam holds a Bachelor’s degree, Masters and Ph.D in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria Nsukka, and was the honorary recipient of the Babalola Jose’s award for the best graduating student in Reporting in the 2006/2007 academic session. He also received the University of Nigeria, Nsukka Vice Chancellor’s Faculty Prize for his Ph.D Thesis. Odoemelam is a member of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) and an Associate member of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and teaches courses such as, Health Communication, Advertising, Broadcasting, Public Relations, and Political Communication. He is an associste faculty member at the Buratai Center for Contemporary Security Affairs, Igbinedion University, where his research focuses on Counterterrorism Communication. He is a member of the International Communication Association (ICA) Washington, USA.

Administrative Responsibilities

He has held various administrative positions in the Nigerian university system. They include Dean of Students Affairs (currently); Head, Campus radio (90.5 FM); Chairman, University Press Committee; Chairman, University Newsletter Committee, University Compere. Other responsibilities he has held include, College Sub-dean, Head of Department of Mass Communication, and Hostel Warden. He is a member of several committees in the University, including sports and disciplinary. He has received several commendation letters from the University Management for his commitment to duty.

Publications

Dr. Odoemelam has over 50 conference presentations and over 70 published research papers in reputable international and local journals. His authored books include Obstetric fistula and communication interventions in Nigeria: Targeting men’s knowledge on prevention and treatment (published in 2017); Health Communication: Theories, Principles and Practice (published in 2020);, Advertising and Brand Communication: Techniques, Principles and Practice (published in 2021); and Theory and Practice of Public Relations (Published in 2024).

Through his, Knowledge Sharing and Preservation Initiative (KSPI), Dr. Odoemelam, has donated some of his writings and published books to notable institutions across the world. They include Aga Khan University, Nairobi, Kenya (2019), Igbinedion University, Okada, Nigeria (2020 & 2021), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (2021), University of Toronto, Canada (2023), City of Toronto Public Library, Canada (2023), and University of Benin, Nigeria (2024).