Welcome aboard: Ekele Ikpegbu

Dr. Ekele Ikpegbu (he/him), a native of Nigeria, was appointed in July as an assistant teaching professor in the Department of Comparative Pathobiology.

Attracted to Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine by its robust history and scientific output, Ikpegbu is interested in the animal model grants in life sciences that Cummings School routinely secures. 

In Nigeria we would like to get involved in studies on a specific animal model, but we don’t have the resources to access high-tech equipment and inputs, he explains, hoping that once he gets established at Cummings School, he may be able to address a disease such as African swine fever, which wipes out flocks of pigs in Nigeria.

Ikpegbu was also impressed by Cummings School’s consistently outstanding performance on the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination, which 99.6 percent of students have passed over the past six years. “It’s amazing,” he beams. “I will need to learn how that level of accomplishment is maintained and become a part of that story.”

Inspired by a professor who had a gift to educate others and simplify complex topics, Ikpegbu looks forward to working closely with students through the basic anatomy course and to help them the same way that he was supported. “I want them to see the material as not just something they have to know to pass the course, but as something they can apply every day.”

A member of the Good Samaritan organization, Ikpegbu is eager to become an active member of the community, which has been highly supportive since his arrival. “I just can’t explain it,” he shares. “They cultivate a loving and positive environment, and constantly ask what else they can do to support me. I’m going to keep enjoying my time here and hope to give back and serve this community.”