Dr. Benedicta Yayra Fosu-Mensah promoted to Associate Professor

The Council of University of Ghana has approved the well-deserved promotion of Dr. Benedicta Yayra Fosu-Mensah to the prestigious rank of Associate Professor in Environmental Assessment. Notably, this promotion marks a significant milestone as Prof. Benedicta Yayra Fosu-Mensah is the first Research Fellow to ascend to the esteemed position of Associate Professor since the establishment of the Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies in 2010.

Hailing from Mafi Dokpo in the Central Tongu District of the Volta Region, Prof. Fosu-Mensah's elevation to the rank of Associate Professor serves as a resounding testament to her exceptional contributions in the field of Environmental Assessment, within the University and the international community. Her academic journey in the University commenced in 2012 when she joined Ghana's premier university as a Research Fellow, subsequently attaining the rank of Senior Research Fellow in 2017. During her illustrious decade-long career at the Institute, Prof. Fosu-Mensah has supervised over 35 MPhil and 25 PhD students, demonstrating her commitment to nurturing the next generation of scholars.

With an impressive portfolio that boasts of over 40 peer-reviewed journal publications, 4 book chapters and a distinguished book to her name, Prof. Fosu-Mensah has garnered over 1,670 citations, establishing her as a respected figure in the international community. Her influence extends beyond publication, as she also serves as an editor and reviewer for several esteemed journals. This promotion acknowledges the unwavering dedication and resilience that define her scholarly contributions. Her research interest is in climate change impact assessment and adaptation, environmental quality assessment (heavy metals and pesticides pollution), crop modeling and site-specific nutrient management.

Prof. Fosu-Mensah's standing as an academic luminary is underscored by her ranking in the Alper-Doger (AD) Scientific Index, where she ranks as the 75th most cited scientist at the University of Ghana and the 203rd most cited scientist in Ghana.

Educationally, Prof. Fosu-Mensah holds a PhD in Ecology and Natural Resources Management (Soil Science) from the University of Bonn, Germany and Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), a Master of Science (MSc) from University of Bonn, Germany. She obtained a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree from the University for Development Studies and Cert-A from Bagabaga Teacher Training College. Prof. Fosu-Mensah is an alumna of Tamale Secondary School (TAMASCO) and takes pride in her fluency in both Dagbani and Dagare languages.

Before joining the University of Ghana, Prof. Fosu-Mensah worked as a Research Scientist at Cocoa Research Institute of Ghana (CRIG) and as a visiting Scholar at the United Nations University - Institute for Natural Resources in Africa (UNU-INRA).

Prof. Fosu-Mensah is currently the Chair of Technical Committee of National Mirror on Circular Economy of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). Additionally, she serves on the Management Board of Institute for Environment and Sanitation Studies (IESS) and double as the Examination officer for the Master of Philosophy and PhD programmes at the Institute. She is a Tutor at Mensah Sarbah Hall and the immediate past member of UTAG-UG Executive Committee.

Previously, Prof. Fosu-Mensah served as a member of the University’s Academic Board and the University’s Security Committee. She also served as a Seminar Coordinator for IESS, a Council member of Mensah Sarbah Hall, Chairperson of the security committee of the Hall among others.

Throughout her distinguished career, Prof. Fosu-Mensah has spearheaded numerous Community-Based and Regional Research Projects in collaboration with local and international institutions. Further highlighting her unwavering commitment to advancing knowledge in her field, she has won several proposal and financial resource grants, which include:

2022-2025 Transforming Institutions to Advance women leaders in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (SISTARS); Lessons from Ghana and Kenya Funded by IDRC with an amount of 1.25 million Canadian Dollars.

2022-2025 Microplastics and plastic-derived chemical contaminants in Africa: Implication on human health and the loss of aquatic biodiversity, funded by Jennifer Ward Oppenheimer (JWO) foundation with an amount of US $6,931.19.
2021-2026 Capacity Building in Aquatic and Environmental Health in West Africa. Funded by NORAD with an amount of 20 million NOK (US $2.4 million).

2020-2025 Coastal Community Resilience to Climate and Diarrhea (C2R-CD). DANIDA funded project $1.8 million.

2019-2022 Baden-Wuttemberg Stiftung GmbH (BWS) plus collaborative project, German funded project.

2014 - 2017 Utilization of organic waste to improve agricultural productivity in the Ga West Municipality, Greater Accra, Ghana. Food and Business Applied Research Fund with an amount of € 296,309.10.
2014- 2015 Crude Oil Drilling: Onshore Environmental Assessment of the Jubilee oil Field in the Western Region of Ghana- ORID grant - GHC 85,797.17.
2014-2019 Adaptation at Scale in Semi-Arid Regions (ASSAR)/Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA) and International Development Center (IDRC) - US$ 13,000,000.

2013-2015 Early warning system for climate change (CLIM-WARN); Partnership between UNDP and University of Ghana, implemented by IESS and Funded by the German Government.

Prof. Benedicta Yayra Fosu-Mensah's promotion to Associate Professor stands as a remarkable recognition of her outstanding contributions to environmental assessment, her dedication to academic excellence, and her influential presence within the University of Ghana and the international scientific community.