Onyekachi Onuoha | Literature | Best Researcher Award

Mr. Onyekachi Onuoha | Literature | Best Researcher Award

University of Calabar| Nigeria

Mr. Onyekachi Onuoha is a prolific researcher, writer, and lecturer in the Department of English and Literary Studies at the University of Calabar, Nigeria, whose diverse contributions make him highly suitable for the Best Researcher Award. His research interests span African digital literature, ecocriticism, oral literature, creative writing and technology, trauma and memory studies, and gender studies, positioning him at the forefront of contemporary African literary scholarship. With a strong academic background, including a BA from the University of Calabar and an MA in English Literature from the University of Lagos, he has produced an impressive body of scholarly work encompassing numerous peer-reviewed papers, monographs, book chapters, textbooks, novels, poetry, and short stories. His recognition as a top ten finalist for the James Currey Prize for African Literature and recipient of the Volkswagen Foundation Scholarship on Digital Humanities further underscores his impact. Active in international conferences and professional societies, Mr. Onyekachi Onuoha demonstrates exceptional intellectual versatility, originality, and dedication to advancing African scholarship, making him a strong candidate for this prestigious award.

Profile: Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Onuoha, O. P. (2018). The interface between self, history and literature in Chris Anyokwu’s Naked Truth. Journal of Languages, Linguistics & Literary Studies (JOLLS), 5, 17–28.

Peter, O. O. (2019). Diaspora digital literature: Role reversal and the construction of self in selected Ikheloa’s autobiographies. International Journal of Pedagogy, Innovation and New Technologies, 33–42.

Onuoha, O. P. (2021). Masculinity, care & paternity in Shonibare’s The Secret Lives of Baba Segi’s Wives. Alkebulan: A Journal of West and East African Studies, 1(1), 69–77.

Onuoha, O. P. (2020). African digital prose. Ebony Books & Kreations.

Nathaniel, O. S., & Onuoha, O. P. (2017). Art beyond facial value: Of metaphorization and functionality of sexual scenes in selected Nigerian short stories in the cyberspace. Lwati: A Journal of Contemporary Research, 14(1), 80–103.

Onuoha, O. P. (2022). Defragmentation of memories of child abuse by Nigerian pastors. Alkebulan: A Journal of West and East African Studies, 2(1), 15–27.

Rosa Berbel | Literary Studies | Best Researcher Award

Mrs. Rosa Berbel | Literary Studies | Best Researcher Award

Mrs. Rosa Berbel, University of Granada, Spain

Rosa Berbel is a Spanish poet, literary scholar, and researcher pursuing a PhD in Lenguas, Textos y Contextos at the University of Granada 🎓. Her thesis explores ecopoetry in 21st-century Latin American literature 🌿. She teaches Hispano-American literature and literary analysis 📖, and actively contributes to research projects on ecofeminism, AI in literature, and Latin American poetics 🌍. Rosa has authored award-winning poetry collections like Las niñas siempre dicen la verdad and Los planetas fantasma 🏆. Her work is translated into several languages and adapted for film 🎬. She speaks Spanish, English, French, German, and Portuguese

Publication Profile

Google Scholar

🎓 Academic Background

Mrs. Rosa Berbel has pursued a distinguished academic path at the University of Granada. She is currently completing her PhD in Languages, Texts, and Contexts (2021–2025), with a dissertation titled “The Ecopoem and Its Forms: Cosmopolitical Figurations in 21st-Century Latin American Poetry,” supervised by Erika Martínez Cabrera 🌎📖. Previously, she earned a Master’s in Secondary Education (Language and Literature) in 2020–2021 📘, and a Master’s in Literary and Theatrical Studies (2019–2020) 🎭. Rosa began her academic journey with a Bachelor’s degree in Comparative Literatures (2015–2019), laying the foundation for her interdisciplinary literary career

👩‍🏫 Teaching Experience

Mrs. Rosa Berbel has developed extensive teaching experience under her predoctoral FPDI contract at the University of Granada (2022–2026). She has taught Spanish Literary Text Analysis (2022–2025), Latin American Literature from the colonial period to the present, and courses within Comparative Literatures and Hispanic Philology 📚. In addition, she has conducted numerous specialized workshops and seminars, such as Poetry in the New Normal, Ecopoetics and Ruins, and Poetry and Ecology 🌿. Her teaching extends internationally, including sessions at La Piscifactoría (Madrid) and the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität of Munich (Germany)

🔬 Research Experience

Mrs. Rosa Berbel has actively contributed to several research projects at the University of Granada, including Technologies of the Writer (2024–2027), Ecology and Ecofeminism in Colombian Literature (2024–2026), and LETRAL: Politics of the Common in 21st-Century Literatures (2019–2024) 📖. She also participated in the Postdramatic Temporalities project in 2023. She is a member of the “Hybris” research group on Latin American literature and the IBERLAB Scientific Excellence Unit 🌍. Since 2023, she has served as Editorial Secretary for the journal Letral, contributing to literary scholarship under the leadership of Ángel Esteban del Campo and Ana Gallego Cuiñas.

📚 Research Focus

Mrs. Rosa Berbel’s research primarily explores ecopoetics, eco-criticism, and feminist literary theory 🌍📖. Her scholarly focus lies in analyzing 21st-century Latin American and Spanish poetry through environmental, political, and gendered lenses. She investigates neorrural literature, multispecies alliances, and aesthetic responses to ecological crises ♻️🌱. Berbel also delves into intermediality, performative poetics, and geopoetics, highlighting how contemporary poetry engages with planetary concerns and posthuman futures 🌎✒️. Her research contributes to cultural studies, Latin American studies, and environmental humanities, bridging creative and critical discourse with a socio-political commitment to climate justice and literary innovation

Publication Top Notes

“Nuevas direcciones para la estética ecológica en la literatura española neorrural (2013-2020)” – 10 citations 📊 | Kamchatka | 📅 2022 
“Las niñas siempre dicen la verdad” – 7 citations 📊 | Ediciones Hiperión | 📅 2018 
“Los planetas fantasma” – 6 citations 📊 | Tusquets Editores | 📅 2022 
“Las fronteras del género: Intermedialidad y performatividad en la poesía de Lola Nieto” – 5 citations 📊 | Revista Sonda | 📅 2020 
“Hacia lo innombrable: mujeres de ojos rojos y arte feminista” – 4 citations 📊 | La tribu de Frida | 📅 2015 
“Cuerpo fantasmal, naturaleza herida: potencias utópicas en las Siluetas de Ana Mendieta” – 2 citations 📊 | Artnodes | 📅 2023 
“Materia vibrante: una ecología política de las cosas” – 1 citation 📊 | Theory Now | 📅 2023 
“Ecofeminismo y feminismo rural en ‘Tierra de mujeres’ de María Sánchez” – 1 citation 📊 | Revista Úrsula | 📅 2020 
“De/Sedimentation: The Geopoetics of José Watanabe and Soledad Fariña” – Bulletin of Latin American Research | 📅 2025 
“Geografía del miedo” (reseña) – Brumal | 📅 2023 
“Poesía joven en Granada” – Quimera | 📅 2023 
“Obra ressenyada: Geografía del miedo” (reseña) – 📅 2023 
“¿Qué hace la poesía ante la crisis ecológica?” – Congreso Humanidades Ecológicas | 📅 2023 
“Lenguajes artísticos para afrontar presentes complejos” –Congreso Humanidades Ecológicas | 📅 2023 
“Escrituras de la simbiosis: visiones ecopoéticas para el siglo XXI” – Formas del fin del mundo | 📅 2023 
“Pedro Lemebel: belleza indómita” – Revista Letral | 📅 2022 
“Escribir en Nueva York” (Prólogo) – Editorial Austral | 📅 2020

Ashenafi Adugna | Literature | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Ashenafi Adugna | Literature | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Ashenafi Adugna, Education, Ethiopia

Dr. Ashenafi Belay Adugna is an Associate Professor of Literature at Jimma University, Ethiopia. Specializing in African and Oromo literature, he is an expert in ecocritical analysis and comparative literary studies. Ashenafi holds a PhD in Literature from Addis Ababa University and has extensive experience in academic leadership, including roles as Senior Director of External Relations and Editor-in-Chief of Gadaa Journal. He has published extensively on topics ranging from environmental discourse to folklore. Recognized for his contributions to academic development and journal management, he is a member of the International Society for Development & Sustainability. 🌍📚✍️

 

Publication profile

Google Scholar

Education

Dr. Ashenafi Belay Adugna earned his PhD in Literature from Addis Ababa University in 2015, focusing on African Literature and the Environment. His MA in Literature, completed in 2009 at the same institution, concentrated on Oromo Literature and Social Change. Prior to this, he obtained a BED in English Language and Literature from Debub (Dilla) University in 2005, where he explored Fiction in Vernacular (Oromo) Literature. With these qualifications, Dr. Adugna has developed a robust expertise in African and Oromo literary studies. 🎓📖🌿

 

Professional Experience

Dr. Ashenafi Belay Adugna has a distinguished career at Jimma University. Since July 2022, he has served as Advisor to the Vice President for Research and Community Service, offering strategic guidance on research and community initiatives. Previously, he was the Senior Director of External Relations and Communication from February 2019 to December 2020, where he enhanced communication strategies and media relations. Before that, as Director of Public Relations and Communication (September 2017 – February 2019), he developed a communications strategy that boosted media coverage and managed university publications. 🌟📈🗞️

 

Honors and Awards

Dr. Ashenafi Belay Adugna has received several prestigious awards throughout his career. In 2020, he was selected for the International Visitors Leadership Program (IVLP) by the US Department of State, focusing on international programs in higher education. He was honored in 2021 for his outstanding contributions to Jimma University’s strategic planning. In 2018, he received the Online Journal Best Publishing Practices Award from African Journals Online and participated in workshops by the Academy of Science of South Africa and Ethiopian Academy of Sciences. Additionally, he was recognized for his role in integrated curriculum development by the Ministry of Education. 🏅📚🌍

 

Research Focus

Dr. Ashenafi Adugna is an Associate Professor specializing in African literature, environmental literature, and Oromo literature. His research in these areas is comprehensive, including a focus on ecocritical analysis and comparative literary studies. His recent publications cover topics like ecological discourses in Ethiopian literature and the impact of environmental themes in oral and written texts.

Publication Top Notes  

  • Risk perceptions and attitudinal responses to COVID-19 pandemic: an online survey in Ethiopia – 58 citations (2021) 🌍📉
  • Myths, beliefs, and perceptions about COVID-19 in Ethiopia: A need to address information gaps and enable combating efforts – 49 citations (2020) 🦠💬
  • Psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: an online cross-sectional study to identify the need for equal attention of intervention – 35 citations (2021) 😷🧠
  • Exploring Environmental Discourses in oral literature: Ecocritical analysis of Oromo proverbs – 22 citations (2014) 🌿📖
  • How Green are our Stories? Explorations of ecological subjectivities in Ethiopian children’s literature – 14 citations (2015) 📚🌱
  • A Move towards Choosing a Workable National Examination Management Approach for Ethiopia – 10 citations (2023) 🏫📊
  • Efficiency of drained selection environment for improving grain yield in faba bean under undrained target environments on Vertisol – 8 citations (2001) 🌾📈
  • Psychological distress during the COVID-19 pandemic in Ethiopia: the need for equal attention of intervention – 2 citations (2020) 😔🆘
  • The discourse of ecological proximity in The Famished Road and Wizard of the Crow: A postcolonial ecocritical analysis – 1 citation (2024) 📚🌍
  • Effectiveness, Efficiency and Feasibility of the First University-based Ethiopian Secondary School Leaving Certificate Examination (ESSLCE) – 1 citation (2023) 🎓📋

Conclusion

Dr. Ashenafi Belay Adugna’s extensive research, leadership roles, and significant contributions to literature and academia make him a suitable candidate for the Research for Best Researcher Award. His commitment to advancing knowledge in African and environmental literature, along with his impactful administrative and professional roles, highlights his suitability for this prestigious recognition.