The honorary degree recipients at Dartmouth’s June 9 Commencement will be, clockwise from top left: Roger Federer, the Commencement speaker; Mira Murati, Thayer ’12; Paul Nakasone; Richard Ranger ’74; Roy Vagelos; Mung Chiang; Joy Buolamwini; Liz Cheney; and, center, John Urschel.

Dartmouth College, of Hanover, New Hampshire, USA, has announced that it will award Richard Ranger, missionary lecturer in Business and Law at Uganda Christian University (UCU), an honorary Doctorate in Humane Letters at the College’s 253rd Commencement on June 9.

Each year, a member of the Dartmouth 50th reunion class is chosen to receive this award in recognition of service to the Dartmouth community and the broader world. Richard, a member of Dartmouth’s Class of 1974 that will celebrate its 50th Reunion in June, has been selected for this year’s honor.

Each year prospective honorary degree recipients—scholars, artists, innovators, public servants, philanthropists, and others who have made extraordinary contributions to their respective fields and society at large—are nominated by members of the Dartmouth community. The confidential nominations are reviewed by the Council on Honorary Degrees, which selects the honorands in consultation with the president and the Board of Trustees.

In addition to Richard Ranger, this year’s recipients are: 

• Joy Buolamwini, a computer scientist, artist, and founder of the Algorithmic Justice League;
• Liz Cheney, former U.S. representative from Wyoming and vice chair of the House Jan. 6 committee;
• Mung Chiang, president of Purdue University;
• Commencement speaker Roger Federer, philanthropist and former tennis champion;
• Mira Murati, Thayer ’12, chief technology officer of OpenAI;
• Paul Nakasone, retired director of the National Security Agency and commander, U.S. Cyber Command;
• John Urschel, a mathematician and former Baltimore Ravens guard; and 
• Roy Vagelos, philanthropist and retired chairman and CEO of Merck & Co. and retired chairman of Regeneron

At UCU along with his wife, Catherine, Richard serves as a missionary with the Society of Anglican Missionaries and Senders (SAMS), based in Ambridge, Pennsylvania, USA. Prior to coming to UCU in 2020, Richard spent 43 years as a negotiator, environmental compliance manager, and community and government relations specialist in the oil and gas industry in the western United States, Alaska, and Washington, D.C. From that background, he now lectures in business and law at UCU. Dartmouth’s announcement describes this second career as reflecting “his lifelong commitment to service, his faith, and his sense of adventure.”

“I am humbled beyond belief at this award,” Richard says. “As many who know me know, I am deeply loyal to Dartmouth and to the education that I was blessed with there, and the gift of so many friendships from the Dartmouth community. As someone who has served my class as its Newsletter Editor for some 40 years, I know the many stories of achievement, character, and conscience that distinguish our class. Such a recognition could easily have gone to any of a number of my classmates and have been richly deserved. That it is coming to me is a gift beyond measure.”

Richard adds: “As a missionary, I’m also very conscious of the fact that it’s a rare missionary who is awarded an honorary degree. The four years we have spent in the company of people serving in mission and serving the needs of a broken world in so many ways have introduced us not just to colleagues, but to true heroes. I’m reminded of this every day here at UCU, which was initially founded by a missionary minister as a seminary, who got here to Uganda by walking from the Indian Ocean coast.”

At UCU, alongside UCU colleagues, Richard has taught Corporate Governance and Business Ethics in the School of Business, and Oil and Gas Law in the Faculty of Law. 

Along with Catherine, Richard has served as a mentor for individual students. Together they host a weekly cell fellowship from the patio of their campus Tech Park apartment. And for the past two years, Richard has served as site coordinator for installation of a solar thermal water heating system for the campus dining hall – a joint effort by engineering students from Dartmouth and from UCU. 

 “To have seen students from the two universities work together and build together across frontiers of distance and culture is simply the most rewarding job I have ever had,” Richard said. 

As a person of faith, he gives any glory for the Dartmouth award to God,  adding appreciation for the opportunity to serve at UCU. 

“Not everyone is in such a position,” he said.  “Our hope is that the highlighting of our story through the award Dartmouth is giving me will lead others to ask whether and how they might serve. Because it’s possible – and because in a broken world our hearts, hands, and talents are needed.”

Richard said he is “blessed to be able to do this work in a place that I love, in the company of the woman I love, among Ugandan friends”  in a place that “challenges us to learn every day.”

“To have an honorary degree from my alma mater on top of all of that is an incredible blessing,” he said. 

Uganda Christian University (UCU) Honors College recently collaborated with Usanii Village-Africa, a non-governmental organization, the UCU Directorate of Student Affairs, and the university’s 26th Guild Government to conduct a career exhibition. Themed “Navigating Horizons; a Journey Through Diverse Careers,” the exhibition, held at the UCU main campus in Mukono, was intended to showcase ideas from different faculties and schools, in addition to linking the students to industry players. The Faculty of Engineering, Design, and Technology was recognized as the top exhibitor, with the School of Business and the School of Law following in that order. Partners Intern Kefa Senoga talked to some exhibitors.

I use the proceeds from the sale of the art pieces to support myself at school. The cost of the art pieces ranges from sh10,000 (about $2.6) to as high as sh2.5million (about $644). The business of selling art is not one where someone can depend solely since the money does not come in every day.

Art can also be a service. For example, it would be a better option to hire an artist to perform the work of interior design, rather than one without any knowledge of art. I have also started private classes for children, so I can teach them the subject of art outside the classroom setting.

The technologies we’re exhibiting represent clean cooking solutions. Among the technologies is a stove that utilizes bi-ethanol, derived from fermented starch-producing foods like sugarcane waste, maize and sorghum. It’s considered a sustainable clean-cooking method because we get the bi-ethanol without burning charcoal or cutting down trees.

When bi-ethanol is poured into this stove, it produces a blue or luminous smokeless flame, which is ideal for cooking. By using this stove, we not only decrease reliance on burning fuels, but also mitigate gas emissions, contributing to a cleaner environment.

We are also exhibiting a gasifier, another cooking technology, where you can put in your biomass, for example charcoal, wood or briquettes. This technology produces some soot or smoke, but it is thin. When this smoke goes out, it mixes with the clean air, but the effect is less because it’s thin, with fewer particles or pollutants.

We have fruits in our stall because we can’t talk about fitness without talking about nutrition. Fruits are an essential component in ensuring a healthy and fit body. In our community, many eateries do not include fruits on their menu. We, however, prioritize the inclusion of fruits as we preach the gospel of fitness

As the UCU Fitness Club, we support our members to access their essential fruits. We support students on different fitness endeavors – some people come to us with a request to reduce their weight, while others just want to keep fit.

Our club works with different organizations to foster holistic health like mental, physical and spiritual, among their employees. Currently, our activities are primarily conducted at the main campus, but we intend to expand our presence to other university campuses in the near future.

I am showcasing an innovation of a podcast, which is best explained as an audio storytelling platform, for issues to do with mental health.

Last year, when the New Vision newspaper published an article stating that 14 million Ugandans were affected by mental health issues, they did not delve deeper into the specific impact of that on the youth. In the Ainomugisha Podcast, there’s an episode titled “Life Experiences,” where youth openly share how they overcome mental health challenges.

I once interviewed a woman who shared her journey of using alcohol as a coping mechanism to forget the challenges she was facing at the time. She also explained to us how she managed to stop taking alcohol. Subsequently, she started a sobriety platform. Our podcast aims to share such experience to inspire others who could be facing similar challenges.

As the School of Law, we created a user-friendly “UCU Law” app to help both legal professionals and the laypeople. The app is intended to make it easier to draft tenancy agreements and to access legal documents in text and audio format, including statutes, acts, laws and cases.

We chose tenancy agreements because it affects a majority of Ugandans who are either owners of property or tenants in the properties they occupy. Processing a tenancy agreement on the app only requires entering the necessary information requested on the portal, such as name, address, and contact details, among others.

The developers created the app with students in mind, since many of them seek accommodation in hostels outside the university. The other advantage that can be accrued from using the app is access to a statute board that allows students to easily access the statutes through the platform. 

The app, which is available for free access through the UCU International Humanitarian Law blog, also provides audio cases, which law students can take advantage in their course. 

Dickson Tumuramye, head of the Honors College at UCU

According to Tumuramye, they organized the exhibition to provide a platform for students with different innovations.

“Since we are in an era of innovations and employment, this was an opportunity for the students to showcase their work to potential employers who could either hire them or offer them placements for internship opportunities,” Tumuramye says.

He added that the organizers wanted to showcase what UCU students can do. 

By Irene Best Nyapendi
For the sixth year in a row, Uganda Christian University (UCU) has emerged as the overall “Best Exhibitor” among both public and private universities in Uganda. This year’s fair, which is the first to be held outside Kampala, attracted more than 100 exhibitors. The exhibition, in its 14th year, took place from March 21-23 at the UCU Mbale University College.  

The first runner-up was the University of Kisubi, followed by Mountains of the Moon University.

Held under the theme “Fostering Graduate Employability and Innovations,” the exhibition was organized by the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE), the body mandated to regulate and guide the establishment and management of higher education institutions as well as regulating the quality of higher education, equating qualifications and advising government on higher education matters. 

Among the innovations at the UCU stall was the print version of the Ebenezer, an annual publication of stories for and about UCU. Last year’s Ebenezer was produced as a partnership between the UCU Public Relations office and the Uganda Partners, an NGO based in the USA.

Denis Omvia, the chief judge at the exhibition, outlined the criteria for selecting winners, emphasizing alignment of stalls with the exhibition’s theme, level of innovation, participation, knowledge, articulation, number of stalls and stall presentation.

Prof. Eli Katunguka Rwakishaya, the Chairperson of NCHE, commended UCU for its impeccable facilities and the support the university offered in hosting the exhibition. 

“I thank UCU for the investment you put in to ensure that this event is successful and for hosting us in these fantastic gardens of yours,” Katunguka, also the Vice Chancellor of Kyambogo University in Uganda, said. “This is the first time I come to UCU and I’m impressed.” 

He emphasized that NCHE’s current challenge is how to turn student innovations into viable enterprises, stressing the need for national mechanisms to support innovation.

“Our challenge is helping students scale their innovations into small and medium enterprises, enabling them to profit from their ideas and contribute to national development,” he said.

The Guest of Honor, Rebecca Alitwala Kadaga, the First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of East Africa Community Affairs in Uganda’s Cabinet, lauded the decision to host the exhibition outside Kampala. She emphasized the need for financial support for research and innovation, acknowledging the role of government funding in fostering development.

“Having gone through the stalls, I have seen a lot of innovation but they need money to research and help them improve their products and protect their innovations,” Kadaga said. 

Assoc. Prof. Aaron Mushengyezi, the Vice Chancellor of UCU, expressed pleasure at the opportunity to host the exhibition in Mbale.

“It is a joy for us to be able to host NCHE on our grounds,” Mushengyezi said. “I thank NCHE for giving us the honor to be the hosts of the first regional exhibition.” 

Mushengyezi seized the opportunity to urge the government to extend research grants to private universities. He highlighted the need for equitable opportunities in research funding, regardless of institutional status. Currently, in Uganda, only public universities are considered for government research grants.

“We request the government to include private universities in the competition for research grants,” Mushengyezi said. “Because we have much to contribute to the country’s development.”

David Mugawe, the UCU Deputy Vice Chancellor for Finance and Administration, urged participants to ensure that the exhibition’s outcomes translate into tangible actions.

“We thank you NCHE for trusting us and we are glad that you are pleased with what we have been able to do,” Mugawe said. 

The Executive Director of NCHE, Prof. Mary Okwakol, elaborated on the process and the rationale behind selecting UCU as the host venue.

“We sent out a team to different sites in the eastern part of the country, particularly in Mbale, and it happened that UCU was the best site chosen,” Okwakol said.

In line with Prof. Mushengyezi’s earlier appeal, Prof. Okwakol recommended that the government considers establishing a national research and innovation fund that is accessible to all — both public and privately-owned institutions — echoing the need for equitable access to resources.

According to Uganda National Institute of Public Health, Uganda is a yellow fever-endemic country with a high risk of transmission.

However, despite the introduction of the yellow fever vaccine in the routine immunization schedule in October 2022, the national coverage has remained low at 29%. This poses a high risk of yellow fever outbreak in Uganda

To further contribute to the efforts towards curbing spread of the yellow fever virus, Uganda Christian University (UCU) in collaboration with Uganda’s Ministry of Education and Sports and Mukono District Health Office, has organized a free yellow fever mass vaccination campaign.

The vaccination campaign that started today, Tuesday, April 2^nd is expected to run until Monday, April 8^th, 2024. The primary objective is to vaccinate at least 95% of the eligible population aged 1-60 years against yellow fever.

Both UCU and the neighboring communities are receiving the vaccines at the university clinic, Allan Galpin Health Center.

Kakooza Abdul Wahabu, Nursing Officer at UCU’s Allan Galpin Health Centre and in charge of the vaccinations, urges all eligible members of the community to embrace this vital vaccination campaign. “Community members should not miss the yellow fever vaccination. This is because clinicians often mistake yellow fever symptoms for those of malaria, leading to undiagnosed cases” Kakooza said. 

It is essential for individuals seeking vaccination to carry and present either a school ID or a national ID.

For more information and the vaccination schedule, individuals can visit the UCU Allan Galpin Health Centre. Let us join hands in combating yellow fever and ensuring a healthier future for everyone.

Compiled by Irene Best Nyapendi and Jimmy Siyasa

Edited By: Harriet Adong, Consultant at UCU’s Communication and Public Relations Department

On Saturday, March 16, Uganda Christian University (UCU) hosted an engaging and educative Career Exhibition Day aimed at providing a platform for students, faculty, and university staff to showcase their multidisciplinary research and innovation projects. The event also served as an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to demonstrate their achievements and network with industry professionals.

Hon. Francis Katabazi Katongole, Member of Parliament for Kalungu East Constituency, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honor, highlighting the significance of such initiatives in nurturing students and fostering innovation to feed into Uganda’s development efforts.

Hon. Katabazi in his remarks, encouraged students to see beyond the anticipated salaries for true wealth. He highlighted the importance of identifying societal problems as business opportunities and encouraged starting small with innovative solutions. “Come up with an idea from the problems around you. Start it small, grow it and learn from your mistakes or failures,” Katabazi said. He also emphasized the need for proper adequate self-packaging, product packaging and the significance of having and sharing business cards for effective marketing.

The Head of UCU Honors College, Mr. Dickson Tumuramye, shared that this is an opportunity for students to showcase their innovations, which often go unnoticed within their respective faculties and schools. Mr. Tumuramye noted that the exhibition aimed at showcasing the uniqueness, creativity, and innovativeness of UCU students in the current competitive world.

One of the highlights of the exhibition was the diverse range of projects showcased by students from various faculties.

The UCU Law students presented an app revolutionizing document drafting. What once took lawyers days to create, such as tenancy agreements, can now be accomplished in under a minute using this cutting-edge technology. This breakthrough application not only saves time but also enhances efficiency in legal practice.

Richard Mutebi, a third-year Bachelor of Science in Finance and Accounts student, who spearheads “Ink Pad Solutions,” a student-led initiative showcased their products such as student and staff planner notebooks. Recognizing time management and productivity issues among peers, the group developed a student planner to alleviate coursework deadline pressure and enhance productivity. The planner includes schedules, activity time allocations, focus targets, and reflective tasks. “With positive feedback from fellow students, we are looking forward to further iteration of our solution to incorporate and or take care of this feedback. Thereafter, we envision inclusion of this solution into the university’s admission package,” Mutebi said.

The Faculty of Agricultural Sciences presented an innovative solution to food waste by utilizing it as cricket feeds and having crickets as a sustainable protein source. They also showcased various initiatives from promoting the cultivation of Nakati (a local consumable vegetable in Uganda) to showcasing innovative urban gardening techniques, to maximize crop yields in limited spaces. Additionally, alternative protein sources like crickets were exhibited, alongside sustainable farming methods such as hydroponics and solar drying technologies.

Winnie Namutosi, an assistant lecturer at the faculty of Agricultural Sciences explained that using hydroponics refers to growing crops without necessarily using soil. “We offer hydroponic nutrients available not only today but also on regular occasions at our faculty. This caters for individuals interested in planting methods that do not require them to touch the soil,” Namutosi said.

Students from Faculty of Engineering and Design showcased innovative renewable energy and material solutions. Bak Kau Nak, a third-year student from the Faculty of Engineering presented concrete bricks made from recycled paper waste, with superior strength and affordability compared to traditional concrete blocks. By repurposing discarded materials, he offers a practical solution to waste management while advancing eco-friendly construction practices.

“Our paper waste concrete blocks are cheaper and stronger,” Nak said. “We use what we do not want any more like paper waste to make the concrete blocks.”

The team from the Faculty of Industrial and Fine Art, exhibited a wide array of artworks, ranging from computer graphics like e-art (drawing using a tab and different programs on a computer) and physical art. They also exhibited sculptures, woodwork, paintings, semantics, art works for interior, animations 2D, graphics 3D, and cartoons. fashion pieces showcasing from the drafting stage to the final cloth.

Reagan Okello a finalist pursuing a Bachelor of Industrial and Fine Art exhibited soft and hard drinks glasses made from dumped bottles ready for use.

Students from the School of Journalism, Media, and Communication showcased their multimedia projects, including films, short informative videos and podcasts covering sports and lifestyle.

They also presented insights into film production techniques, camera usage, and workflow. Nathaniel Simbilyabo a final-year student pursuing a bachelor of arts in Journalism and Communication showcased his photography portfolio, demonstrating the school’s commitment to nurturing versatile media professionals.

Other schools also exhibited, such as the School of Education, Social Sciences, Divinity and Theology, and the Faculty of Public Health Nursing and Midwifery.

In recognition of their outstanding work and showcase, the UCU Faculty of Engineering, Design, and Technology was recognized as the best exhibitor. All the other exhibitors were acknowledged and appreciated.

Compiled by: Irene Best Nyapendi

Edited By: Harriet Adong, Consultant at UCU’s Communication and Public Relations Department

On March 13^th through 14^th, 2024, Uganda Christian University (UCU) hosted a team from St. Paul’s University (SPU), Kenya, led by Rev. Prof. James Kombo, the Vice-Chancellor. The visit was marked by warmth and excitement as both institutions shared experiences and further explored potential collaborations.

While at UCU, the visitors had an opportunity to tour UCU premises including the School of Medicine, School of Dentistry, the Archbishop’s Palace at Namirembe Hill, UCU Kampala Campus, and UCU main campus in Mukono (a few minutes away drive from Kampala – Uganda’s Capital City and central business center). It was a chance for them to learn more about UCU’s history, culture and operations.

Associate Professor Aaron Mushengyezi, UCU’s Vice Chancellor, expressed happiness at hosting the Kenyan counterparts, highlighting the similarities between the two universities. Assoc. Prof. Mushengyezi while addressing the team from SPU said “You are all warmly welcome to Uganda – the Pearl of Africa and specifically to Uganda Christian University. It is fulfilling that both UCU and SPU share similar values, teaching approaches in addition to being Christian founded and run institutions”.

“We are privileged to host you. When we share about our institutions, what we do, how we do it including the teaching approached and what we believe in all presents the institutions more like twins” Assoc. Prof. Mushengyezi added.

Rev. Prof. James Kombo, SPU’s Vice Chancellor thanked the UCU team for the warm welcome. “This was a planned trip, we were all eagerly looking forward to it. We thank God that two days ago we arrived safely in Uganda and you have all accorded us a high level warm welcome” Prof. Kombo said. He also extended and invitation to the UCU team to visit their university in Nairobi soon.

Michael Mungai, Head of Corporate Affairs at SPU, also expressed gratitude for the hospitality shown by the UCU team. He reechoed the longstanding partnership between the two universities and thanked UCU for their fellowship. “I am greatly honored to be at UCU. I feel at home and I thank God that you (UCU) are standing on the faith of Jesus Christ.”

This visit and engagement are not only geared towards strengthening the bond between UCU and SPU but also provided opportunity for potentially transformative future collaborations between the institutions while also engaging institutional partners. Both institutions look forward to working together for the betterment of service delivery and receipt in the education sector especially as we continue to contribute to community development.

Some of the focus areas for both universities

The two universities have resolved to explore and implement the partnership agreement in the following areas:

• Cultural exchange, which involves reciprocal hosting of delegations on the campuses of the respective universities
• Joint conference
• Capacity-building opportunities for staff
• Student internships, among others

Details about the previous visit: https://ucu.ac.ug/ucu-strikes-up-partnership-with-st-pauls-university/

Compiled by Irene Best Nyapendi and Jimmy Siyasa

Edited By: Harriet Adong, Consultant at UCU’s Communication and Public Relations Department