Omowunmi Isafiade

Dr Omowunmi Isafiade is a senior lecturer at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She received both MSc and PhD degrees in Computer Science from the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa, and another masters level (PGDip) degree in Mathematical Sciences from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS), South Africa (Cum Laude). Prior to joining UWC as a full-time academic, Dr Isafiade was a post-doctoral researcher under the National Research Foundation and the Department of Science and Technology (NRF-DST) innovation fellowship. Her research interest spans data-driven decision support, immersive technologies, applications of artificial intelligence to public safety and other smart environment, which are key streams of the fourth industrial revolution (4IR). She has authored a number of peer-reviewed articles in accredited conference proceedings and journals. Dr. Isafiade is also passionate about using her skills in helping to dismantle barriers that keep women and the less privileged from entering the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) domain. Hence, she is consistently involved in the advancement of women in the STEM field by participating in various initiatives to support the cause. She chaired the team that resuscitated the women in Computer Science society at the University of Cape (UCT) and also created and led the effort to establish the women in Computer Science (WICS) at UWC. Dr Isafiade’s continued academic and research excellence has earned her various honours and awards, amongst which are the prestigious L’Oreal-UNESCO for Women in Science, an AIMS-DAAD fellowship, Paul G. Allen Family Price, Golden Key International Honour Society award, Google Anita Borg (Women Techmakers) scholarship (Zurich, Switzerland), Grace Hopper Scholarship (USA), Heidelberg Laureate Forum and German Scholars Organisation (HLF- GSO) Grant, amongst others.