Ruth Opanda is currently a Ph.D. student at Kenyatta University in the Department of Chemistry. Her research focus is on the Chemical Ecology of plant-pest interactions which aims to identify message-bearing chemicals (semiochemicals) that can be used to develop sustainable and eco-friendly approaches for controlling agricultural pests that impact food security globally.
Ruth is an alumni of the Mawazo Learning Exchange (MLEx) programme (2021), a recipient of the L’Oreal-UNESCO For Women in Science Sub-Saharan Africa Young Talents Award (2019), and the African Regional Postgraduate Program in Insect Science (ARPPIS)-DAAD funded Ph.D. scholarship (2017).
Ruth is passionate about engaging with the youth through mentorship and is involved as a STEM mentor for girls with UNESCO and the Africademics Scholarship Ambassador Program.