Varsity Don Vows to Boost Scholarship, Research at UNICAL

A professor at the Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Biological Sciences, University of Calabar, Joseph Asor has expressed his readiness to improve the wellbeing of students and put in place facilities and an enabling environment to support scholarship and research in the institution.

Asor, a vice-chancellorship aspirant, was born on June 19, 1963 at Ekureku, Abi Local Government Area. The Cross Rivers State-born, studied Zoology for his first degree, masters and at PhD with interest in Parasitology between 1984 to 1996, at University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

He started his teaching career as a tutor in a secondary school after his service year at the Department of Biological Sciences, College of Education, Ikere Ekiti, Ekiti State.

He then moved to the Polytechnic, Calabar, Nigeria, (Now Cross River University of Technology, Calabar), where he taught at the Department of Biological Sciences and later to University of Calabar.

He was also Rector, Ibrahim Babangida College of Agriculture, Ovonum-Obubra, Cross River State (Now Cross River University of Technology, Obubra Campus) between 1999 and 2002.

His working experience spanned 10 years at the University of Calabar, where worked at various capacity as a lecturer and researcher.
He was at various times Time-Table Officer, Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, between 1996 to 1998, Academic Adviser, Department of Zoology and Enviromental Biology 1997-1998, Examination Officer, Department of Zoology and Environmental Biology, 1997-1999, member, Departmental and Faculty of Science Examination Misconduct Committee; 1996-1998, member, Accreditation Team of the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) for the accreditation of National Diploma and higher National Diploma programmes offered in polytechnics and colleges of agriculture in Nigeria, 1999-2003.

He was also Chairman, Departmental Graduate Studies Committee 2003-2006 and member, Faculty Graduate Committee 2003-2006, among other positions.

His activities with the National Universities Commission (NUC) spanned within a period of two years where he was member, NUC Accreditation Panel to Sokoto State University; member, NUC Accreditation Panel to Federal University, Dutse-Ma, Katsina State; member, NUC Accreditation Panel to Federal University, Otuoke, Bayelsa State; member, NUC Accreditation Panel to McPherson University, Seriki Sotayo, Ogun State; member, NUC Accreditation Panel to Mountain Top University, Makoji Oba, Ogun State, among others.

Professor Asor has attracted several funds and grants running into millions of naira into the institution, among which were; studies on human intestinal parasitic intention among primary school children in Abi Local Government Area, Cross River State; African Research Excellence Fund (AERF); Research Development Fellowship 2017 awarded to Dr. Richard Ibor by the Medical Research Foundation (MRF), among others.

He is a consultant on livelihood needs assessment on erosion affected communities in Cross River State to the Cross River State World Bank-assisted Nigeria Erosion and Watershed Management Project (NEWMAP) 2014 till date. He has won several scholarship, fellowship and awards. Asor is married with children.