Dr. Matthew Chidozie Ogwu (He/Him/His) is an Assistant Professor of Integrated Ecology and Sustainable Development in the Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Department at Appalachian State University (App State). He obtained his Ph.D. in Biological Sciences with a research focus in the Molecular Biology of Soil Microbial and Geographical Ecology from Seoul National University. He holds an M.Sc (Distinction) and B.Sc. (First Class) in Plant Diversity and Conservation and Plant Biology and Biotechnology, respectively, from the University of Benin, Nigeria. After receiving his Ph.D., he worked as a Researcher at the Centre for Floristic Research of the Apennines, Italy, where he contributed to numerous European Union-funded research including the famous NATURA 2000 project for sustainable ecosystem and biodiversity management. Before that, Dr. Ogwu was a Lecturer at the University of Benin, Nigeria, where he taught courses in plant biology and biotechnology, biometry, economic botany, cytogenetics, etc., and supervised honors students’ theses.
Dr. Ogwu is an interdisciplinary academic with transdisciplinary skills pertinent to the assessment of coupled human and natural systems as well as socio-ecological systems and has numerous awards, research grants, and scholarships to his name. His research and teaching revolve around sustainable biodiversity and ecosystem management by assessing the realm of coupled human and natural systems and socio-ecological systems for sustainable environmental development as well as sustainable development issues arising from various scales of biogeographical interactions. His specific research topics include soil microbial and geographical ecology, molecular and genomic characterization of economic plant species for breeding, conservation, and sustainable utilization, as well as biodiversity issues and policies, climate change science, gut microbiota, bioinformatics, biosystems and bioeconomy, sustainable agriculture and food production systems, ethnoscience (including traditional biotechnological practices), land use patterns, waste management, microbial diversity, environmental and social systems integrity, landscape preservation, and pollution ecology. He spearheads some convergence works (OneHealth and EcoHealth) in his Human Environmental and Agricultural Laboratory (HEAL lab) at App State. He teaches Science for Sustainability, Plant Management and Conservation, and Issues in Environmental Sustainability in the Goodnight Family Sustainable Development Department at App State.
Dr. Ogwu has published over 100 peer-reviewed works, including several in high-impact journals, and has presented his results at different international conferences. Dr. Ogwu has attended numerous professional courses and serves on the board of and as a reviewer for many peer-reviewed international journals, including Springer, Elsevier, and Routledge (Taylor and Francis) journals. He continues to volunteer his skills to promote sustainable community development, especially in the Global South. He leverages his education, skills, and experience to develop environmental management and sustainable food security policies. Dr. Ogwu is a polyglot and loves to travel and meet new people. His free time is spent volunteering and in community engagements.