A lecturer in the department of English Studies at Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, Professor Sola Emmanuel Owonibi has been awarded an international grant to the tune of $120,000 a year for research by the Centre for Medical Humanities of the University of Florida in the United States of America.
According to reports, Prof. Owonibi team’s proposal titled, ‘Reinventing Poetry as Therapy in African Literary Tradition’ was among the five chosen out of the 218 proposals received by the Centre for Medical Humanities for consideration.
In a letter signed by the Director of International Programmes of the University of Florida, Landmir Gotzmann announced that Owonibi, alongside his research partner, Prof. Sakyi Baidoo of the University of Ghana, Legon, that, “I am pleased to announce to you that your research team has been awarded the 2019 Carnegie Medical Humanities Research grant for experienced researchers.
“Your proposal was evaluated very highly by an international panel of scholars and was considered as one of the five to be awarded out of a total of 218 proposals received globally. The total award of $120,000 is the consolidated grant approved for your fellowship.”
Prof. Owoinibi had also in 2017 won a sum of $30,000 under the Meaning-Making Research Initiative Award of the Council for Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA) for his project titled “Re/telling the war story, healing the wounds: a bibliotherapeutic reading of recent African novels”
In recognition of his contribution to African literature and writing, Prof. Owonibi was elected as two-term Chairman of Association of Nigerian Authors (ANA), Ondo State Branch. (2011-2015).
He is member of National Association of Poetry Therapy (NAPT) USA; member Arts and Heart Association (AHA), Winchester and also a member of Research Council Chair, International Arts for Teaching and Healing Institute also in Winchester, USA.
By this award, Prof. Owonibi has been distinguished as a Fellow of the prestigious Carnegie Corporation of New York.
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