Dr. Ongeri, who has been serving as interim dean since last October, was the college’s associate dean for research and innovation beginning in January 2020 and was a professor of physiology in the Department of Kinesiology.

As Dean, Dr. Ongeri will oversee 10 undergraduate degrees, the School of Nursing, and Joint Masters and Ph.D. programs in social work with the University of North Carolina Greensboro.

Before joining Hairston College, Dr. Ongeri worked at the College of Science and Technology (COST), where she first became a full professor in 2017 after starting as an assistant professor in 2010.

Dr. Tonya Smith-Jackson, Ph.D., interim provost and executive vice chancellor for academic affairs, said Dr. Ongeri had been a critical leader for Hairston College and University; they look forward to her future contributions.

“Dr. Ongeri has been an instrumental leader for the Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences as interim dean,” Dr. Smith-Jackson said. “We are excited for her well-deserved appointment to dean as she exhibits excellence in supporting the development of key grants, identifying external funding, all while maintaining a profound commitment to student success. We look forward to her continued contributions to the success of the Hairston College and university.”

Dr. Ongeri served as a co-director of the North Carolina Regional Diabetes Research Center (NCDRC) and the director of the NCDRC Enrichment/Community Engagement Core — a partnership including Duke University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Wake Forest School of Medicine, and N.C. A&T since 2019.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) awarded the NCDRC $5.7 million for their work in 2020 and an additional $250,000 in 2021 to leverage expertise in diabetes and metabolism at the NCDRC to better understand Alzheimer’s disease.

Since 2012, Dr. Ongeri has received continuous funding from the National Institutes of Health, including NIH’s Maximizing Investigator Research Award. The mechanism awarded Ongeri a $1.42 million grant to study diabetic kidney disease last year.

Among the many accolades she has received in recent years, Dr. Ongeri has received the Minority Access Faculty Researcher National Role Model Award, COST Interdisciplinary Research Team Award, COST Outstanding Senior Researcher Award, NIH National Institutes of Diabetes, Digestive and Kidney Disease/Network of Minority Health Research Investigators Outstanding Translational Science Research Award and American Society of Nephrology Travel Award.

Dr. Ongeri called the opportunity an honor, and she looks forward to working with the HBCU to ensure student success.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to serve as the next dean for the Hairston College of Health and Human Sciences,” Dr. Ongeri said. “I look forward to working with the college leadership to implement student success initiatives to ensure that we produce well-prepared graduates in all our degree programs. I am passionate about enhancing the research capabilities for the college and building partnerships with stakeholders to advance research that addresses health inequities and promotes the overall well-being of diverse communities in the state of North Carolina.”

At UNC-Chapel Hill, Dr. Ongeri is affiliated with the Kidney Center and the North Carolina Nutrition Research Center. A member of the American Society of Nephrology and Women in Nephrology, she is a trainee mentor for the renal section of the American Physiological Society, a member of the Mentoring Network for African Women in Academia, a member of the governing board of Kenya Scholars and Studies Association, and a mentor and proposal reviewer for junior faculty in the Network of Minority Health Research Investigators.

Ongeri received her B.S. in animal production from Egerton University, M.S. in comparative mammalian physiology from the University of Nairobi, M.S. in basic medical sciences and Ph.D. in animal physiology, both from Purdue University and postdoctoral training from Penn State College of Medicine.