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Rita Orji, a Nigerian-Canadian Computer Science Professor, is our Social Media Influencer of the week. She has made great strides as a Canada Research Chair in Persuasive Technology, and the Director of the Persuasive Computing Lab at Dalhousie University in Canada. 

Rita Orji’s work focuses on the area of human-computer interaction, with primary objectives on the design of interactive systems that are capable of meeting various needs.

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Rita Orji was born and raised by Mr Okonkwo and Mrs Orji, her parents, who never had any formal education. One of nine (9) children, she would often assist her parents with their peasant farming which sustained the large family. After secondary school, she got admitted into Nnamdi Azikiwe University to study Computer Science. Even though she had never used a computer before her admission, she graduated top of her class with First Class Honours. This huge feat attracted multiple awards and scholarships.

After her first degree, Rita began a master’s program at Middle East Technical University as the only African student studying at the time. In 2009, when she had completed the program, she moved to Canada as a graduate student. She joined the Faculty of Computer Science at Dalhousie University as an Assistant Professor in 2017.

She is into designing systems that aid interactions, and persuasive technologies for the betterment of world people. She looked into how the effectiveness of persuasive technologies are affected by cultures and age influence. She has also studied how gender comes to play in collectivist and individualist cultures as regards persuasive technologies.

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She has received numerous awards and recognitions from both national and international organizations and is recognized in Canada. One other major feat is the chance to address a United Nations panel about the status of women at the Parliament of Canada.

Education for Women and the Less Privileged in Nigeria, a nonprofit organisation that provides mentorship and scholarships for women in education was launched by her in 2002. This has validated the idea that she advocates for the inclusion and participation of women and minorities in computer science, using herself as a core example. She is passionate about youth empowerment and also promotes women’s right to education. Rita Orji is rated as one of the oo 150 women scientists in Canada by hEr VOLUTION.

You can reach her on LinkedIn where she has an active presence, engages with posts, and has hundreds of connections. She is open to partnership and collaboration with companies and big organizations interested in brand promotion, technology innovation, humane technology, youth empowerment, etc. You can also reach her on Twitter.

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This article was first published on 18th February 2022

ernest-chigaemezu

Ohia, Ernest Chigaemezu is a writer, editor, and grade teacher based in Jos, Nigeria.

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