March 8, 2016 is International Women’s Day, a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. Daystar University is not short on women to honor for their achievements. Today we spotlight Dr. Martha Wanjiku Kiarie-Makara, the Dean of the School of Science Engineering and Health at Daystar University.
Dr. Martha W. Kiarie is the Dean of School of Science, Engineering & Health at Daystar University. She holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Health with emphasis on Public Health & Medical Entomology from Kosin University in Busan, South Korea. Dr. Kiarie has over 20 years of experience in university teaching, research and administration.
Dr. Kiarie is an expert in vector borne diseases including Malaria, Leishmaniasis and West Nile fever (Dengue fever). She has worked extensively on control and management of vectors of human diseases and the relationship of their spread to climatic change with specific interest to Africa and Asia. Dr. Kiarie is currently coordinating a team of researchers from Daystar Universityand Kenya Medical Research Institute studying Leishmaniasis, a disease caused by protozoan parasites.
She is an ordained elder of the Presbyterian Church of East Africa. As a teacher and a mentor for young people, Dr. Kiarie is passionate about investing in the future of her students.
Dr. Kiarie is the second born child in a family of 11 children. She is Married to Mr. Simon Makara, an engineer at Kenya Wildlife Service organization and together they have two college age children.
One of her happiest memories at Daystar was when the first group of Nursing students graduated from Daystar. When the four of them came to school none could afford to pay even the basic tuition fees and it took the efforts of donors unknown to the students to help them to the graduate. She said, “When they walked across the stageI could not hold back my tears of joy.”
We asked Dr. Kiarie what she would like to say to the donors in American who support Daystar University:
“We have a common saying in Kenya that ‘words are not enough to express what the heart feels’ but I would like to say thank you very much. Every time I stand to read the names of students graduating in Sciences, I see them escorted to the graduation podium by the love of the donors who, in most cases, don’t even know them by name. May God Continue to bless each and every one of those donors for denying themselves and giving so that Daystar students can study. I can assure them that they have changed the lives of individuals, families and communities in Kenya and Africa. Asante Sana.”