Contact Dr Cynthia Olumba
Background
Dr Cynthia holds a PhD in Agriculture, Food Systems, and Rural Development from Newcastle University and an MSc in Food Security and Sustainable Agriculture (with Distinction) from the University of Exeter. She earned her first degree in Agricultural Economics and Farm Management with First Class Honours from the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Nigeria. After completing her PhD, she joined ÂãÁÄÖ±²¥ in 2024 as a Research Fellow in Nature Based Solutions to Land degradation in East Africa. Prior to her position at Cranfield, she served as a Teaching Assistant and Module Leader for various undergraduate and postgraduate programs, teaching diverse student groups in both developed (Newcastle University) and developing countries (University of Nigeria). She has an extensive publication record and has presented her research at numerous national and international conferences and meetings across Africa, Europe, and America. Dr Cynthia is an Associate Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Research opportunities
Cynthia’s research focuses on sustainable land and forest management, climate change adaptation and mitigation, gender equality, sustainable food systems, and food security. Other fundamental research interests include sustainable water resource management, renewable energy and green technology. Her work is grounded in several philosophical paradigms, such as post-positivism, constructivism, and critical realism. She is proficient in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies, as well as innovative transdisciplinary research approaches designed to address urgent societal and environmental issues. Her work predominantly focuses on the Sub-Saharan African region, particularly West and East Africa.
Current activities
Cynthia is a Research Fellow in Nature-Based Solutions to Land Degradation in East Africa, contributing to a multi-institution and interdisciplinary NERC-funded project called REAL NbS - Resilience in Eastern Africa Land: Nature-Based Solutions. The project aims to enhance the climate resilience of agro-pastoralist and farming communities in East Africa by co-developing and testing equitable Nature-Based Solutions for land degradation, assessing their feasibility and scalability, and exploring evidence-based pathways to support stakeholders' implementation of these solutions.