Eng. Dr. Dorothy Okello

Research Interests

Smart infrastructure, affordable and inclusive telecommunication solutions, and resilience innovation.

Background

Eng. Dr. Dorothy Okello is Dean of the School of Engineering and Associate Professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at CEDAT, Makerere University. She leads netLabs!UG, a research centre advancing communications and networking research, innovation, and commercialisation. Between 2019 and 2024 she directed multiple funded initiatives including rural broadband connectivity pilots, renewable energy integration projects, humanitarian emergency response training, and digital technology deployment in rural schools, supported by organisations including the Royal Academy of Engineering, IEEE, USAID, and DAAD. She teaches courses in computer communication networks, television and video engineering, and telecommunications policy.

She is a Fellow of the Uganda National Academy of Sciences (FUNAS), a member of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE) where she served as Past President from 2016 to 2018 (the first woman to hold the role), a registered engineer with Uganda's Engineers Registration Board, and a member of IEEE. In 2023 she received Uganda's Distinguished Medal of the Crested Crane on Women's Day, awarded by President Yoweri Museveni.

Education

1. Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, McGill University, Canada (Canadian Commonwealth Scholar)

2. M.Sc. in Electrical Engineering, University of Kansas, USA (Fulbright Scholar)

3. B.Sc. in Engineering (Electrical, First Class Honours), Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Experience

1. Dean, School of Engineering, CEDAT, Makerere University

2. Associate Professor, Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Makerere University

3. Researcher and Lead, netLabs!UG