Rate My Professor Ebenezer Oriaku

Dr. Ebenezer T. Oriaku is a Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in the College of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Institute of Public Health, at Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU). A three-time alumnus of FAMU, he earned a B.S. in Physical Education in 1978, a B.S. in Biology Pre-Med in 1981, an M.S. in Pharmacology in 1989 with a thesis on the effect of morphine and morphine withdrawal on cholinergic activity of the gastrointestinal tract and discrete brain regions, and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology in 1991 with a dissertation titled 'Modulation of Gastrointestinal Cholinergic Function.' Following his doctorate, he completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Oak Ridge Associated Universities, National Center for Toxicological Research, from 1991 to 1993. His early career included roles as research assistant (1983-1990), graduate assistant (1982-1983), adjunct instructor at Tallahassee Community College (1988-1989) and FAMU Chemistry Department (1989-1990), and assistant to a distinguished professor at the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (1991-1992).

Oriaku joined FAMU's faculty as an Assistant Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1994, advancing to Associate Professor in 1998 and Professor in 2008. He has authored over 20 peer-reviewed publications, including 'Diallyl trisulfide as an inhibitor of benzo(a)pyrene-induced precancerous carcinogenesis in MCF-10A cells' (2012), 'The attenuation of early benzo(a)pyrene-induced carcinogenic insults by diallyl disulfide (DADS) in MCF-10A cells' (2012), 'Diallyl sulfide inhibits PhIP-induced DNA strand breaks in normal human breast epithelial cells' (2007), and 'Diallyl disulfide inhibits TNFα-induced CCL2 release by MDA-MB-231 cells' (2014), accumulating 617 citations. Oriaku has received extensive honors, such as induction into the FAMU Sports Hall of Fame in 2017 for men's track (1975-1978), FAMU Teacher of the Year (1995-1996, 2011), Advanced Teacher of the Year (1998-1999, 2013-2014), multiple College of Pharmacy Teacher of the Year awards (1994-1995, 2003-2004, 2008), and the FAMU Faculty Senate Award for Outstanding Commitment to the Sports Enterprise (2018). He serves as FAMU's Faculty Athletic Representative, Chair of the University Athletic Committee, member of the RCMI Internal Advisory Committee, and has chaired search committees for head football coach and athletic director.