Prof Ngila joined the AAS on 17^th of July 2020 as the Interim ED for 6 months. In her role, she will provide leadership and strategic direction of AAS’s programmes in order to achieve the Academy’s vision, mission and objectives. She will oversee both the programmatic and operational management of the organization with a focus to sustainably drive the mandate of AAS through the secretariat team, and to represent the academy globally.

Prof Ngila has joined the Academy from Riara University where she is on leave of absence as the Deputy Vice Chancellor in charge of Academic Affairs. Her portfolio at the University involved supporting the university management  in delivering the University strategic objectives.  She has been in-charge of coordinating the formulation and implementation of University policies, regulations, quality assurance encompassing standards and guidelines that create a framework for academic excellence, effective management, implementation and evaluation of University programmes and activities, towards achieving of the  University’s vision & mission. Prior to Riara University, she held a number of leadership positions in both academic institutions as well as the public sector, which include the Kenya Pipeline Company Ltd where she served as Deputy Director of the Morendat Institute of Oil and Gas in charge of training, academic and linkages; University of Johannesburg where she was the Head of Applied Chemistry Department and previously Deputy Head in charge of Research and Post graduate Studies; University of Kwa Zulu Natal, School of Chemistry; University of Botswana and Kenyatta University in the Departments of Chemistry .

Ngila is also a Visiting Professor at the University of Johannesburg (UJ), Department of Chemical Sciences, as well as a Visiting Professor at the Department of Pure and Applied Chemistry, Masinde Muliro University of Science and Technology in Kenya. Her research work is on Analytical/Environmental Chemistry and focuses on water quality/pollution monitoring, methods of water treatment based on nanotechnology, development of analytical methodologies for detecting metal pollutants and other chemical substances including their speciation analysis, in water.

She has held membership/leadership positions  to national, regional and international committees including chairing of the rating and proposal review panels of National Research Foundation; Membership of the UNESCO programmes such as ANSTI-COVIDSET), STEM Mentorship programme; Panel of Adjudicators of L’Oreal UNESCO for Women in Science in Sub-Saharan African Programme; Member of USA based African Scientific Institute (ASI) among other committees/bodies. She has about 25 years of research experience post PhD and has a sustained record of publications in accredited journals, good track record of postgraduate research supervision and training of masters and doctoral levels. She is rated by South Africa’s National Research Foundation (NRF) and has over 430 publications comprising of 210 journal articles, 15 book chapters, 17 proceedings, 37 keynote/invited lectures and 160 conference abstracts.

Prof Ngila has won various Awards including African Union Kwame Nkrumah East Africa Regional Women Scientific Awards (January 2017) for excellence in research in water quality monitoring and treatment using nanotechnology; South Africa Distinguished Women in Science (WISA) Awards - Physical Sciences & Engineering (August 2016), and different research grant Awards by  Organization for the prohibition of chemical weapons (OPCW); The Third World Network of Scientific Organizations (TWNSO); South Africa’s NRF, Water Research Commission, CSIR, Sasol and Eskom, among others.

She is a Fellow of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS); Fellow Africa Academy of Sciences (FAAS); Member Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf); Member of the AAS mentorship programmes; the Chair of the AAS Education & Gender Working Group; and Co-Chair of the 2021 Commonwealth Science Conference, a joint venture of Royal Society and the AAS. She is also a member of various Chemical Societies and Professional Organizations.

She holds a PhD in Analytical Chemistry from University of New South Wales in Australia, MSc in Chemistry and BEd.Sci from Kenyatta University.