Nelson Akafuah is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of Engineering Technology and Director of the Institute of Research for Technology Development (IR4TD) at the University of Kentucky.
Nelson obtained a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Kentucky in Lexington, KY. An Executive MBA from the Jack Welch Management Institute at the Strayer University, an MS degree in mechanical engineering from the University of New Orleans, New Orleans, LA, and a BS degree in Mechanical engineering from the University of Science and Technology, in Kumasi, Ghana.
Nelson worked as a project engineer at Kumasi Institute of Technology, Engineering, and Environment (KITE, an energy consulting firm in Kumasi, Ghana. A mechanical engineer at General Electric Power Systems in Schenectady, NY, and a post-doctoral scholar in the department of mechanical engineering at the University of Kentucky. In 2011 he was appointed an Assistant Research Professor and later an Associate Research Professor in 2019 in the same department. From 2013 to 2017, he served as the R&D Manager at IR4TD and becoming the Associate Director of IR4TD in 2017.
Since 2019, Nelson has served as a faculty fellow in the College of Engineering and lead the Engineering Technology program development. In this role, he led the creation of the Department of Engineering Technology in the College of Engineering and two Bachelors of Science degrees—a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering Technology and a Bachelor of Science in Lean Systems Engineering Technology.
Nelson’s research areas include all aspects of paint processes for automotive OEMs and Tier one suppliers, implementing systems/tools to enhance energy efficiency and overall performance levels, and improvements in operational quality and productivity through lean manufacturing principles.
PhD., Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 2009
MBA., Executive, Jack Welch Management Institute, Strayer University, 2017
MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of New Orleans, 2003
B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering, First Class Honors, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 1999
Department Chair, Department of Engineering Technology, University of Kentucky, 08/2021 – Present
Associate Professor, Department of Engineering Technology, University of Kentucky, 08/2021 – Present
Director, Institute of Research for Technology Development (IR4TD), University of Kentucky, 08/2021 – Present
Director, Undergraduate Production Engineering Certificate, College of Engineering, University of Kentucky. 07/2018 – Present
Faculty Fellow in the College of Engineering and Chair of the Engineering Technology Implementation Committee, University of Kentucky. 09/2019 – 7/2021
Lecturer, Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 08/2019 – 7/2021
Associate Research Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 07/2019 – 08/2019
Associate Director, Institute of Research for Technology Development (IR4TD), University of Kentucky, 01/2017 – 7/2021
Assistant Research Professor, Mechanical Engineering, University of Kentucky, 02/2011– 06/2019
Post-Doctoral Research Scholar, IR4TD, University of Kentucky, 01/2010 – 01/2011
Research Assistant, IR4TD, University of Kentucky, 09/2005 – 12/2009
Research Assistant, Energy Conversion and Conservation Center, University of New Orleans, 06/2003 – 8/2005
Mechanical Engineer, General Electric Power Systems, Schenectady, NY, 06/2002 – 05/2003
Research Assistant, Energy Conversion and Conservation Center, University of New Orleans, 01/2001 – 05/2002
Mechanical Engineer, Kumasi Institute of Technology, Energy, and Environment, Kumasi, Ghana, 8/2000 – 12/2000
Post-Bachelors Teaching Assistant in Mechanical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana, 11/1999 – 07/2000
