Dr. Michael Onwuemene, B.A., M.A., Ph.D.
Chair, English Department

Dr. Michael Onwuemene was born and raised in southern Nigeria. He finished his secondary school education by obtaining the University of Cambridge Higher School Certificate in 1961. Thereafter, he came to study in the USA as an F-1 student and obtained his B.A. degree in English from Ottawa University in Ottawa, Kansas in 1965. At Ottawa University, he won many honors including the Ottawa University Graduation Honors which carried a cash award, and a listing in the Who’s Who Among Students in American Universities and Colleges. He began his graduate studies in English at the University of Kansas in the fall of 1965 and obtained his M.A. degree in Middle English Language and Literature in October 1966 and Ph.D. degree in the same field in 1970. At Kansas he won several fellowships including the dissertation fellowship in 1969. He began his college teaching career in 1967 as an Assistant Instructor while still a graduate student at Kansas and became a full time Assistant Professor of English Language and Literature in 1969. For the next 29 years he taught English Language and Literature at various Universities: Millikin University in Decatur, Illinois from 1969-1979, and again from 1995-1996; University of Benin in Benin City, Nigeria from 1979-1995; Western Illinois University in Macomb, Illinois from 1996-1998. His articles on language and literature – both in English and African – have appeared in various journals, including the PMLA. He joined the faculty of Oak Ridge Military Academy in 1998 and has been a part of the ORMA family ever since. For the 2007-08 school year Dr. Onwuemene will be teaching World Literature, College English, and Writing Composition II.He is married and has three children. His hobbies include photography, listening to classical music, and tennis.