BRIEF CURRICULUM VITAE

CURRICULUM VITAE

A PERSONAL DATA

Name (Surname Last) Chioma Opara

Nationality Nigeria

State Imo

Faculty Institute of Foundation Studies

B QUALIFICATIONS

PhD University of Ibandan , Nigeria , 1987. (English)

M.A University of Port Harcourt , Nigeria , 1983 (Comparative Literature)

B.A University of Nigeria , Nsukka, 1975. (French)

WASC Grade l Owerri Girls Secondary School, Owerri. 1971

Diplome d etudes francaises: University de Dakar , Senegal , 1974.

Certificate d etudes francaises: Universite de Tours , France , 1974.

Certificate in Contemporary English Usage and Practice, British Council Summer Course,

Swansea University College , Wales , 1989.

COUNTRIES VISITED

Belgium, Benin, Britain, Cameroon, Finland, France, Gambia, Greece, Italy, Ivory Coast, The Netherlands, Senegal, South Africa, Spain, Togo, United States of America.

C. PUBLICATIONS

C1 BOOKS

1. Chioma Carol Opara , Her Mother's Daughter: The African Writer as Woman, Port Harcourt : University of Port Harcourt Press, 2004.

2. Chioma Carol Opara , English and Effective Communication .

Port Harcourt : Pearl Publishers, 2000

3. Chioma Carol Opara , Elements of English: Usage and Practice, Owerri:

Springfield publishers, 2000.

4. Chioma Carol Opara, ed Beyond the Marginal Land, Port Harcourt : Belpot (Nig.)

C2 MINOR PRODUCTIVE WORK

1. Chioma Opara , "Woman in a Chequered Nigerian History. A re-reading of Chinua Achebe 's Novels." Post Express Literary Supplement, The post Express on Sunday . July 29 and August 5, 2001 .

2. Chioma Opara , "The Mobile Shell", in Life now: Shell Ladies project, 1996, p.102.

C3. CHAPTERS IN RESEARCH BOOKS

1. Chioma Opara , "Female Experience and Narrative Form in Mariama Ba 's Novels" in the New Eve in Francophone African Literature , ed. Julie Agbasiere . Enugu : Jee- Communications, 1999: pp.27-45.

2. Chioma Opara , "From stereotype to individuality: Womanhood in Chinua Achebe 's Novels" in challenging Hierarchies : Issues and themes in Colonial and Post- Colonial African Literature , eds. Leonard H. podis and Yakubu Saaka , New York : Peter Lang. 1998 pp.113-123

3. Chioma Opara , "Narrative Technique and the Politics of Gender: Ama Ata Aidoo's our sister Killjoy and No Sweetness Here" in Writing African woman: Gender, Popular Culture and Literature in West Africa , ed. Stephanie Newell . London and New Jersey : Zed Book, 1997, PP. 137-146.

4. Chioma Opara , Introduction: Making Hey on Sunny Grounds" in Beyond the Marginal Land ed. Chioma Carol Opara , Port Harcourt Belpot Nig.co.1999: pp.1-11.

5. Chioma Opara , " Clothing as Iconography: Examples of Ba, Aidoo and Emecheta" in Feminism and Black Woman's Creative Writings: Theory, Practice, Criticism ed Aduke Adebayo . Ibandan: AMD publishers, 1996. pp. 110-125.

6. Chioma Opara , "woman in a Chequered Nigerian History: A Re- reading of Chinua Achebe 's Novels" in Beyond the Marginal Land ed . Chioma Carol Opara, Port Harcourt Belpot Nig. Co. 1999: pp. 151-170.

7. Chioma Opara, "Emergence of the Female Self: The Liberating Pen in Mariama Ba's Une Si Longue Lettre and Sembene Ousmane's Lettre's de France' in Feminism and Black Woman Creative Writing: Theory, Practice. Criticism ed . Aduke Adebayo . Ibandan: AMD Puublishers, 1996, pp.153-167.

8. Chioma Opara , “Transcending the Patriarchal Paradigm: Sembene's Lioness on the path” in Feminism and African Literature, ed Helen Chukuma , Enugu : Generation Books, 1994.pp.84-99

•  Chioma Opara , “The Rural Woman at an Amble: The Example of Elechi Amadi's Novels' in Woman Development and the Nigeria Environment. Ed. Yomi oruwari, Ibandan: Vintage Publishers Ltd. 1996, pp. 90-98.

•  Chioma Opara , “The concept of otherness' in African Feminist Thought” in philosophical Criticisms: Anthology of Gender Issues, ed M.P. Eboh , Port Harcourt Pearl Publishers, 2000: pp.197 – 207.

•  Chioma Opara , Forward, readings in Political Economy of development: A third World Perspective. Ed. Jason Osai, Port Harcourt : Ulamba Publishers, 2004

C4 PAPER IN SCHOLARLY JOURNALS

•  Chioma Opara , “The Ineligible Trammels: Towards a paradigm for woman Consciousness in African Literature”, Dialogue and Universalism, ( Warsaw ) vol. 5, no 4/1995, pp.104-113.

•  Chioma Opara , “Violence against women as a Universal Culture: A literary Overview”, Philosophy and social Action, ( New Delhi ) Jan – June 2000, vol. 26: pp. 99-116.

•  Chioma Opara , African Feminist thought and Beauvoirism Paradigm”, philosophy and social Action”,( New Delhi ) 27 (3) 2001: pp. 39-52

•  Chioma Opara, “ magical Effect in Magic Land: The pain of the game in Ken Saro- Wiwa's Prisoner's of jebs', Review of English and Literature Studies, vol 7 , no. 1, 1990. pp. 11-17.

•  Chioma Opara, “Progeny of female oral Artists: Flora Nwapa's Efuru and Ifeoma Okoye's Behind the Clouds, Ibandan Journal of European studies, Vol. 1, no. 1.April 2000, pp. 190-200.

•  Chioma Opara, “Hunters and gatherers: Poetics as Gender Politics in Sam Ukala's the Slave Wife and “ the Log in your eye”, Review of English and Literary studies, vol 7, 1990: pp.45-51.

•  Chioma Opara , “African feminist Utopia and the Dynamics of the Female Hero”, Journal of Pedagogy, Vol.2. August 1989: pp.49-59.

•  Chioma Opara , “Through the Colored Looking Glasses: Reflection in Tsitsi Dangerembga's Nervous conditions”, Ibandan Journal of European Studies, vol.No.2 April 2001: pp.107-117.

•  Chioma Opara, “The Embattled Female Figures in Flora Nwapa's Short Stories' journal of women's studies in Africa, vol.1, Harmattan, 2000: pp.53-64.

•  Chioma Opara , “ The Nigeria Female writer as an Agitator in a Degenerate Nation” Ogele: journal of social science and humanities, vol. 1, no.6 December 1992: pp 63- 68

•  Chioma Opara , “Pilloried in Martyrdom: Ken Saro- Wiwa 's forest of flowers and Adaku and other stories', philosophy and social actions, ( New Delhi ) vol.25, no.4, October-December.

•  Chioma Opara , “Femininity as cultural Reification: The Female voice in the Nigerian novels”, Ogele: journal of the social science and humanities. Vol. 3, no.1, December 1988. Pp.14 - 20.

•  Chioma Opara , “The Concept of Anomie in African Fiction”, Ogele: journal of the social science and humanities. Vol. 2, no.1, June 1987. Pp.29 - 35.

•  Chioma Opara , A Matter of Contrasts: The Antithetical as Political in Mariama Ba 's novels”, Journal of Gender studies, vol, I, no.3, September 2001: pp. 119 - 139.

•  Chioma Opara "Woman as Victim in African Fiction: A function of Colonial situation", Journal of Gender studies, Vol. 1, no. 1, December 1999, pp. 65-77.

•  Chioma Opara "Gender and social actions in Saro-Wiwa's Works", Journal of Niger Delta Research, Vol. 1, no.2, 1999, pp.85-97

•  Chioma Opara , "Empathy in form in the Victims and the last duty of Isidore Okpewho" Journal of Modern Languages Association of Nigeria, vol. 2, 1994, pp.51- 57.

•  Chioma Opara , "The Gynandrist: Elechi Amadi ", Journal of Gender Studies, vol. 1, no.2 November 2000: pp. 19-34.

•  Chioma Opara , "Hunted, Hunted and Handicapped: Disabled Woman in Ama Ata Aidoo's Changes and Ngugi Wa Thiongo's Devil on the Cross," Nigeria journal of Professional Research in pedagogy and Psychotherapy, vol. 1, no. 2, November 2000: pp.121-141.

•  Chioma Opara , "Eco- Feminist Impulse in the Writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa", Journal of Niger Delta Research, vol. 1, no.1, 2001: pp. 116-127.

21. Chioma Opara , "Review Article: Iheanyichukwu Duruoha 's Eaters of Dust', Ogele, vol. 1 no.7. 2001: pp. 146-147.

22. Chioma Opara , "Towards an international nation: the African Writer as a Meliorist" Philosophy and social Action, ( New Delhi ) vol. 28, no. 2, April- June 2002: pp. 47- 56.

23. Chioma Opara , "The nuance of power process in Elechi Amadi Novel's, Journal of Niger Delta Research. Vol. 4, no. 2002: 80-92.

24. Chioma Opara , "The universalistic thought in Ngugi wa Thiongo's Devil on the Cross, " Dialogue and Universalism, ( Warsaw ) vol. xii, no. 1-2/2003 : pp. 39-50.

25. Chioma Opara, " The Elephant on Catechism," Review of Reconstructing the canon , ed .Austine Akpuda, Kiabara, vol. 9, no. 2, 2003, pp. 239 -245.

26. Chioma Opara , " Beyond patriarchal Religion: The Dynamics of female spirituality in post colonial African Culture" Journal of Niger Delta Research, vol 5, no 1 2003: 1- 11.

27. Chioma Opara , "From Uhamiri to Eagle Woman: Religion and Spirituality in Igbo women's writing" Journal of International Gender Studies, June 2004: 83 - 99. Also Published in Woman in the Academy, Port Harcourt : Pearl Publishers, 2004, pp. 41- 53.

28. Chioma Opara , "On the African concept of Transcendence: Conflating Nature, Nurture and Creativity', Melintas ( Indonesia ) pp.189-200. Th. 21, No. 2, Aug. - Nov. 2005.

29. Chioma Opara, " Integration as meaning Akachi Adiomora - Ezeigbo's House of Symbols and Children of the Eagle, African Literature today (Britain / USA) No. 27, September 2006. Forthcoming

30. Chioma Opara, "The barren women as an outsider in Igbo society of Nigeria CURARE special Issue (Germany) June / July 2006, forthcoming .

C5. PUBLISHED CONFERENCE PAPERS

1. Chioma Opara , " The history' in Ayi Kwei Armah 's histories" in Literature and African historical Experiences, ed Ernest Emenyonu et al Ibandan, Heinemann, 1991, pp.117-124

2. Chioma Opara , " The foot as metaphor in female dreams Analysis of zaynab Alkali's Novel' in Literature and Black Aesthetics, ed Ernest Emenyonu et al Ibandan, Heinemann, 1990 pp.158-166.

3. Chioma Opara , "Bridges and Ridges" in sisterhood, Feminisms and Power: from Africa to the Obioma Nnaemeka , Trenton , New Jersey : African World Press, 1998, pp. 433-434.

4. Chioma Opara ," Three dimensional differences in Flora Nwapa 's women are different in Calabar studies on African Literature, ed. Ebele Oko et al. Calabar: university of Calabar press, 1997, 88 - 98.

5. Chioma Opara, " Ineligible Spouse: Gender Relationship in the ivory tower," proceeding of Seminar on the university in the next Millennium, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt, 16 June 1999. 14 -17.

6. Chioma Opara, " Emerging from the Patriarchal confines The epistolary intercourse in Mariama Ba's Une Si Longue Lettre and Sembene Ousmane's Lettres de France, "proceeding s of the first international conference on women in Africa and the African Diaspora: Bridges across Activism and the academy, vol. 5 ( 1992). Pp. 197- 207.

C6 EDITORSHIP OF BOOKS AND JOURNALS

1. Editor, Journal of Gender Studies 1999-

2. Associate Editor, Journal of women's Studies in Africa , 200.

3. Associate Editor, Ogele 1989-

4. Consulting Editor, Springfield publisher

5. Compiled and edited. A decade of Rivers State University of Science and Technology, 1991.

D. TEACHING AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

2002 - Occasional Lectures to post Graduate Students of the institute of Education RSUST. Port Harcourt and member, Board of Examiners M.ED viva vocc August 2002

2001 - Supervising two women education post graduate students, institute of Education , RSUST, Port Harcourt .

1981 - Lecturer, Rivers State University of Science and Technology Port Harcourt.

1976 - 1981, Lecturer, College of Science and Technology Port Harcourt .

1975 - 1976 NYSC Teacher, Holy Rosary Girl's Secondary School, Port Harcourt .

E1 CONFERENCES ATTENDED AND PAPER PRESENTED

2005 " On the Concept of African Transcendence", 6th ISUD World Congress, University of Helsinki , Finland , 15 - 21 July 2005.

2005 "The Barren Woman as an outsider in Igbo Culture of Nigeria :, Reproductive Disruption Conference, University of Michigan Ann Arbor, U.S.A. 18-22May, 2005

2004 "Building Cultural Bridges: Historical and Literary Dynamics in Cross Border Education" African University Day, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt . 9 December, 2004.

2004 "Male power, Female Violation: Rebecca Njau 's the sacred seed and Ngugi wa Thiong'o 's Devil on the cross," Conference in honor of prof. Theo Vincent , University of Lagos . 22-23 September 2004.

2004 "A Tale of Synthetic Oral Traditional: Isidore Okpewho's Call Me By My Rightful Name, " 5th Conference of International Society of Oral Literature in Africa, University of Gambia, Banjul, Gambia, 15-17 July 2004.

2004 "The Nuances of Power process in Elechi Amadi ;s Novel's', Elechi Amadi at 70 International Conference at Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt . 12 May, 2004.

2004 "Non verbal artistry and the African female performer", African Literature Association 30th Anniversary Conference, University of Wisconsin-Madison , USA , April 14-18, 2004.

2003 "Beyond patriarchal religion: The dynamics of female Spirituality in post colonial African Culture. ISUD fifth World Congress, Olympia , Greece , 18 - 23 May 2003.

2002 "Integrative Levels of Meaning in Adimora- Ezeigbo 's House of Symbols", Kay Williamson Symposium, University of Port Harcourt , 10 - 11 April 2002

2001 "Ecofeminism and the writings of Ken Saro-Wiwa ", 1st National Conference WOREC, Imo State University Owerri December 3-7, 2001.

2001 "Overpowering Feminized poverty" The whip Hand of Emecheta and Nwapa" 1st National Conference WOREC, Imo State University Owerri December 3-7. 2001.

2001 "Association of Nigerian Authors Conference, Port Harcourt . November 20-23, 2001.

2000 "Through the Colored Looking Glass: Reflections in Tsitsi Dangaremgba 's Nervous conditions", 1st Gender Conference University of Port Harcourt. May 11-13, 2000

2000 "Subversion as Revision in Bauchi Emecheta 's Novels', 1st Gender Conference, University of Port Harcourt . May 11 - 13, 2000.

1999 Coping With The One as With the other: The Ambivalent Transcendence in Africa Feminist THOUGHT" International Conference on the 50th Anniversary of The Second Sex', Paris , 19-23 January 1999.

1998 "Hunted, Haunted and Handicapped: The Disabled woman in Ama Ata Aidoo's, Changes and Ngugi wa Thiongo's Devil on the cross" Conference on women in Africa and the Africa Diaspora: Health and Human Rights, Indiana University, Indianapolis, U.S.A. 23-27 October 1998.

1997 "Progeny of Female Oral Artists Flora Nwapa 's Efuru and Ifeoma Okoye 's Behind the Clouds" 14th Annual UNICAL International Conference on African Literature.

1995 "The Inalienable Victim of the Colonial Situation: The Example of Emecheta, Aidoo and Sembene" AAWORD 4th General Assembly and Seminar on Women and Democratization in African, Pretoria, South Africa, 7-11 April, 1995.

1994 "The Three Dimensional Differences: Flora Nwapa 's woman are different " 13th Annual University of Calabar International Conference on African Literature and The English Language, 3-7 may 1994.

1992 "Emerging from the Patriarchal Confines The Epistolary Intercourse in Mariama Ba's Une Si Longue Lettre and Sembene Ousman's Lettres de France", International conference on women African Diaspora: Bridges Across Activism and The Academy, University of Nigeria, Nsukka, 12-22 July, 1992.

1992 "Co-hosted Niger Delta Studies First Annual Conference, Rivers State University Science and Technology, Port Harcourt , 7-10 April 1992.

1992 "The Nigerian Female Writer as an Agitator in a Degenerate Nation ", 7th Annual Conference of the modern languages Association of Nigeria ( MLAN ), University of Nigeria Nsukka, 5-9 February, 1991.

1991 "Religious Pluralism and Democracy", 19th farm House dialogue, Obansanjo Farms, Otta, 6-8 December, 1991.

1990 "From Stereotype to Individuality: Womanhood in Chinua Achebe 's Novel", Symposium for Chinua Achebe 's 60th Birthday, University of Nigeria Nsukka, 12 - 14 February 1990.

1990 "Through The Prism of a Chequered History: Re-reading of Chinua Achebe 's Novels', Symposium for Chinua Achebe 's 60th Birthday, University of Nigeria Nsukka, 12-14 February 1990.

1989 " The Slave Motif in Emecheta's Novels: A function of Patriarchal Colonialism", WORDOC Symposium on "The impact of colonialism on Nigerian women', University of Ibandan , 16-19 October, 1989.

1989 "The history in Ayi Kwei Armah 's Histories" 9th International Conference on African Literature and English Language, University of Calabar , May 2-6. 1989.

1988 "The foot as Metaphor in Female Dream Analysis of Zaynab Alkali's Novels" International Conference on African Literature and English language, University of Calabar, may 2-6, 1988.

1985 " Femalism: That Ceaseless Agitation in the work of Ba and Nwapa", Conference on the black woman writer and the Diaspora', Michigan state University, East Lansing , October 27-30, 1985.

E2 PROFESSIONAL ASSIGNMENTS

Member, Board of Directors, International Society of Universalism and Dialogue, 2005-

Council Member, International Society for Oral Literatures in African, 2004-

Regional coordinator, Woman Caucus of African Literature Association (WOCALA) 2004-

Member African Literature Association 2004-

Zonal Co-coordinator, English Language Teachers Association of Nigeria (ELTAN) 2004-

Member, Association of African Woman Scholars. 1998-

Secretary, International Society for Universalism, Nigerian Chapter. 1995-

Co-coordinator, International Conference on "women in African and the African Diaspora

Bridges Across Activism and the Academy", 1991-1992

Member Nigerian Association of General Studies1991-

Member Modern Languages Association of Nigeria ( MLAN ).1991-

Reader, Longman Nigeria Limited, 1990.

Member L Association des Femmes Africaines pour IA Recherche, sur le Development (AFARD/AAWORD), Dakar - Senegal . 1990-

Zonal Coordinator, Women's Research and Documentation Centre (WORDOC) Institute of African Studies, University of Ibadan . 1989-2001.

Member, Literary Society of Nigeria. 1989-

Member, West African Association of commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (WAACLALS). 1988-

F. UNIVERSITY ADMINISTRATION

Ag. Director, Institute of Foundation Studies, RSUST, 2004 -

Co-ordinator, English Unit 1999.

IFS Seminar Co-ordinator 1997 - 1999.

Co-ordinator, English Unit 1990 - 1992.

F2 MEMBERSHIP OF COMMITTEES IN THE UNIVERSITY

Chairman, Senate Lectures Committee, 2004 -

Member of Senate 2004 -

Member, Faculty of Management Sciences Appraisal panel, 2004 -

Member, Senate Undergraduate Admissions Committee 2004 -

Member, Library Appraisal Panel 2004 -

Member, Third Ad Hoc Committee on students' Indiscipline, June 2002 -2003

Member, Institute of Foundation Studies (I.F.S.) Disciplinary Advisory Committee, 1998 - 2003.

I.F.S. Representative, Faculty of Engineering Board Meeting 1997 - 2003

Chairman, Environmental Development/Services Committee, 1997 -1999

Member, Faculty of Law Examination Board, 1996 - 1997

I.F.S. Representative, Faculty Board of Environmental Sciences, 1989 - March 1995

Member, Protocol Sub-Committee, Senate Ceremonial Committee 1990

Secretary, I.F.S. Handbook Committee, 1988

Member, Senate Library Committee, 1987 - 1992.

Member, I.F.S. Book or Readings Editorial Committee, 1988 - 1992.

Member, I.F.S. Research and Publication Committee, 1988 - 1992.

G. ACADEMIC ACTIVITIES OUTSIDE THIS UNIVERSITY

G1. Lectures/Workshops

University Teachers' Training Workshop on peace and conflict Resolution Studies in Nigerian Universities , University of Benin , 25th - 28th October, 2005.

Teleconferencing with Women's Studies Dept./Global Learning Centre, Wichita State University , USA . 11th October 2005.

Teleconferencing session with Women's Studies Department/Global Learning Centre, Wichita State University , USA . 5th October 2004.

Teleconferencing session with Women's Studies Dept./Global Learning Centre, Wichita State University, USA. 5th October 2004

Discussant, Graduate Class, Women's Studies Dept. Indiana University , Indianapolis USA . 28 October 1998.

Facilitator/Zonal Co-ordinator, Women and Leadership Workshop, Organized by Prof. J. Akande, Women Law and Development Centre Lagos , in Port Harcourt , May 19 -22 1998.

G2. GUEST LCETURES

"Empowering the Rural Women Education for Life", Enlightenment Workshop for Rural Women, Organized by Rural Women Literacy Project, Governor's Office, Rivers State , at Isiokpo, 3rd February 2005.

"Bellowing in Silence: African Women and their Struggle for Identity" Lecture delivered at the Department of Women' Studies, Wichita State University , Kansas , U.S.A. 3rd June, 2002.

"Gender Relations: Integrity and Integration" Students Orientation Programmed, Rivers State University of Science and Technology, Port Harcourt 13 February 2001.

"Towards a Productive Culture: Uprooting The Tare", Lecture delivered at the Federation of Mbaise Students' Cultural Day Celebration, University of Port Harcourt, 15th November, 1997.

The Student as a founder of a Wholesome Society", An Address Read at The 16th Foundation and Annual Prize-Giving Day Celebration, Federal Government Girls College , Abuloma, Port Harcourt , 23rd February, 1991.

H. COMMUNITY SERVICE

Chairperson, Association of Nigerian Authors ( ANA ) 2004 Inter-secondary School Literary Competition, sponsored by the British Council, Port Harcourt , 2 December 2004.

Chairperson, Organizing Committee, Fiesta '97: Carnival/Bazaar, Ladies Wing, Shell Club , Port Harcourt , 1997.

President, Shell Book Club, Port Harcourt . 1994 - 1999.

Member, Board of Governors, Tessy International Secondary School , Port Harcourt , 1999 -

Public Relations Officer, Caretaker Committee, Uzoabga Development Union, Port Harcourt, 1996 - 1997.