“Brothers” Supporting Breastfeeding

I am Austine Uzodinma Onyia, a Nigerian-born and naturalized Belizean. I am a graduate of a diverse field of study which includes pharmacy, business administration, theology, and ministerial studies. I have practiced as a hospital and community pharmacist for over 25 years in multi-ethnic settings in Nigeria and Belize. I am currently a DrPH student of the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, College of Health Sciences, Jackson State University. I am married to Emmanuella, and our union of 15 years is blessed with five kids. I am a student of life, for life.

Rod Denne’ is the former Staff Training and Development Administrator for the Department of Human Resources at Jackson State University.  As the administrator, Rod significantly expanded the number of online and instructor-led courses offered, coordinated campus compliance, mandatory, and voluntary training and development activities for university staff, faculty, and student employees.  Rod has extensive knowledge of Information Technology, Communication, Higher Education Cost Modeling, and their applications in the global market.  Having joined the JSU family in 1997, Rod prides himself on being a results-oriented team leader with a 25-year track record of providing superior project management, training and development and support services to numerous key executives, faculty, and staff.  He has been very active in the higher education arena, holding a variety of positions including, the Administrator for Training and Development, Special Assistant to the Sr. Vice President for Finance and Operations, Assistant to the Vice President for Information Technology, University Computer Lab Coordinator, and Staff Accountant.  Rod has served as project lead on numerous institutional-wide initiatives including space utilization, strategic planning, cost analytics, process mapping and re-engineering, resources identification and expansion, compliance audits, and development of institutional competencies.  While special assistant to the Sr. VP, Rod; in conjunction with external partners, leveraged Time-Driven Activity Based Costing to design a “University-Wide Cost Model” with the ability to build “what if” scenarios for approximately 2500 accounts and 263 core departments.  A total of 400 process algorithms were developed and leveraged to identify current and future cost savings.  Rod quarterbacked efficiency audit projects within the university auxiliaries sector yielding a 17% cost reduction and a 25% increase in vending revenues over a two year period.  In concert with the General Counsel, Rod also serves as the staff liaison on workforce policy research, analysis, development as well as management of staff handbook updates, modifications, and revocations. 

Rod’s international experience includes technical assessments for the international programs division partnership with JSU and USAID at the University of Agostino in Luanda, South Africa and training coordinator/facilitator at the University of Mauritius, Mauritius South Africa. 

He has a B.S in accounting, a M.S. in education technology, and received his PhD in higher education from Jackson State University.  His passion for policy, research and training continues to focus on employee engagement and employee perceptions of training and development in the workplace.  He is also a proud father and supporter of breastfeeding and early nutrition excellence!