Prof. Stephen T. Odonkor is a distinguished Fulbright Scholar and the Head of the Department of Development Policy at the School of Public Service and Governance, Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA). He is also an Associate Professor of Public Health and Environmental Management, with a robust multidisciplinary background that bridges research, policy, and practice.
He earned his PhD from the University of South Africa (Pretoria), a Master of Philosophy from the University of Ghana (Legon), an MBA from the Paris Graduate School of Management (France), and a BSc from the University of Cape Coast (Ghana). He is also a certified graduate member of the Chartered Institute of Administrators and Management Consultants (CIAMC).

Prof. Odonkor has authored over forty peer-reviewed publications in top-ranked journals and has extensive experience in research, curriculum development, project design, data analysis, and community engagement initiatives, with a strong focus on environmental and occupational health challenges. He is widely recognized for organizing interdisciplinary seminars that bring together researchers, students, policymakers, and community members to explore critical environmental and health-related issues.
At GIMPA, he has spearheaded the development and review of multiple academic programmes, including the MSc in Occupational Safety, Health and Environmental Management, Master of Public Health, MPhil in Public Health and MA in Monitoring and Evaluation. He also served as Lead Researcher for Ghana’s first National Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) Country Profile, developed in partnership with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Ministry of labour, Jobs and Employment.

Beyond academia, Prof. Odonkor is the Founder and Executive Director of the Metropolitan Research and Education Bureau (MREB), established in 2007, which advances research and community-based solutions to pressing national challenges. He also leads the Metropolitan Sports Academy (MSA) and its Galaxy Ladies Football Club, which provide football training, education, and vocational support for girls, integrating sports, education, and social development.

Before joining GIMPA, he served as a consultant to several private universities and colleges in Ghana, where he was instrumental in establishing governance structures, formulating policies, and laying the foundations for accreditation. Internationally, he has represented several Ghanaian institutions in negotiating and signing Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) in Canada and other countries, fostering academic partnerships and exchange programmes.
Prof. Odonkor is currently authoring the textbook Integrated Occupational Health, Safety, and Environmental Management: A Comprehensive Guide to Policy, Practice, and Compliance in the 21st Century Workplace (MREB, 2026).

Professional affiliations

• American Public Health Association (APHA).
• American Society for Microbiology.
• Institution of Occupational Safety and Health.
• The Fulbright Association.
• Ghana Association of Biomedical Scientists.
• Ghana Science Association.
• Charted Institute of Management & Administrative Consultants.
• Institute of Monitoring and Evaluation and Evaluation Partitioners, Ghana (IMEP)

• Environmental Health
• Epidemiology and Disease Control
• Monitoring and Evaluation for Health

• Food, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene.
• Climate Change and Health.
• Occupational Health and Safety.
• Health Leadership, Policy and Governance.
• Health Systems and Planning

• Mental Health Without Borders: a multi-sectorial Approach to Reduce Stigma and Discrimination against Mental Illness in West Africa

Professional and Certificate level:

• Environmental Health and Safety
• Food and Water Quality
• Water and Sanitation
• Climate Change and Health
• Principles of Health and Safety Management
• Applied Health and Safety Management

Undergraduate level:

• Statistics
• Research Methods
• Occupational Health, Safety and Environmental Management
• Operations Management
• Health and Safety
• Health Informatics
• Human biology and Infectious diseases

Postgraduate level:

• Foundations and Ethics of Public Health
• Communicable Disease Control
• Fundamentals of Occupational Health and Safety
• Principles of Ecology
• Environmental Management
• Occupational Hygiene
• Health Systems and Planning
• Public Health Administration and Leadership
• Monitoring and Evaluation for Health
• Integrating Health and Safety in the Work Environment

• Odonkor, S. T., & Sallar, A. M. (2024). Occupational Health and Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices Among Healthcare Workers In Accra Ghana. Scientific African, e02130.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Yeboah, T. N. (2023). Challenges of rural women living with obstetric fistula: A phenomenological study. Women and Birth
• Odonkor, S. T., Simpson, S. V., Morales Medina, W. R., & Fahrenfeld, N. L. (2022). Antibiotic‐Resistant Bacteria and Resistance Genes in Isolates from Ghanaian Drinking Water Sources. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2022(1), 2850165
• Odonkor, S. T., & Sallar, A. M. (2021). Correlates of household waste management in Ghana: implications for public health. Heliyon, 7(11), e08227.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Adams, S. (2021). Climate change-mediated heat stress vulnerability and adaptation strategies among outdoor workers. Climate and Development, 1-9.
• Adams, S., & Odonkor, S. (2021). Status, opportunities, and challenges of nuclear power development in Sub-Saharan Africa: The case of Ghana. Progress in Nuclear Energy, 103816.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Adams, S. (2021). Predictors of stress and associated factors among healthcare workers in Western Ghana. Heliyon, 7(6), e07223.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Adom, P. K. (2020). Environment and health nexus in Ghana: A study on perceived relationship and willingness-to-participate (WTP) in environmental policy design. Urban Climate, 34, 100689.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Adams, S. (2020). An assessment of public knowledge, perception and acceptance of nuclear energy in Ghana. Journal of Cleaner Production, 269, 122279.
• Frimpong, K., Odonkor, S. T., Kuranchie, F. A., & Nunfam, V. F. (2020). Evaluation of heat stress impacts and adaptations: perspectives from smallholder rural farmers in Bawku East of Northern Ghana. Heliyon, 6(4), e03679.
• Odonkor, S. T., Frimpong, K., & Kurantin, N. (2020). An assessment of household solid waste management in a large Ghanaian district. Heliyon, 6(1), e03040.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Sallar, A. M. (2020). An Assessment of Public Knowledge and Potential Health Impacts of Global Warming in Ghana. BioMed Research International, 2020.
• Odonkor, S. T., Kurantin, N., & Sallar, A. M. (2020). Food safety practices among postnatal mothers in Western Ghana. International Journal of Food Science, 2020
• Odonkor, S. T., Mitsotsou-Makanga, H., & Dei, E. N. (2020). Road safety challenges in Sub-Saharan Africa: the case of Ghana. Journal of Advanced Transportation, 2020.
• Owusu, F., Kuranchie, F. A., Odonkor, S., Frimpong, K., & Muri, M. (2020). Biomass Stove for Pelletized Sawdust Fuel in Ghana. Combustion Science and Technology, 192(9), 1719-1730.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Mahami, T. (2020). Healthcare waste management in Ghanaian hospitals: associated public health and environmental challenges. Waste Management & Research, 38(8), 831-839.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Mahami, T. (2020). Microbial air quality in neighbourhoods near landfill sites: Implications for public health. Journal of Environmental and Public Health, 2020.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Mahami, T. (2020). Escherichia coli as a tool for disease risk assessment of drinking water sources. International Journal of Microbiology, 2020
• Odonkor, S. T., & Odonkor, C. J. (2020). An Assessment of Food Safety Knowledge and Practices in the Ghanaian Hospitality Industry. Journal of Food Quality, 2020.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Frimpong, K. (2020). Burnout among healthcare professionals in Ghana: a critical assessment. BioMed research international, 2020.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Mahami, T. (2020). Knowledge, Attitudes, and Perceptions of Air Pollution in Accra, Ghana: A Critical Survey. Journal of environmental and public health, 2020.
• Odonkor, S. T., Dei, E. N., & Sallar, A. M. (2020). Knowledge, Attitude, and Adaptation to Climate Change in Ghana. The Scientific World Journal, 2020.
• Odonkor, S. T., Kitcher, J., Okyere, M., & Mahami, T. (2019). Self-assessment of hygiene practices towards predictive and preventive medicine intervention: a case study of university students in Ghana. BioMed Research International, 2019
• Odonkor, S. T., Frimpong, C., Duncan, E., & Odonkor, C. (2019). Trends in patients’ overall satisfaction with healthcare delivery in Accra, Ghana. African journal of primary health care & family medicine, 11(1), 1-6.
• Odonkor, S. T., & Addo, K. K. (2018). Prevalence of multidrug-resistant Escherichia coli isolated from drinking water sources. International journal of microbiology, 2018.

Email: stdonkor@gimpa.edu.gh  or stephen.odonkor@fulbrightmail.org

Cell: +233 243 709 702