2025 Ella Smith Simmons Annual Public Lecture Series
Welcome to this year’s annual public lecture.
Distinguished guest: Prof. Marion Mutugi, EBS
Lecture title: Ethics and Human Rights Through the Lens of Faith
Date: September 9, 2025
Time: 2:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Venue: Judith Thomas Library, Adventist University of Africa (AUA) Campus, Ongata Rongai
Cost: Free
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Brief Bio of 2025 Public Lecture Speaker
Prof. Marion Mutugi, EBS
Marion Wanjiku Mutugi, a professor of genetics, earned her PhD from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in 1993. A dynamic scholar, trainer, and administrator, she is widely published in medical genetics and more recently in bioethics. Her personal motto is: “What’s worth doing is worth doing well.”
Currently, her focus is on the ethical application of scientific research to promote and protect human rights. Prof. Mutugi has worked in various public and private research institutions and universities. She is presently a Commissioner with the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR). Her prior roles include Vice-Chancellor of Amref International University and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Kabianga. She also served as Director of the Institute of Tropical Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT). An accomplished trainer, she has mentored many biomedical and health professionals across the region. Additionally, Prof. Mutugi has participated in numerous national and international initiatives, committees, and task forces.
In 2011, she was awarded the “Elder of the Order of the Burning Spear (E.B.S.)” by the President of Kenya in recognition of her service to the nation.
About Ella Smith Simmons Annual Public Lecture Series
The Adventist University of Africa (AUA) exists “to deliver outstanding postgraduate education from a Biblical foundation to prepare competent leaders to serve the Church and society in a Christ-like manner.” Establishing annual public lectures provides a means to serve the public interest and influence society in the long run. Thus, public lectures offer rare opportunities to share knowledge and engage with the local community, government, alumni, students, and other stakeholders regarding critical issues.
The annual public lecture series, named after Dr. Ella Smith Simmons, is an integral part of the Office of Research and Grant Development mandate— promoting scholarship and stimulating intellectual engagement on significant issues such as leadership and corporate governance. We aim to become a respected center of influence in the continent of Africa, disseminating knowledge, engaging society, and building stronger relationships with key stakeholders. The Ella Smith Simmons Annual Distinguished Lecture Series is proposed to be established in honor of the legacy of Dr. Ella S. Simmons, the first female vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists (for 22 years), the recipient of the Association of Adventist Women’s Woman of the Year award in 2010, the first female Chair of AUA’s council and AIIAS Board, and her contributions to the SDA church and Adventist education in general.
Purpose of the Ella Smith Simmons Annual Distinguished Lecture Series
- To serve as an annual discussion forum for scholars, students, alumni, and the general public by drawing distinguished scholars, statesmen, and church leaders from across the globe in intellectual conversation and dialogue that will offer solutions to leadership and governance issues.
- To serve as an annual event to recognize and appreciate the legacy of Dr. Ella Simmons’s contribution to the SDA Church and AUA.
- To serve as the AUA’s contribution to knowledge dissemination and empowerment by providing a free public forum for public interaction and engagement with eminent speakers.
- To inspire students, scholars, and the general public to engage in critical thinking as a way of understanding and confronting leadership and governance issues challenging the Church and Africa.
- To draw students, scholars, and practitioners to one meeting point for further networking and developing long-term professional relationships.