William Kisaalita, Ph.D.

University Professor and UGA Athletic Association Distinguished Professor in Engineering

706-542-0835

williamk@uga.edu

144 Riverbend Research Center South
220 Riverbend Road
Athens, Georgia 30602
United States

AAAS Fellow

Without electricity, there’s no way to keep milk cool in rural Africa. University of Georgia College of Engineering professor William Kisaalita is changing that.

Kisaalita’s research and design efforts have not only served as academic experiences for students, but have also produced nearly a dozen products, with four of these in commercial use, designed to empower agricultural producers in Africa and around the world. His EvaKuula, a biogas-powered device for the preservation on milk freshness in low-resource settings, has been recognized with an ASABE AE50 Award, recognizing the best innovations in engineering and technology for agricultural, food, and biological systems.

“My most cherished experiences with students have been in engineering design project courses involving global service-learning and the companion summer research programs overseas with students that I developed. Watching in real-time and being part of these transformational experiences with the students is priceless.”

Education

Ph.D. in chemical engineering, University of British Columbia
B.S. in mechanical engineering, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda

Professional Appointments

Adjunct Visiting Professor, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda, 2001 – present
Professor, University of Georgia, 1991 – present
Georgia Athletic Association Distinguished Professor, University of Georgia College of Engineering, 2017 – 2021

Other Professional Experience

Founder and CTO, Thermogenn, 2009 – present

Awards & Honors

Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science
Fellow, African Scientific Institute
Fellow, Uganda National Academy of Sciences
Fulbright Award to Uganda, 2020-21.
Lalit and Aruna Verma Award for Excellent in Global Engagement, American Society for Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 2018
University Professor ship, University of Georgia, 2020
University of Georgia Athletic Association Professorship in Engineering, 2017
University of Georgia President’s Fulfilling the Dream Award, 2016
Distinguished Faculty Scholar Award, UGA College of Engineering, 2015
Lioba Moshi Award for Service in African Studies, University of Georgia, 2015
Richard Reiff Internationalization Award, University of Georgia, 2015
Powering Agriculture Award: An Energy Grand Challenge for Development Initiative, 2013
University of Georgia Scholarship of Engagement Award, 2008
University Mentor of the Year for Undergraduate Research, University of Georgia Honors Program, 2004
Lowry H. Gillespie, Jr. Award, UGA College of Engineering, 2002

Areas of Expertise

Microtissue engineering
Development engineering

Publications

Google Scholar Page

Patents

EvaKuula
A wind-/biogas-powered cooling system for rural settings with no access to grid electricity, targeting the evening milk. [EvaKuula Africa Region patent application (THERMIZATION AND EVAPORATIVE COOLING FOR THE PRESERVATION OF MILK) is pending, ARIPO Patent Application No. AP/P/2017/010045]
YaiKuula
A wind-powered cooling system for rural settings with no access to grid electricity, targeting avian eggs storage for hatching under surrogate brooder hens [Covered under the EvaKuula patent Application].
IzeChurn
A hand-operated milk churner for ghee making that reduces labor or increases productivity eight-fold.
wandaMix
A housefly larvae-based protein concentrate for poultry feed formulation that is enabling small-scale poultry producers to be profitable with as few as 50 meat birds per cycle, three cycles a year.

Additional Information

Affiliated Research Centers

Regenerative Bioscience Center, University of Georgia, 2015 – Present
African Studies Institute, University of Georgia, 2015 – Present
Biomedical & Health Sciences Institute, University of Georgia, 2013 – Present

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