Manthi K. Fredrick Elected A Member of National Academy of Science

Manthi, Fredrick K. a senior research scientist and director of the West Turkana Paleontological Research Project, National Museums of Kenya (Kenya) has been elected member of the prestigious United of America"s headquartered, National Academy of Science (NAS). 

Manthi, Fredrick K was among the twenty four (24) international members elected and recognized  for their distinguish and continuous achievement in original research for the benefit of humanity. 

Fredrick is a senior research scientist and the head of the paleontology section at the National Museums of Kenya. He works closely with the Turkana Basin Institute (TBI) in the remote Lake Turkana area and occasionally teaches paleontology courses at the TBI Field School.  

His research focuses on Late Miocene and Plio-Pleistocene mammalian fossil faunas and their importance in understanding the palaeoenvironments in which early hominins evolved. He has directed fieldwork in Plio-Pleistocene sites in the Turkana Basin (in Northern Kenya) including Kanapoi, Lomekwi, Nariokotome, Todenyang, Loruth Kaado, Kakwat and Natodomeri, all in the Turkana Basin in northern Kenya, as well Lemudong’o in the south-western Kenyan Rift. According  to his profile it was estimated that this research efforts have yielded over 12,000 fossil specimens including very unique hominid fossils.

Fredrick Manthi is the founder and chairman of the Prehistory Club of Kenya, a club founded with aim to educate young people about Kenyas prehistoric heritage.  

Manthi is a Post-doctoral Fellow, State University of New York at Stony Brook/Turkana. He hold a:

  • PhD in Archaeology from the University of Cape Town (UCT), South Africa. 
  • Master of Philosophy degree in Archaeology, UCT 
  • BA degree, majoring in Archaeology and Social Anthropology,
  • Diploma in Earth Sciences, Kenya Polytechnic

Membership of NAS is a widely accepted mark of excellence in science and is said to be considered one of the highest honours that a scientist can receive. 

Manthi is the only scientist that represent Africa on the list of the international elected members 2024 and is the fourth person being elected into academy from Kenya based affiliated institutions. The other three (3) people are: Agnes M. Kalibata, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA); Meave G. Leakey, Turkana Basin Institute; Baldwyn Torto, International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology.

Becoming a member of National Academy  of Science is by election. Members of the academy formally nominate candidates after which consideration processes are conducted and so no application is required on the part of candidates.

Each year 120 American citizen and 30 international members are elected into the academy. 


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