Prof Rofela Combey is an Associate Professor, Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Cape Coast (UCC), Deputy Director, International Stingless Bee Centre, Ghana, and Resident Bee Taxonomist for West Africa. Prof Combey serves as a taxonomist on a number of biodiversity assessment projects, including FAO Global Pollination Project, Stingless Bees Project, Ghana, Bees, Birds, and Shea Project, A Standard Method for Assessing Pollinator biodiversity in Tropical Ecosystem as well as National Science Foundation project-Odonata in Ghana: morphological adaptations to environmental gradients. She is a 2021 USA Fulbright scholar, 2013 Brazil TWAS-CNPq research fellow, Female International RUTA-MELI Award for Eminent Stingless Bee Scientist, and Distinguishe Pro Stingless Bee Director from Ghana 2024. She has 15 years’ experience as a faculty woman in STEM, and 20 years as the Senior Insect taxonomist and curator at the Entomology Museum, UCC, Ghana. She also has over two decades experience as a consultant for alternative livelihood ventures for youth and women. She holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Cape Coast, Ghana and a PostDoc in Geometric Morphometrics and Molecular Systematics from the University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Diversity of people and space inspire her in advancing creativity, innovation and youth oriented educational interventions. She has been a student advisor for over 10 years and patrons a number of student associations and programmes. Instinctively, she is a value-added team member who is overjoyed when she can credit a person or a group with being successful. Rofela recognizes and cultivates the potential in others by spotting the signs of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements as teams/ individuals strive to achieve desired goals. She can underscore what people have in common even though their backgrounds, experiences, languages, cultures, and interests vary greatly and facilitates dialogue between individuals. She understands that somehow our individual successes depend on each other. Prof Combey takes psychological and spiritual ownership of what she says she will do. Core to her stable value systems are honesty, hardwork and loyalty. Contributing her talents, leadership skills, project management skills, resource management skills and knowledge to the team or a person gives her great pleasure. She likes to figure out how all of the pieces and resources can be arranged for maximum productivity even in novel terrains. Currently, she also explores businesses in nature based solutions.
Prof. Rofela Combey
Associate Professor - ( Senior Member ) Department of Conservation Biology and EntomologyHead of Department
Department of Conservation Biology and Entomology-
Facilitator
Contemporary Issues in Fisheries Management. Fisheries Leadership Short course for Practitioners funded by USAID/Fisheries Recovery Activity Ghana.
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Presenter
International and Regional Fisheries Institutional Frameworks and Bodies. Workshop on Destabilising Impacts of Distant Water Fishing Vessels (DWFV) in the Gulf of Guinea Yaounde, Cameroon.
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Guest Speaker
“Promoting Research Excellence for Impact on Marine Conservation in Africa”, Institute for Oceans and Fisheries Online Seminar Series University of British Columbia, Canada.
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Co-Facilitator
“Grants Proposal Writing Workshop” University for Development Studies.
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Presenter
“Performance of the Africa Centre of Excellence in Coastal Resilience”, Country Round Table Workshop Association of African Universities (AAU), Online.
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Facilitator
“Regional Political Parties Dialogue on Fisheries: Protecting Our Fish, Securing Our Future, Live Engagement on JoyNews TV Centre for National Culture, Cape Coast.
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Presenter
Professorial Inaugural Lecture on the topic “Our Oceans: Securing Our Common Future through Transformative Research” Medical School Auditorium, University of Cape Coast.
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Presenter
Africa’s Plastic Revolution: Advancing Global Solutions for Healthy Oceans, T.D. Walter Bean Professorship Public Lecture University of Waterloo, Canada.
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Presenter
Expanding the Impact of Research on Africa’s Blue Economy. National Consultative Workshop for the Formulation of a National Blue Economy Strategy for Angola Luanda, Angola.
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Panelist
Regional Steering Committee Workshop for the World Bank West African Coastal Resilience Investment Projects (WACA ReSiP and ReiP2) Banjul, Gambia.
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Facilitator
Coastal Adaptation to Climate Change. Short-term Training Course funded by USAID Ghana.
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Co-Discussant
“Expanding the Impact of Blue Economy in Africa” (with Professor Rashid Sumaila) World Bank Headquarters, Washington.
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Facilitator
Workshop on “Winning Research and Development Grants in a Competitive World” Bolgatanga Technical University, Ghana.
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Facilitator
Workshop on “Proposal and Grants writing” University of Ghana, Ghana.
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Speaker
Study Tour on Sustainable Fisheries Management & Leadership University of Rhode Island, United States.
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Presenter
Vulnerability to Viability (V2V) Ghana Case Study. Bootcamp on moving fisheries from Vulnerability to Viability Puri, Delhi, India.
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Guest Speaker
Workshop Presentation on “Expanding the Impact of Research on Africa’s Blue Economy in Africa Hohai University, China.
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Participant
6th ACE Impact Regional Workshop of the World Bank and the Association of African Universities Accra (Online).
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Panelist
Seaweed (Sargassum) Invasion on the Ghanaian Coasts, Implications for the National Economy and Management Live TV Broadcast, GTV.
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Guest Speaker
“West African Fisheries”, Workshop by the Regional Universities Forum for Capacity Building in Agriculture (RUFORUM) University of Makerere, Kampala, Uganda.
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Eminent Stingless Bee Scientist from Ghana
Female International Award RUTA-MELI
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Distinguished Prof Stingless Bee Director from Ghana
Female International Award RUTA-MELI
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Inter-Institutional Partnerships for Diversifying Research IPDR Project 2023-2024
Penn State Huck Institutes of Life Sciences
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Fulbright Visiting Scholars Program
Institute of International Education, Department of State, Washington DC/ Penn State University, Altoona, USA
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University of Cape Coast Bedbug Control Project, Principal Researcher
University of Cape Coast
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Institute of Ministry Scholarship for leadership training
Christian Retreat, Florida
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Post Doctoral Fellow
CNPq-TWAS Post-Doctoral Fellowship, School of Arts, Sciences and Humanities (EACH), University of Sao Paulo, Brazil,
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Ph. D Grant for Capacity Building in Africa
CS Fund and Warsh-Mott Legacy of California (USA)
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University of Cape Coast/ Ghana Education Trust Fund (GETFund) Sponsorship for Capacity Building Programme
University of Cape Coast/Ghana Education Trust Fund Sponsorship
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Member
Entomological Society of America
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Member
British Ecological Society
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Member
Fulbright Alumni
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Executive Secretary
Refreshing Hour International Church, Office of the Bishop
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Member
University Teachers Association of Ghana, UCC Chapter
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Member
Ghana Science Association-GSA
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Member
West African Network For Taxonomy-WAFRINET
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Member
Association of African Insect Scientists-AAIS
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Member
African Pollinators Initiative –API
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Principal Researcher
Classification and Qualitative Assessment Of Ghana’s Honey
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Principal Researcher
Bees and Bedbug Species Assessments Using Geometric Morphometrics, Cuticular Hydrocarbon Profiling, Spectral Imaging And Molecular Techniques, Ongoing
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Insect Taxonomist
FAO/ GEF/ UNEP Global Pollination Project-Ghana
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Bee Taxonomist
Stingless Bee Project, Ghana
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Insect Taxonomist/ Researcher
Bee Mediated Pollination Project
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Principal Investigator
Assessing the Multifunctional Nanoscale Properties of Odonatas & exploring their Potential Applications, Penn State University, University Park
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Team member, Contract for services to deliver a short course on Marine Litter under the OCPP
Cefas/UKAID
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Panel Chair, Reviewed Environmental Impact Statement of PECAN Energies for Offshore Exploration of Oil & Gas
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) of Ghana, Secondi/Takoradi
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Team member, Contract for development of a short course on Marine Litter for the West Africa Region
Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) funded by Cefas/UKAID
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Team member, Contract services to conduct data collection surveys on abandoned lost or otherwise discarded fishing gear (ALDFG) in Ghana
Ocean Country Partnership Program (OCPP) funded by Cefas/UKAID
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Lead Consultant, Contract for the Development of Fishery Courses Syllabi for Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture Sciences (DoFAS), University of Liberia
IDA-V3100
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Panel Chair, Evaluation of Applications for recruitment of Environmental, Social Safeguards Officers for Ghana’s Ministry of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovation (MESTI)
World Bank funded West Africa Coastal Areas Management Programme
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Lead Consultant, Consultancy to review and align national fisheries and aquaculture polices and laws with the PFRS, regional instruments and global best practices for 15 AU Member States
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Lead Consultant, Mechanisms to Facilitate the Domestication of Global Instruments and Initiatives (2022)
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Lead Consultant, Identification of Issues for SIDS, Development of Draft Strategic Positions for SIDS
African Union – InterAfrican Bureau of Animal Resources (AU-IBAR)
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Team member, Environmental Systems Analysis of the Avu Lagoon Protected area
Calgary Zoo Foundation
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Trainer, Conduct Marine Spatial Planning Workshop in Ghana
University of Liverpool
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Team member, Pre-feasibility study for nature-based intervention for Anlo Beach community in Ghana
Valued at US$32,365.00
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Team member, Marine Plastic Pollution Study in Liberia
Conservation International
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Team member, Vulnerability, Adaptation and Resilience in a Changing Climate - WACA -VAR Workshop
World Bank
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Consultant, Support Development of Multi-sector Resilience Investment Programme for the West Africa Coastal Area Management Program
World Bank
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Consultant, Issues and Opportunities in the Ghanaian Fishery Sector: Addressing the context, prospects and challenges
Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), United Kingdom
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Consultant, Estimations on renewable energy investments in Ghana
Highland Star Group (HSG) of Companies, Geneva, Switzerland
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Team Member, Regional Mapping of Experts and Institutions in Coastal management
World Bank
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Lead Consultant, Review of the Fisheries Act 2002 (act 625) and the Development of Draft Regulations for the conduct of Fisheries Impact Assessments
Ghana Industrial Trawlers Association (GITA) and GOGIG funded by DFID/UK
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Team member, Environmental baseline survey of water bodies in the Great Consolidated Diamond Ghana Limited (GCDGL) mining concession
AERC Ltd.
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Team member, Scoping Study on the Dredging of the Whin Estuary in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis
UCC Consultancy Unit/Consolidated Energy Ltd.
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Team member, Social Ecology of Anlo Beach Wetland of Ghana
Friends of the Nation/IUCN/French Global Environment Facility (GEF)
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Principal Investigator, Biodiversity Assessment of Urban Wetlands in the Western Region, Ghana with focus on Essei and Butuah Lagoons and the Whin River Estuary
USAID through Friends of the Nation