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Office of the President
Harbel College
Lower Margibi, Country
Liberia

Media requests: +231 77513852/ 231-880043301

Email ssomah@hc.edu.lr

Syrulwa Somah, PhD

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President's Biography

Dr. Syrulwa Somah is a native of Liberia born in Kokoyah, Upper Bong County on January 1, 1959. Having graduated from Zwedru Multilateral High School, he attended Tubman College, present day Tubman University. He was awarded a scholarship to study aviation abroad. While residing in the USA, he was also educated at Fiorello La Guardia Community College in Long Island, New York where he earned an Associate of Arts degree and a BSc. Degree in Occupational Safety & Health from the State University of New York. Dr. Somah has two master’s degrees (General Healthcare Administration) from Central Michigan University and (History & Religion) from the University of Oklahoma.

On December 8, 2015, Dr. Syrulwa Somah, was appointed President of Harbel College by Her Excellency Madam Ellen Johnson Sirleaf. The first President of Harbel College brings to the institution over 30 years of leadership expertise across a number of leading national and international institutions. At the core of his commitment, is seeing the college as the best investment Liberia’s tomorrow: to serve as gateways to social mobility and economic opportunity for all hard-working students — regardless of their income, ethnicity, or parents’ education — and builds Liberian leaders by providing access to quality and affordable education, and go on to rewarding careers.

Before joining Harbel College, he served as Vice President for Administration and Vice President for Sponsored Programs, and Economic Development at W.V.S. Tubman University (TU). Prior to joining TU, Dr. Somah was Associate Professor of Environmental Health and Occupational Safety & Health and Graduate Program Coordinator at North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University. He is also the Executive Director of Liberian History, Education & Development. He is the author of several books, including, The Historical Resettlement of Liberia and Its Environmental Impact; Christianity, Colonization and State of African Spirituality; Nyanyan Gohn-Manan: History, Migration & Government of the Bassa, a book about traditional Bassa leadership and cultural norms published in 2003, Scrapping Coup D’état for the New dependent Movement in Africa, and Duankadyu: Legend of the Bassa.

Dr. Somah has been the recipient of numerous awards including the Outstanding Service Through Training and Promotion of Safety Awareness, City of Greensboro, Department of Transportation Award (1998); the Africa Environmental Watch Humanitarian Award (2009); Liberia Image Award (2008); NCA & T State University’s “Teacher of the Year Award” (2007); “Faculty Innovator Award” (2007); and “Outstanding OSH Department Professor of Year Award” (2001 and 2004). He is the recipient of Fulbright Scholarship Award to India (2010). In 2015, one of Liberia’s most respected newspapers, The Daily Observer newspaper of Liberia described him as “True Son of Soil.”

Dr. Somah also has an impressive record of public service and of using sports as therapy for post-conflicts Liberian youth; reorganizing the Liberian military for external defense & internal peacekeeping; tetrahedron electoral format for national election in Liberia; education, particularly around issues of Liberian Studies inclusion in the National Education Reforms of Liberia; and inclusion and inclusive curriculum of relevance to serve the local needs of Liberia.

From 2004 to 2005, he and his colleagues’ malaria eradication campaign began with a symposium on malaria treatment and control on the camps of NC A&T in 2005, a national health conference in Monrovia, Liberia in 2006, and several malaria awareness workshops and seminars within African communities across the U.S. and Liberia. Eventually, a combination of these symposiums and workshops, including a letter writing campaign to U.S. leaders, resulted in Liberia’s inclusion on the list of funding recipients for malaria treatment and control under the U.S. government’s President Malaria Initiatives (PMI).

The U.S. government, through the U.S. Embassy in Monrovia, acknowledged LIHEDE’s role in Liberia getting PMI funding by inviting a LIHEDE delegation at the Embassy in 2006 to witness via satellite the official announcement by President George W. Bush of Liberia’s inclusion on the PMI funding list. Liberia did receive more than 70 million under the PMI funds and the Global Fund.

Apart from is busy schedule, Dr. Somah finds time to hang out with his staff be it in yoga class or on the soccer field.

President Somah's CV

President Somah's CV (click pdf below to Download President Somah's CV)

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