Dr. Esther Ndumi Ngumbi is a Kenyan entomologist and academic who serves as Assistant Professor of Entomology and African-American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign. She was awarded the Society for Experimental Biology’s President’s Medal in 2018 and is widely recognized for her contributions to science, sustainability, and public engagement.
Raised in a rural farming community in Kwale County, Kenya, Esther began farming at the age of seven. Witnessing the struggles of small-scale farmers shaped her understanding of food insecurity and resilience. She earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from Kenyatta University before receiving an American Association of University Women International Fellowship to pursue her PhD in entomology at Auburn University, where she was among the first from her community to earn a doctorate. She later conducted postdoctoral research at Auburn University.
Esther’s research explores how plants, herbivores, and microbes communicate through chemical signals, particularly volatile organic compounds. She also teaches science communication and advocates for urban agriculture as a solution to unhealthy eating habits. A respected science communicator, Esther has written for Scientific American, The Moth, the World Economic Forum, and other outlets, and has appeared on public radio.
Esther has received numerous honors, including the 2017 Emerging Sustainability Leader Award and the 2021 AAAS Mani L. Bhaumik Award for Public Engagement with Science. Selected by President Barack Obama for the Young African Leadership Initiative, she also mentors youth through the Clinton Foundation. Passionate about girls’ education, she co-founded the Dr. Ndumi Faulu Academy in her hometown, which now serves over 100 students.
