The University of Liberia on Thursday, February 19, 2026, honored 81 members of its faculty at the fendall campus in appreciation for Peer-Reviewed Publications.

Twenty-seven others were also recognised for dedication and commitment to their duties.

Associate Professor Abdulfatah Abdu Yusuf, from the College of Engineering was awarded as the most published UL Faculty with 19 publications to his credit during the years 2024 and 2025.

The former Vice President for Academic Affairs, Prof. Dr. Moses M. Zinnah delivered the keynote address.

Dr. Zinnah, who is also a distinguished academic and an internationally acclaimed publisher, spoke on the theme, “Leaving Nobody behind.”

“Scholarship is what makes a professor a professor,” Dr. Zinnah declared.

He extolled the brilliance and competence of the faculty who published in 2024 and 2025.

To the faculty, Dr. Zinnah encouraged them to align their research to solve societal problems, particularly in their local communities.

He, among many recommendations, urged the UL to significantly invest in facilities that nurture and promote research.

Dr. Zinnah gave special recognition to Assoc. Professor, Abdulfatah Abdu Yusuf for his scholarly achievement.

“Prof. Yusuf’s scholastic record is impeccable. I wonder how he finds time to do it and excels in such a manner,” Dr. Zinnah said in an excited mood.

This marks the three consecutive time Assoc. Prof. Yusuf has won the award.

“I am grateful for this honor and also thank the UL administration through academic affairs for setting up the environment where faculty can further develop their research and intellectual abilities,” Prof. Yusuf stated.

In a statement to the honorees, UL President Dr. Layli Maparyan underscored the importance of Peer-Reviewed Publications.

She said University accreditation by national, regional, or international institutions rests a lot on the quality of the faculty.

“And the faculty is generally defined by the quality of the research they conduct and not just the publication.” Dr. Maparyan emphasised.

She acknowledged the enormous challenges some faculty encountered in publishing and promised to solve it.

“We are in the process of preparing to launch the UL Strategic Plan soon. The plan includes the Research, Entrepreneurship, Development and Innovation Unit, REDI,” Dr. Maparyan promised.

She revealed that the mandate of the Unit is to support research, entrepreneurship, development and innovation at the University of Liberia.

Also speaking, UL Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Agnes Reeves Taylor expressed delight over the increase in faculty publications.

She however urged them to direct their publication to solve societal problems.

“I would like to remind you to begin to think about publishing in areas that help to find solutions to our problems,” Dr. Taylor noted.

The first Faculty Scholastic Recognition and Honoring ceremony was held on February 17, 2021, with just 30 out of approximately 800 faculty members who published.

Since then, that number has more than tripled with 81 faculty publishing in notable academic journals.