Prof. Olive Mugenda is the vice-chancellor of Kenyatta University, where she has also served as Deputy Vice- Chancellor (Finance, Planning &Development), Dean of Faculty of Applied Human Sciences and Head of Department). She received her PhD in Family and Consumer Sciences from lowa State University. She is also a holder of a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the Eastern and Southern Africa Management Institute. She is Chair of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, London and Vice- president of the international Association of Universities, Paris. She is a recipient of the Elder of Burning Spear (EBS) (2006) and Chief of the order of the Burning Spear (CBS) (2011) presidential awards. Prof. Mugenda is also a recipient of the Ernst and Young Lifetime Achievement Award (2014) and the Honorary Fellow award of the Kenya Institute of Management (2014). She is a Director of Nation Media Group, Kenya. She has extensively published referred papers in education and Co-authored two key research books namely: Qualitative and Quantities Approaches and Research Methods Dictionary. Her research focuses on enhancing access, equity and quality of higher education, quality of higher education, quality of life, leadership, innovation and governance and research methodology. 

Having been the Vice-Chancellor of Kenyatta University since 2006, She has used her experience and network to transform the University through expansion of infrastructure, development of relevant market oriented programmes and championing of innovation and entrepreneurship in the University.