Dr. Atupele Ngina Mulaga provides comprehensive academic and administrative leadership for the Department of Mathematical Sciences at MUBAS. Her role involves strategic planning, budget management, and ensuring the effective delivery of high-quality academic programmes. She is responsible for mentoring staff, fostering a strong research culture, and establishing collaborative links with government, private sector entities, and international partners to enhance the department's profile and impact.
Dr. Mulaga is an accomplished statistician with a PhD in Applied Statistics from the University of Malawi and an MSc in Statistics from Zhongnan University of Economics and Law in China. Her research specialization lies in the application of advanced spatial and multilevel statistical methods to understand geographical variations and their effects on public health outcomes.
With a record of over ten peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Mulaga actively contributes to scholarly discourse in applied statistics. Her leadership is dedicated to building a dynamic and research-driven academic unit that not only excels in teaching but also generates impactful knowledge.
Her vision is to develop a vibrant and distinguished Department of Mathematical Sciences, recognized for excellence in innovative teaching, cutting-edge research, strong collaborations, and the creation of knowledge that addresses real-world challenges.
About
The Department of Mathematical Sciences is one of the four departments under the School of Science Technology. It is the only department within the University which has the responsibility of offering relevant programmes in Mathematical Sciences modules. Besides offering several undergraduate and post-graduate degrees, the academic members of staff in the department also service other departments by teaching modules in Mathematics and Statistics-related programmes. The department also provides research, consultancy and outreach in Statistics, Consumer Sciences, Mathematics and Actuarial Sciences.
The department has three sections namely, the Mathematics and Statistics Section which is responsible for imparting skill in Mathematical and Statistical methods; the Consumer Sciences Section, responsible for imparting knowledge and skill in consumer sciences; and Actuarial Sciences, responsible for imparting knowledge and skills in actuarial sciences.
What We Currently Offer
The Department offers three Bachelor of Science degrees in three distinct yet related areas. The goal of the programmes is to train students with relevant skills and knowledge in the fields of statistics and computing, mathematics and computing, and mathematics and statistics. The programme in Statistics and Computing aims to produce statisticians, computer scientists, and teachers capable of teaching technical, higher training institutions and secondary-level education. And they should exhibit a high level of practical and theoretical skills over a broad range of statistics and computer science together with knowledge of currently available techniques and technologies. Similarly, the degree in Mathematics and Computing aims to build the student’s knowledge, skills and competency in this area. The programme in Mathematics and Statistics aims to produce mathematicians, statisticians and teachers capable of teaching mathematics and statistics.
The Department also offers four post-graduate programmes: an MPhil in Applied Statistics, an MPhil in Applied Mathematics, a PhD in Applied Statistics, and a PhD in Mathematics. The goal of all the post-graduate degree programmes is to support Malawi’s economic development strategies through the application of scientific research and tailor-made capacity building in the public and private sectors through the application of mathematical and statistical methods.
The aim is to develop candidates’ scientific competencies and research skills to enable them to identify critical issues in the public and private sectors requiring mathematical, computing and statistical solutions which can also be translated into scalable innovations, to carry out scholarly research which contributes new theoretical constructs to advance knowledge and to effectively inform public and private sector policy and develop solutions for emerging challenges.
Other Ventures
Members of staff in the Department are involved in carrying out consultancies and research. Some of them work closely with the Centre for Water, Sanitation, Health & Appropriate Technology Development (WASHTED), also based at MUBAS.