Emmanuel Dongala

Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala (born 1941) is a Congolese chemist and novelist. He was born in Brazzaville, Republic of Congo, in 1941. He was Richard B. Fisher Chair in Natural Sciences at Bard College at Simon's Rock until 2014.

Dongala's specialty as a chemist is stereochemistry and asymmetric synthesis, as well as environmental toxicology.

He is the author of a number of award-winning novels including Johnny Mad Dog (French: Johnny chien méchant) and Little Boys Come from the Stars.

Education and career Dongala traveled to the US to obtain his BA in Chemistry from Oberlin College and his MS from Rutgers University before earning a Ph.D. in chemistry at the University of Montpellier in France, then returned to the Congo to teach polymeric chemistry at Marien Ngouabi University. In 1997, he was dean of Marien Ngouabi University in Brazzaville when war broke out in the Republic of Congo. The civil war of 1997–1998 forced Dongala and his family to abandon their possessions and seek asylum in the United States. Through his literary connections, particularly through his friend Philip Roth, Dongala obtained a teaching position at Bard College in New York (state) for both chemistry and literature. At first he wanted to return to his country to be with his colleagues and improve the University of Brazzaville, however, Dongala ultimately decided to stay in the States to pursue both his career as a chemistry professor and as an author.

Awards and recognition Dongala won the Grand Prix Littéraire de l'Afrique Noire in 1988 for Le Feu des origines. This work also won him le Prix Charles Oulmont from the Fondation de France (1988).