Professor Olayinka Karim was born over fifty years ago in Ijebu-ode, Ogun State. She is the first female and current Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Ilorin. The National Financial Secretary, Association of Deans of Agriculture in Nigerian Universities, National Treasurer and Fellow, Nigerian Institute of Food Science and Technology and a member of ten other professional bodies. Having received her primary and secondary education between 1975 and 1986, Professor Karim began her foray into the world of Food Science and Technology in 1992 as a B.Sc. graduate of Food Science and Technology from the then University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (now Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta). From the same University in 2005, she wrapped up her postgraduate journey as the first Ph.D. holder after bagging her M.Sc. at the University of Ibadan (1995). This erudite scholar joined the services of University of Ilorin in 2008 as a Senior Lecturer from Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ayetoro where she professionally began her career in academia. She did not just meritoriously rise to the position of full professor of Food Science and Technology in 2014, but again was the very first woman to achieve that feat in her Department. Aside from being the first female acting Head of the Department of Home Economics and Food Science between the years 2009 and 2015, she was also the first female Professor from the Faculty to present an inaugural lecture in the University. Due to her distinct leadership role,  capacity and strong interpersonal skills to successfully handle multi-tasks and assignments Prof. Karim has served as chairman and member of over one hundred academic and administrative committees and boards at OOU, KWASU, and UNILORIN. Among which are Chairman, Guest Houses Management Board; Pioneer Deputy Director, Unilorin Joint Universities Preliminary Examination Board Programme (JUBEP); Senate Representative, Unilorin School Board and Congregation Representative, Students Welfare Board at UNILORIN; College Coordinator Centre for Sandwich Programmes, OOU; and many others. She also served JUPEB, NUC, JAMB, INEC and NSS in different capacities and participated in three National Sport Festivals and NUGA games where she won one gold and two bronze medals in basket-ball and javelin respectively. Her over one hundred and fifty outstanding publications speak well about her contributions to her main field of research, Plant Food Processing and Value Addition and Nutrition. She is a recipient of many research and community projects awards among which are the N.G. Patel to Uka Tarsadia University, India, TETFund Institution-Based Research Fund, Unilorin Laboratory to Product, COFP and AUDA-NEPAAD. She is also a consultant to many food companies. It is therefore not surprising that she has attracted thirty-eight prestigious recognitions of excellence and honours. Prof.
Karim is happily married with children to Dr. A.A. Karim.

Googlescholar;https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=gAB2w0gAAAAJ&hl=en
ResearchGate:https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Karim-Olayinka
LinkedIn:https://ng.linkedin.com/in/olayinka-karim-85601425
Orchid:https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4877-0912