Paige Balcom
Lecturer- Department of Biosystems Engineering
- Faculty of Agriculture and Environment
- paige.balcom@gu.ac.ug, p.balcom@takatakaplastics.com
- +256 783030712
- https://www.takatakaplastics.com/
- PhD (UC Berkeley), MSc MechEng (UC Berkeley), BSc M (UNH)
- | Google Scholar
Dr. Paige Balcom is an Honorary Lecturer in the Department of Biosystems Engineering at Gulu University. She is also Co Founder and Co CEO of Takataka Plastics, a social enterprise in Gulu that recycles plastic waste locally while creating jobs for vulnerable youth.
Dr. Paige earned her PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California, Berkeley. She was a Fulbright Scholar in 2025, and her work at the intersection of engineering and social impact has been widely recognized with numerous awards, including the Mark Bingham Award for Excellence from UC Berkeley, UNH Social Innovator of the Year, and the Alnoba Gutsy Young Leader Award. She has pitched on Shark Tank and received fellowships from the National Science Foundation, USAID, the Fulbright Program, One Young World, and the Institute of International Education.
Originally from the United States, Dr. Paige has lived and worked in Gulu since 2016. Her research and teaching interests focus on sustainable waste management and social entrepreneurship.