2013-2014 UMAPS Alumni

Ofosua Adi-Dako
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Ofosua is a Lecturer at the University of Ghana School of Pharmacy where she completed an MPharm in Pharmaceutics and is pursuing a doctoral degree in the same field. Her current research project is “A Study of the Release of Modifying Property of the Natural Polymer from the Theobroma Cacao.” She plans to use her research to develop pharmaceutical applications from cocoa leaves and to impact the drug-manufacturing capacity in Ghana. Ofosua will be working with Steven P. Schwendeman, the Ara G. Paul Professor and chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, during her six-month stay at the University of Michigan.
 

Godwin Adjei
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Godwin specializes in ethnomusicology and is a research fellow in Music and Dance at the University of Ghana, Legon. He completed his MPhil and PhD in African Studies at the University of Ghana. His current research is on "Drums and the Dynamics of Chiefship in the Akuapem State of Ghana." This research will explore how a particular genre of music, dance, and instruments in Akuapem is a medium for negotiating and encoding sameness and difference between the Akan and Guan ethnic groups. During his six-month stay at the university, Adjei will be working with Kwasi Ampene who is associate professor in DAAS and the School of Music, Theater, and Dance and the director of the Center for World Performance Studies at the university.
 

Kennedy Alatinga
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Kennedy is a PhD candidate and lecturer in the Department of Community Development, Faculty of Planning and Land Management at the University for  Development Studies, Ghana. He received his MPA in Public Administration at the University of the Western Cape and an MA in Development Management at Ruhr University-Bochum in Germany. Kennedy specializes in health financing, public policy and governance, and poverty research. His current research is titled “Health Insurance Policy in Ghana: the Challenge of Identifying and Including the Poor”. The goal of this project is to develop a model for the identification of the poor for health insurance premium exemptions in Ghana. Kennedy will be working with Dean Yang, who is Associate Professor of Economics in the Ford School of Public Policy. He holds the distinction of being the first UMAPS scholar from the University for Development Studies and plans to use his six-month stay at U-M to complete the research and writing of his PhD thesis.
 

Janet Boateng
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Janet is a Research Fellow at the Institute for Development Studies at the University of the Cape Coast, Ghana. She received her MPhil in Political Science at the University of Ghana, Legon. She is a political scientist who specializes in governance, peace and development studies, and development management programs. Her current research is on “Low Level Participation for Sustainable Development and Maintenance of Peace in Ghana: Alternative Mechanisms by Development Agents in Ghana.” The objective of this research is to explore alternative platforms for the intensive participation of citizens in local governance, particularly in terms of sustainable development in the Kwahu-West municipality of Ghana. Janet will be working with Anne Pitcher, who is professor of Afroamerican and African studies, during her four-month stay at the University of Michigan.
 

Lilian Duku
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Lilian Duku is an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Medical Laboratory Technology, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) who specializes in hematology and blood transfusion science. She received an M.S. in Biomedical Science at the University of Westminster, London. She will be working with Dr. Andrew Campbell, clinical assistant professor of pediatrics and communicable diseases in the medical school, in order to further her current research on the “Red cell extended phenotyping and antibody screening; a step to reducing morbidity and mortality among sickle cell patients.” During her six-month stay at the U-M, her goals are to receive training in antibody screening and identification in addition to antigen typing of donors and patients in order to improve the safety of blood transfusions in Ghana. Lilian Duku’s Testimonial »
 

Francis Kemausuor
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Francis is a Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Engineering at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) where he is pursuing a PhD in bioengineering. He received an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development at Cambridge University. He specializes in renewable energy. Francis‘s current research is titled “Modeling Socio-economic Impact of Second-Generation Bioenergy in Ghana.” He is interested in understanding the feasibility of second-generation bioenergy value chains and their effects on socio-economic development in Ghana. Francis will be working with Shellie Miller, who is assistant professor at the U-M School of Natural Resources and Environment (SNRE), and Greg Keoleaian, who is professor and director of the Center for Sustainable Systems at SNRE, during his six-month stay at the U-M.
 

Sekibakiba Peter Lekgoathi (Moody UMAPS Scholar)
University of Michigan African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Sekibakiba Peter Lekgoathi is an associate professor of history at the University of the Witwatersrand with research interests in ethnicity, radio, and the politics of knowledge production. He completed his MA in history at the University of the Witwatersrand and his PhD in History at the University of Minnesota. Peter’s current research is on the “The Crystallization and Bifurcation of Ndebele Ethnicity in South Africa, 1960-2010.” His goal is to explore the formation of Ndebele ethnicity in the 1960s and the role of popular radio in forging a strong Ndebele ethnic consciousness in South Africa. During his four-month stay at U-M, Peter will be working with Adam Ashforth, who is professor of Afroamerican and African studies.

Presentations:

Radio and Resistance in South Africa
A conversation on radio, ethnicity, and knowledge production in South Africa. Africa Online Digital Library, Michigan State University. October 10, 2013. 

Radio Freedom, Songs of Freedom and the Liberation Struggle in South Africa, 1963-1991
Paper presented at the African Studies Center’s "Eye on Africa" seminar, Michigan State University, East Lansing. September 26, 2013.

Ndebele Radio Broadcasting, democracy, Language and Belonging in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Paper presented at the African Studies Association (ASA) Annual Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland. November 21-24, 2013.
 

James McClain
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

James is an instructor in the department of chemistry at the University of Science and Technology at the University of Liberia. He completed his MS in Physical Chemistry at Ravenshaw University, Cuttack in Orissa, India. James’ current research is on “Preparation of Hydrogen Fuel Using Solid State Water Oxidation Crystals.” His objective is to develop a solid state material catalyst for water oxidation in the preparation of hydrogen fuel for automobiles. James will be working with Levi T. Thompson who is the Richard E. Balzhiser Collegiate Professor of Chemical Engineering during his six-month stay at Michigan.
 

Janet Nakigudde
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Janet is an assistant lecturer in the department of psychiatry at the College of Health Sciences at Makerere University in Uganda. She completed her MS and PhD in Clinical Psychology at Makerere University. Her current research is entitled “Addressing Trauma and Grief in Children in Sub-Saharan Africa.” Her research goal is to develop effective assessment and screening measures for grief and trauma in school-age children in Uganda. During her six-month stay at U-M, she will be working with Dr. Bruno Giordani, who is both professor of psychiatry and neurology in the medical school and professor of psychology.
 

Sisa Ngabaza (Moody UMAPS Scholar)
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Sisa is an associate lecturer in the Department of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of the Western Cape, where she completed her MA and PhD. Sisa’s research is on “Adolescent Pregnancy in South African Schools,” with a focus on young teenage mothers in Khayelitsha Township in Capetown. Sisa will be working with Sarah Fenstermaker who is both professor of sociology and women’s studies and the director of the Institute for Research on Women and Gender in the College of Literature, Science and Arts. She plans to use her four-month stay at U-M to write up articles from her PhD research.
 

Evarist Ngabirano
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Evarist is a lecturer at the Mountains of the Moon University in Fort Portal, Uganda. He received his MA in theology and religion at KU Leuven in Belgium. He has initiated a heritage institute at the Mountains of the Moon which supports research focused on different aspects of indigenous knowledge and practice, archiving, documenting, publishing, disseminating and teaching in order to contribute to practical models and approaches to development. His current research is entitled: “Edited African Cultural Heritage: A Case Study of Kiga Politics in Kigezi, Uganda, East Africa.” He will be working with Ray Silverman, Professor of Afroamerican and African studies, art history and museum studies during his six-month stay at U-M.
 

Wolobah Sali
U-M African Presidential Scholar, 2013-14

Wolobah is an instructor in the Department of Physics at the University of Liberia. He completed his MA in physics at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg. His current research is titled “Using Mathematical Models to Image Subsurface Densities,” the goal of which is to utilize wavelet analysis to assess seismic data. During his six-month stay at U-M, he will be working with Larry Ruff who is professor of earth and environmental sciences.