Fall 2024 Cohort

Atilola Olateju Abidemi-Iromini holds a PhD in fisheries management from the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) in Nigeria. She is a researcher and lecturer at FUTA in the Fisheries and Aquaculture Technology Department, School of Agriculture and Agricultural Technology. Her research background is in aquatic ecology, biology, and management; her research interests focus on aquatic ecosystem health, the protection of fish health status, the rational utilization of resources, conservation, and food security. At U-M, Abidemi-Iromini will work with faculty host Nancy Love (Civil Environmental Engineering Department, School of Engineering) on a project examining the allelopathic purification potential of selected aquatic macrophytes against cynobacteria growth and ammonium in freshwater environments.

Stella Antwiwaa is a lecturer in the Department of Classics and Philosophy at the University of Cape Coast, Ghana. She obtained a BA and an MPhil in classics from the University of Cape Coast in 2008 and 2013, respectively. In August 2018, she was awarded a Gerda-Henkel Stiftung Foundation Doctoral Studies Scholarship to pursue a PhD in literature from Makerere University, Uganda, which she completed in May 2022. Her research interests are in Greek tragedy and Ghanaian literature, where she investigates Greek tragedy’s relevance to Ghanaian literary works and diverse cultural experiences, especially in pre- and post-colonial African societies. She also explores the cultural dynamics in the roles and status of women and children in the two distinct cultures and applies postcolonial lenses and feminist theories to reveal the importance or otherwise of the classics to contemporary Ghanaian/African societies. At U-M, Antwiwaa will work with Arthur Verhoogt (Department of Classical Studies, LSA) to develop two peer-reviewed papers for publication. Both papers will examine gender ideologies and rhetoric through comparative analyses of works such as Medea, Andromache, Anowa, Alcestis, and In the Chest of a Woman.

Ayisha Ida Baffoe-Ashun is a lecturer in the Department of Architecture at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana. She holds a PhD in architecture and a Master of Architecture degree from KNUST, Ghana. She currently teaches in the areas of architectural history and theory, settlement planning and design, and Advanced research methods in the Department of Architecture, KNUST. Her research interests are in the areas of urban green infrastructure and architecture history and theory, and she has authored and co-authored a number of journal articles and conference papers. At U-M, Baffoe-Ashun will conduct a study on the dynamics of residential green infrastructure distribution in Ghana, and will be hosted by Kuukuwa O Manful (Architecture Department, Taubman College of Architecture & Urban Planning).

Oluwanifemi Damilola Bamidele-Nelly obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree in English studies from the University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Nigeria. She also obtained her master’s and doctorate degrees in English studies from Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Nigeria. Her research and teaching focus on interrogating gender issues in African literature from various feminist, social and cultural standpoints in ways that project and alleviate the plights of African females. Bamidele-Nelly has close to five years of full-time teaching experience in the Nigerian university system and presently lectures at the English unit of the Institute of Technology-Enhanced Learning and Digital Humanities, Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria. Her current work investigates portrayals of female body image in contemporary Nigerian novels and popular culture. At U-M, Bamidele-Nelly will work with faculty host Supriya Nair (Department of English Language and Literature, LSA).

Faith Neema Benson is a data and machine learning scientist, currently pursuing a PhD fellowship at Aga Khan University in Nairobi, Kenya. Her research focuses on developing and validating machine learning techniques to predict poor early childhood developmental outcomes and maternal mental health disorders, aiming to identify at-risk children for early intervention. With a master's in machine intelligence from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences, Ghana, and a Master of Science in mathematical sciences from the University of Cape Town, South Africa, coupled with extensive experience in data science and research, she has the capabilities to build innovative solutions. Benson’s faculty host at U-M will be Cheryl A. Moyer (Department of Learning Health Sciences, Michigan Medicine).

Emmanuel Iyamuremye is an assistant lecturer in Mathematics at the University of Rwanda College of Education (UR-CE). He has recently earned his PhD in mathematics education from the African Center of Excellence for Innovative Teaching and Learning Mathematics and Science (ACEITLMS). Additionally, he holds a Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences from the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences (AIMS) and a second Master of Science in Mathematics with a specialization in statistics from the Pan African University Institute for Basic Sciences, Technology and Innovation. His broader research goals include contributing to the development of teaching practices that make mathematics more accessible, engaging, and successful for students, especially those in under-resourced and rural environments, focusing on alleviating students’ anxiety and boosting their motivation and academic success. By concentrating on these aspects, he aspires to advance educational strategies that can transform mathematics learning and significantly impact students’ academic trajectories. At the University of Michigan, Iyamuremye will work with Professor Daniel Burns (Department of Mathematics, LSA) on a research project entitled “Achievement Goal Orientations of Pre-service Secondary Mathematics Teachers and their Relationships with Mathematics Achievement and Teaching-related Emotions.”

Anatoli Lwassampijja is an assistant lecturer and a Gerda-Henkel Stiftung PhD fellow in the Department of History, Archaeology and Heritage Studies at Makerere University in Uganda. His research focuses on Uganda's socio-political history, specifically examining the historical events that have shaped public life in post-colonial Uganda. Anatoli’s doctoral research specifically centers on the relations between the Catholic Church and the state since 1960. Driven by a deep passion for understanding societal dynamics, his research explores the intricate intersections of politics, religion, culture, and everyday experiences. At U-M, Lwassampijja will work with faculty host Adrian Deese (Department of Afroamerican and African Studies, LSA) on his dissertation examining the intricate history of church-state relations in post-independence Uganda.

Oswald Martin is a Tanzanian PhD student at the Institute for Democracy, Citizenship and Public Policy in Africa (IDCPPA), University of Cape Town in South Africa. Alongside his PhD project, he works as a research assistant with Afrobarometer, a leading non-partisan and pan-African research institution that conducts public opinion surveys on democracy, governance, the economy and society in 30+ African countries. Martin holds an MA in development studies (governance and democracy) from the International Institute of Social Studies (ISS) of Erasmus University Rotterdam in the Netherlands as well as a BA in political science and public administration from the University of Dar es Salaam in Tanzania. Martin has 10+ years of experience as an assistant lecturer and researcher at the Mwalimu Nyerere Memorial Academy and several other higher-learning institutions in Tanzania. Martin is a published author in his area of interest, with his most recent work “Let Me Register, But I Will Not Vote”: Examining Voter Abstention in Tanzania’s 2010-2020 Elections From a Political Trust Perspective featured in the Taiwan Journal of Democracy. Martin's PhD research examines individual-level and contextual predictors of voter turnout in Tanzania and implications for democratic consolidation. He will work on his dissertation at U-M under the guidance of faculty host Anne Pitcher (Department of Political Science, LSA).

Mooketsi M. Molefi is an epidemiologist and biostatistician, currently working as a senior lecturer in the Department of Family Medicine & Public Health at the University of Botswana. He completed his Master of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Pretoria, RSA, in 2014, and his Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) at the University of Ghana Medical School in 2008. Throughout his career, Dr. Molefi has demonstrated exceptional leadership and dedication to advancing healthcare, both nationally and internationally. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, Molefi has supervised numerous graduate dissertations and provided research mentorship to master's degree students. Molefi's research contributions are extensive, covering a wide range of topics including infectious diseases, HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and injury prevention. He has been the recipient of several prestigious awards and grants, including the Afya-Bora Global Health Career Development Award and the Botswana-UPenn Partnership Research Employee of the Year award. His expertise has been recognized both nationally and internationally, as evidenced by his appointments as a Penn Global Health scholar and Principal Investigator for the Botswana NIH D43 training program on injury prevention and trauma. At U-M, Molefi will work with Douglas J. Wiebe (Department of Epidemiology, School of Public Health) on a project titled Exploring Sports-Related Concussions in Botswana: A Concept Note.

Richard Nsengiyumva is a second-year PhD student and academic staff member working as an assistant lecturer in the Midwifery department at the University of Rwanda’s College of Medicine and Health Sciences. His PhD project focuses on reproductive health and preconception education before marriage. In this project, Nsengiyumva wants to develop an educational toolkit and software that will enable healthcare providers to provide adequate education to premarital couples. He teaches courses on maternal health care, reproductive health care, neonatal care, and women’s health modules in different departments. He also mentors and provides clinical teaching to both staff and students in different Rwandan hospitals and health centers. As a UMAPS scholar, Nsengiyumva will work with Jody Lori (Department of Health Behavior and Biological Sciences, School of Nursing).