Alumni Directory
We are proud to highlight the many accomplished alumni of the Center for African Studies. This directory is organized alphabetically by last name. Each entry includes the person's name, title, and institution, when available.
A
Abumaye, Mohamed
Assistant Professor | Ohio State University
Adewunmi, Oluwatobi
PhD Student | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Agunbiade, Tolulope
Assistant Professor | Texas A & M University
Ahlman, Jeffrey
Professor of History; Chair of African Studies Program | Smith College
Alasade, Inka
CAS Outreach Coordinator | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ali, Nazma
Researcher/Librarian | Bloomington, IL, Public Library
Alvarez-Gutierrez, Eduardo
Graduate Student | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Artry-Diouf, Esailama
Associate Director of the Creative Corps | San Francisco Foundation
Asiedu, Christobel
Associate Professor | Louisiana Tech University
B
Beymer, Betsy
Assistant Professor in the Department of Geography | University of Kentucky
Birch, Stephanie
Research Services Librarian, Africana and African Studies | University of Connecticut
Biswalo, Tage
Assistant Professor | The Aga Khan University
Brahim Chakrani
Assistant Professor | Michigan State University
Brege, Casey
4th Grade Teacher | Bay City Academy, MI
Breithaupt, Peter
PhD student in Ethnomusicology | Kalamazoo, MI
Bronson, Megan
Epidemiologist | Centers for Disease Control, Atlanta
Butler, Jacob
Professor | University of the Free State in Bloemfontein, South Africa.
C
Carlson, Robert
Population & Public Health Director, Professor Emeritus | Wright State University
Cha-Jua, Sundiata
Director of African American Studies & Research Program, Associate Professor | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Clinard, Andrew
Bassist/Vocalist; Non-profit, Quail Springs Permaculture | Cuyama Mama & the Hot Flashes
Cook, Nicolas
Congressional Research Service, Specialist in African Affairs | The Wilson Center
Corr, Elizabeth
Director of Art Partnerships | NRDC
Coulter, Kathryn
Project Manager | Rural Support Partners (Nonprofit)
Cuguano, Yaa Opare
Chief Operating Officer | Ringier Ghana
D
D'Alisera, JoAnn
Associate Professor | University of Arkansas
Davis, Terri
CAS Outreach Coordinator | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Deja, Richard
Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology | University of Cape Town, South Africa
Derby, Doris
Retired Professor, Civil Rights Documentary Photographer, Filmmaker, Co-Founder | Free Southern Theatre
Diaz, April
Assistant Professor | Park University
Djata, Sundiata
Professor | Northern Illinois University
Downing, Laura
Professor | University of Gothenburg
Drackley, Patrick
Title not provided | Institution not provided
E
Ellenwood, David
Social Sciences & Business Librarian | Seattle Central College
Epouhe, O. Faustin
Economist | Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia
Essien, Kwame
Assistant Professor | Lehigh University
F
Fangyong Kuma
Title not provided | Institution not provided
Floess, Peter
Paralegal Student | Parkland College, Champaign, IL
Flores, Ambar
Title not provided | Institution not provided
G
Gueye, Mor
Assistant Professor | Gaston Berger University
Guiebre-Some, Esther
Senior Lecturer, Department of Secondary Education | Ecole Normale Supérieure, Koudougou, Burkina Faso
Gyasi Nkita-Mayala, Kwadwo
Partner | Ember Charter Schools, Brooklyn, New York
H
Hawkes, Nicole
Chief of Staff, Office of the President | California State Polytechnic University-Pomona
Heath, Carla
Associate Professor in the Department of Communication | Randolph-Macon Woman's College
Henry, Anna
Assistant Director of Advising and Student Support | Berkeley Study Abroad
Hill, Erica
Associate Professor | Delaware County Community College
Hodza, Fay
Regional Coordinator | Education for Development (VVOB) Kigali, Rwanda
Hollie, Morgan
Senior Associate, Africa Division | Human Rights Watch
Horn, Jessica
Title not provided | Institution not provided
J
Jobe, Fatou
PhD Student | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
K
Kanter, Jane
Librarian/Archivist | The Adler Planetarium, Chicago
Kempton, Daniel
Professor Emeritus of Political Science | Franciscan University of Steubenville
King, Leslie
Professor of Sociology; Director of Honors, Sociology | Smith College
Kinwa-Muzinga, Annie
Professor & Department Head Applied Agriculture & Food Studies | Morningside University, Iowa
Kiramba, Lydiah
Assistant Professor | University of Nebraska at Lincoln
Kothor, Djifa Kothor
Executive Director | Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services
Kuperus, Tracy
Professor | Calvin College
L
Lamers, Nicole
Director of Business Study Abroad | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Lampkins, Shawn
Senior Quantitative User Experience Researcher | Google
Lance Larkin
Anthropologist | Construction Engineering Research Laboratory
M
Madela, Bhekiseni
PhD Student | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Mahrt Tim
Software Engineer | Wovn Technologies
Maiden, Cherie
Professor of French and African Literature | Furman University
Mata, Isamar
Advisory and Communications Analyst | Crown Family Philanthropies
Mayne, Dorothy
Assistant Director for the African Studies Program | UW-Madison
McCafferty, Shannon
Vice President, Contracts and Operations | Banyan Global
Miller, Joseph
Academic Programs Coordinator | Committee on Institutional Cooperation (CIC)
Miller, Rebecca
Senior Human Subjects Research Coordinator | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Mkhatshwa, Telamisile
lecturer | University of Eswatini
Mlay, Josh
Relocated to Tanzania/Education | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Moise, Imelda K.
Associate Professor | University of Miami
Moore, Nathaniel
IT Support Analyst | GROWMARK, Inc.
Muga, Maiga
PhD Student | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Muhati, Mukhutsi Peter
Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist | World Bank, Nairobi, Kenya
Mukewa-Lisanza, Esther
Assistant Professor | Howard University
Myerly, Scott
Adjunct Professor, Curator | University of Southern Indiana; Autry Museum of Western Heritage
N
Ndumila, Brian
Phd Student | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Ngom, Stephanie
Senior Lecturer | CELOP at Boston University
Nicholson-Palaska
Associate Director | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
O
Odden, David
Professor Emeritus | Ohio State University
Onaolapo, Simeon
PhD Student | Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Onyango, Letitia
Senior Researcher | Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine
Onyenekwu, Ifeyinwa (Ife)
Assistant Professor/Assistant Dean of Admissions and Student Affairs | Stony Brook University School of Dental Medicine
P
Pelafas, Nicholas
Educator, Painter, and Bike Tour Guide | Art Makers, New York City
Philpott, Kristyn
Title not provided | Institution not provided
Pickett, Adrienne
Senior Director for Early Childhood Education and Teacher Education Pathways | Illinois Community College Board
Poppel, Zachary
Visiting Assistant Professor | History at Lewis & Clark College, Portland, Oregon
R
Rakhmatou Kane
Educator | Higher Institute of English, Mauritania
Rivara, Anna
Associate Research Scientist in Epidemiology | Yale Institute for Global Health
Robinson, Ewan
Visiting Lecturer | Cornell University
Roth, Denise
Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer | Pregnancy and Infant Health Branch at the CDC & Prevention in Atlanta
S
Saho, Bala
Assistant Professor | University of Oklahoma
Salem, Ahmed Ali
Professor & Associate Dean | Zayed University’s Institute for Islamic World Studies
Scarborough, Amber
English Tutor | Tutor Doctor Sun Prairie, WI
Scheskie, Courtney
Office Manager for Zoology and Health Sciences | Denver Museum of Nature & Science
Sheriff, Ashley
Cataloging and Acquisitions Assistant | Lake Land College Library
Singhi, Sarina
Psychiatric Advanced Practice Nurse | St. Clare's Hospital
Some-Guiebre, Esther
Assistant Professor | University of Koudougou
Spencer, Katrina
Teaching Assistant | The University of Texas at Austin
Steiner (McGhee), Emily
Senior Programs Manager | CET Academic Programs
Stott, Amber
Founder | Food Literacy Center
Stuckey, Susan
MediaX Distinguished Visiting Scholar | Stanford University
T
Tami, Nicole
Executive Director of Global Education Initiatives | University of New Mexico
Tate, Lessie
Assistant Professor | Prairie View A&M University
Treece, Rick
Lecturer | University of Minnesota Twin Cities
V
Vaughn, Rebecca
Registrar and Collection Manager | David Owsley Museum of Art (DOMA)
Vavrus, Fran
Associate Professor and McKnight Presidential Fellow | University of Minnesota
Vrbancic, Emilie
Undergraduate Experience Librarian | University of Washington
W
Wane, Hapsatou
Assistant Professor of French | Georgia Southern University
Waterman, Christopher
Dean of the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture | UCLA
Watson, Mattito
Senior Director of Child Protection | Save the Children US
Westgard, Bjorn
Assistant Professor, Emergency Medicine | University of Minnesota Medical School
Williams, Beth
Senior Researcher | One Hope
Williams, Sherri
Educator in Charge, Public Programs and Engagement | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Witte de, Maarten
Master Diamond Cutter & Brand Builder | Diamond Foundry
Z
Zilberg, Jonathan
Associate Research Scholar at the Center for African Studies | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Zitrides, Christine
Art Historian | Kutztown University