UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 15 - 21 JUNE 2019 Educate Your Own awards twelve scholarships during the 2019 Summer semester By Eannes Ongus This Summer, EYO has awarded twelve students with scholarships from funds raised by alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends of USIU-Africa. To date, the fund has raised over Kshs. 2 million and awarded scholarships to 39 USIU-Africa students. In order to build a more sustainable scholarship program, EYO has launched a Kshs.10 million Mukhwana, Caleb Wafula Kinuthia, Michael Mwangi Peter Saitabau Sitei Leila Mnyazi Juma Endowment Fund, whose projected annual Freshman, Junior, Senior, BSc. Information Sophomore, IBA BSc. Information System IBA. Entrepreneurship System and Technology yield of Kshs.1 million will support at least 20 and Technology Expected year of Expected year of Expected year of graduation 2021 students in perpetuity. The fund will raise Expected year graduation-2020 graduation-2019 money through several activities such as the graduation-2022 “Don’t Judge a person “You cannot be “A good heart is bigger than based on a momentary annual fun run, car wash project and other “A kind deed touches not comfortable without own anything” situation” only the heart, but also approval” giving campaigns. the soul and spirit” Since 2015, the USIU-Africa community has become part of a larger movement that is changing the narrative for students pursuing higher education at USIU-Africa. Educate Your Own (EYO) is a fundraising campaign that supports zero dropout rate among continuing Njeng’a, Grace Wanjira Kimani, Michelle Wangari Syander, Lavender Wangiri Odundo, Sandra Joan Senior, Bsc. Accounting Freshman, BA. Junior, IBA. BA. Psychology students who are facing financial challenges. International Relations Entrepreneurship and USIU-Africa is committed to attracting the Expected year of Expected year of Marketing Expected year of very best students from across the globe, to Graduation-2020 graduation-2022 graduation-2021 “With tears worth a Expected Year of study and learn at all levels, regardless of “To see in life, you need thousand words, and a graduation-2020 “USIU-Africa is light. EYO has contributed smile of gratitude on my legitimately a family. I am background or circumstance. face, I would like to say in lighting my life, my thank you to EYO. May “We are stronger together” so honored to be a part of education. I heartily say you continue supporting it. Thank you.” thank you” our fellow students” EYO congratulates the twelve awardees of the 2019 Summer scholars and wishes them the very best of luck in their studies. EYO also wishes to most sincerely thank all supporters for creating a lifelong impact in the lives of the students through giving. Should you wish to support the on-going EYO Sarah Mwikali Masila Boniface Wekesa Longangi, Antonio Amandla Endowment Campaign, send an email Freshman, BA. Journalism Freshman, BA. Journalism Sophomore, BA. International Relations [email protected] / or [email protected] . You Expected year of Expected of graduation-2022 graduation-2022 Expected year of can also send your contribution through graduation-2021 Mpesa pay bill no. 516900; Account – “What matters is how we “I believe everyone gets a connect to each other and chance, you reading this “Semper Anticus (Always EYOFund. how we treat one another means yours is about to forward)” with patience, compassion come” and honesty” UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 15 - 21 JUNE 2019 Journalism Faculty, Graduate student present research in Washington DC By Dr. Kioko Ireri A faculty member and graduate student in the Findings indicate that a typical Kenyan Department of Journalism & Corporate woman politician in newspaper news is Communication have presented their affiliated with a major party (88.2%), junior in research work at the International seniority (76.5%), belongs to a big tribe Communication Association (ICA) conference (58.8%), and holds no parliamentary held in Washington DC. committee leadership (58.5%). Seniority, commenting on corruption, criticizing Graduate student (MA Communication government, and commenting on devolution Studies) Jimmy Ochieng’ presented a (a news system of governance) predicted their research paper in the political communication coverage in newspaper news. At the same division titled “Newspaper Visibility in time, senior MPs and those holding positions Non-Election Period: Predictors of Kenyan of leadership received significantly higher Women Politicians in News”. He authored the coverage than their other female counterparts. paper with Dr. Kioko Ireri (Associate Professor of Journalism and Mass Communication) and Quantitative content analysis was employed the Chair of the Journalism department. to collect data from 2,794 news stories, which were selected using six constructed weeks Photo: Courtesy Funded through the 2015-2016 internal sampling technique. Dr. Dorothy Njoroge, research grants, the research explored a Assistant Professor of Strategic Communication four-year visibility (April 9, 2013 to April 9, On the other hand, Dr. Dorothy Njoroge 2017) of 68 female Kenyan MPs in four (Assistant Professor of Strategic suitable for leadership” – where female English national newspapers - Daily Nation, Communication) presented a paper titled politicians are mocked by electorate and The Standard, People Daily and The Star. To “Exploring Narratives about Female male colleagues for biological roles such as be specific, the study examined three aspects Politicians in Kenya”. The study examined pregnancy which is translated as “incapacity associated with the four newspaper coverage how Kenyan women politicians make sense of to lead”. The other theme is “inhospitable of women politicians in Kenya. First, the study messages they receive about their political political environment” where women examined the major characteristics careers. associated with the most covered female politicians experience physical or verbal attacks by male colleagues especially about politicians. Second, it investigated variables Based on in-depth interviews with 14 female their morality. Lastly is the “mere decorative that predicted their visibility in the press. politicians, four major themes emerged. The role” where women politicians are trivialized Third, the research examined whether senior first is “silence is golden” – meaning that as pretty decorations for parliament and female MPs and those holding leadership women leaders aren’t expected to air opinions flirtatious behaviour from male colleagues. positions receive significantly more coverage but should be silent followers of male than their other counterparts. counterparts. Second is “female body isn’t The School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences hosts visiting professor from UHCL By SPHS USIU-Africa is privileged to host Dr. Dawit He will be attached to the School of Woldu as a visiting professor of Public Pharmacy and Health Sciences for the Health in the School of Pharmacy and Summer of 2019 and will work with faculty in Health Sciences. Dr. Woldu is Assistant the School of Pharmacy and Health Sciences Professor of Medical Anthropology and to initiate new research projects and help Public Health, in the college of Human mentor health sciences students. Dr. Woldu Sciences and Humanities at the University will teach Research Methods and Biostatics of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), Houston with Professor Ermias Mergia Terefe to fourth Photo: Courtesy Texas and is also professor of Cross-cultural year Pharmacy major students. He will also Dr. Dawit Woldu, Assistant Professor of Medical and Global Studies at the same University. collaborate with faculty at the school to Anthropology and Public Health, in the college of Human Sciences and Humanities at the University 2 of Houston-Clear Lake (UHCL), Houston Texas. UNITED STATES INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY-AFRICA NEWSLETTER 15 - 21 JUNE 2019 develop and revise existing courses and Substance abuse and HIV/AIDS risk in Africa, particularly Kenya. He is passionate programs during his stay. Korogocho, Nairobi. He is the lead faculty for about conducting research on infectious the USIU-Africa-UHCL collaborative initiative diseases and finding ways to mitigate this Dr. Woldu holds a Ph.D in Medical which led to the signing of a Memorandum of health problem both at the scientific and Anthropology and Graduate certificate in Understanding (MoU) between the two policy levels. Dr. Woldu has published a book Public Health from the University of Florida, in universities that will focus on faculty and several peer reviewed journal articles on Gainesville. His dissertation field work exchange, establishment of joint institutes for infectious diseases, human rights and health, focused on the social and ecological professional development in Africa, and and substance abuse on Africa and African determinants of malaria in Mwea Division in student exchange programs. His areas of diaspora. Central Kenya. Dr. Woldu conducted research are social and behavioral postdoctoral work at Ohio University on determinants of infectious diseases in East ‘Unbalanced’ movie premiers during African Film Night By Diana Meso Produced by the pioneer class of the B. A Film Production and Directing program, the movie “Unbalanced” was premiered on Tuesday, June 18 at the auditorium during the African Film Night- an initiative by the Department of Cinematic Arts (USIU-Africa) to showcase various films produced across Africa every month. The movie which was written and