May 9, 2019
If Ashesi were to be a car, our staff and faculty will be the engine driving Ashesi forward. Over the years, many special people have dedicated time and effort into helping train our students. Here’s a look at some of the ways our staff and faculty are helping drive that impact.
Celebrating Professor Stephen Adei’s legacy of Scholarship, Leadership, and Citizenship
When Patrick Awuah came to Ghana as a thirty-something-year-old with a big dream to start a world-class university, Prof. Stephen Adei was one of the few people who encouraged and mentored him. Ever since then, he has maintained a close relationship with the university, spanning some 20 years, and contributed to scholarship at Ashesi as a writer, thought leader and mentor to some members of faculty.
Dr. Oduro Frimpong Spearheads Center for African Popular Culture at Ashesi
With little to no documentation of the lifestyle of Ghana’s ordinary folk in our history books, Dr. Oduro Frimpong took up the task of collecting and archiving artifacts that represent Ghanaian popular culture over the years. Walk into his office and you will find bundles of hand-painted movie posters, actual barbershop signs, photographs of contemporary obituary posters and vehicle inscriptions.
In May 2018, Dr. Frimpong led the establishment of a Centre of African Popular Culture at Ashesi; the first of its kind in Ghana.
Ashesi Engineering lecturer works to empower science teachers in Ghana’s basic schools
Passionate about making STEM lessons more understandable to students at the basic school level, engineering lecturer, Heather Beem formed the Practical Education Network (PEN); a non- profit organization that helps teachers develop practical in-class activities to simulate and explain science processes to students.
Using everyday materials like kebab skewers, balloons, and bottles, PEN helps teachers explore hands-on science at little cost to them and their institutions.
The importance of teaching leadership, through the lens of lecturer Lieutenant Kofi Duodu
As a younger college student, Lieutenant Kofi Duodu had nurtured a long-held to serve in Ghana’s military. Starting a cadet all by himself in college was no easy task, and he learned fundamental lessons in leadership that he has carried with him since, through and now incorporates into teaching leadership in Ashesi’s classrooms.
Training engineers to build: Lab Manager Nicholas Tali, shares his passion
On Mondays at the Mechanical Engineering Lab, you would find a handful of students huddled around Nicholas Tali; soldering, cutting, bending and snipping cables, building circuits, and printing 3D-models to try to solve everyday problems with engineering.
Growing up, Nicholas had been excited to get to college and learn to build equipment that will help make a difference in his community. However, when he got there, he found a vast knowledge gap between theory and practical application. That was when he made it his mission to work towards introducing students to practical engineering skills.
Alumna Rose Dodd ’09: on creating a safe space for the children of kayayei
Growing up around Accra’s Madina market, faculty member Rose Dodd knew firsthand about the plight of kayayos (head porters) in some of the busiest market places. While the phenomenon is one that has gained significant attention from multiple organizations, very little focus is placed on their children. So she teamed up with a group of students, and with funding from the Ford Foundation, started Kayacare, a project which provides a safe space for the children of kayeyes, while they are out working.
Training engineers to become entrepreneurial leaders, Ag Dean, Dr. Nathan Amanquah
According to Dr. Nathan Amanquah, Acting Dean of Engineering, solving some of Ghana’s most pressing engineering issues needs engineers who take entrepreneurial initiatives. In this story, he shares how Ashesi’s Engineering program is designed to train leaders to fill some of these gaps.
In an era of artificial intelligence, machine learning and other cutting edge advancements in computer science, it is important that the developing world takes advantage of these technologies to stay at pace with the world.
Computer Science Faculty David Yamoah shares thoughts on teaching students to build technology
David Yamoah, Computer Science lecturer at Ashesi whose research interest revolves around the dependability of cloud software, web technologies and software engineering, shares how Ghana could be best positioned to take advantage of these advancements.
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