March 18, 2019
In 2015, Paul and Judith Stoddard joined a group of Ashesi friends and supporters on a trip to Ghana to learn more about the university. They had been Ashesi donors before this and had listened to Ashesi’s Founder Patrick Awuah as he spoke about starting a university to help educate leaders in Africa in his 2007 TED talk. They left Ghana even more inspired and continued to be strong advocates for Ashesi’ work in Ghana.
“We had been thinking about meaningful causes we could support, and where our support could have the most impact, and Ashesi immediately made sense to us,” they shared. “Even though the effect of education is not easy to measure, as compared to some other interventions, we believe that it has the most impact on the world long-term.”
Three years after their first visit, Paul and Judith reached out to the Ashesi University Foundation, offering to volunteer their skills should the university need it. Paul who recently retired after four decades in various leadership roles at the telecommunications company AT&T was willing to teach in Ashesi’s Computer Science department. Judith, who works as Director of Institutional Research and Planning at Marist College, was willing to support institutional research efforts.
“We had talked a few times about ways to contribute our time and talents to help others, and we also wondered what it would be like to live in another country,” they shared. “We reached out to see if there was a way we could help at Ashesi, and the Provost enthusiastically invited us to come to Ghana and support the good work going on here.”
Almost three months into their stay in Ghana, the Stoddards have settled into their new home, with Paul teaching Technology & Ethics, and Judith helping with university research and quality assurance. The Stoddards join a global community of Ashesi advocates and friends who have continued to help Ashesi grow in impact and scale.
“We love meeting new people and learning about Ghana,” they say. “We hope we can inspire students the students we work with to engage with the world. They are certainly among the best anywhere, and their experiences here at Ashesi are preparing them to build a better future for themselves and their continent.”
For Ghanaians living in the diaspora, also looking to more directly support development in the country, Ashesi has provided a path like no other. In 2016, for example, Dr. Tawfiq Musa took time out from his job as a Research Scientist at Intel, and joined Ashesi’s Engineering team for a semester, teaching a class on Electromagnetism.
“As opposed to larger and long-established institutions which are already set in their ways, universities like Ashesi lend more to influence and impact,” he said. “Ashesi’s philosophy works well in encouraging both teaching and learning, so for me, it was a good place to spend some time. When you also have a diverse student body that is open to learning and has a global worldview, you know that you’re not only impacting Ghana. These students are going all over Africa, so your impact can be far-reaching.”
To increase opportunities for others looking to spend time in Ghana supporting Ashesi – particularly in teaching Computer Science and Engineering – the university announced the Archer Cornfield Fellowship in Computer Science and Engineering this year. The one-year fellowship at Ashesi is open to Computer Science and Engineering Masters or PPh.D.holders, who wish to devote time to teaching in Ghana, with opportunities for scholarship and research.
“Through this fellowship, we hope to help connect more and more of our students and faculty with professionals from across the world,” shared Provost Angela Owusu-Ansah. “Not only does this enrich our campus experiences, but it also increases research and scholarship opportunities on the African continent.”
Click here to learn more Archer Cornfield Fellowship in Computer Science and Engineering and other faculty openings at Ashesi.
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