Michele Parker, a professor in the Department of Educational Leadership at the Watson College, has been selected for the Ambassador’s Distinguished Scholars Program in Ethiopia. During the 2018-19 academic year, which begins in October, she will serve as a full-time member of the teaching faculty at the University of Gondar. She will have opportunities to engage in primary research, mentor students, and collaborate with faculty.
Expanding higher education is a priority of the Ethiopian government. In 2000, Ethiopia had two universities. Now they have 36, with 11 more scheduled to open within five years. The Ambassador’s Distinguished Scholars Program was created to attract foreign faculty, especially American scholars, to help support this rapid growth.
The goal of the program is to strengthen Ethiopian universities’ capacity to teach and manage undergraduate and graduate programs and enhance their research capacity. The U.S. Embassy in Ethiopia, Bahir Dar University, the University of Gondar and the Institute of International Education support the Ambassador’s Program. Parker will join the second cohort of 30 Ambassador’s Distinguished Scholars in Ethiopia.
