Howard University in Washington, D.C., announced that it is establishing the Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership. The new center will be an interdisciplinary, student-centered, faculty-led institute that works with professional programs in health, business, communications, and law, as well as majors in the arts and sciences.
The Center’s academic focus will include producing innovative and theoretically grounded research and creating a data center on issues of women and gender in the United States and the global Black diaspora. The Center will provide opportunities for students through scholarships and internships. Additionally, the program will match students with high-impact women leaders, entrepreneurs, industry experts, policymakers and social justice advocates for mentorship and sponsorship opportunities.
J. Jarpa Dawuni, an associate professor of political science at the university, was named director of the new center. Dr. Dawuni explained that the Center will have four areas of focus: student-centered teaching and learning; high-impact faculty research, publications, and grant-making; community-centered service learning; and global advocacy. “The vision of the Center for Women, Gender and Global Leadership is to prepare future leaders who are gender-conscious and grounded in Black feminist consciousness through collaboration with faculty on research, service learning, and global engagement,” she says. “The career pipeline project will act as a transformational strategy for opening up professional opportunities and preparing our students for leadership in their chosen careers.”
Dr. Daweni is a graduate of the University of Ghana. She holds a master’s degree in international development from Ohio University and a Ph.D. in comparative politics and international relations from Georgia State University.