BIOGRAPHY
How do the messages from influential figures shape people’s beliefs? As a Ph.D. candidate in Political Science with a background in communication, I explore that question and more. As an expert in political behavior, campaign messaging, and democratic governance in multiethnic societies, my dissertation explores how elite communication, particularly negative campaign messages, interacts with the media to shape voter perceptions, group dynamics, and trust in democratic institutions. I also examine the media’s role in either reinforcing or mitigating ethnic polarization, and its effects on social cohesion, conflict prevention, and peacebuilding. I use experimental methods, interviews, archival research, and textual analysis to explore these dynamics. My research is supported by the Center for Gender in Global Context (GenCen) and the African Studies Center at Michigan State University, The Richard A. Horovitz Fund for Professional Development, the Institute for Humane Studies, the Alliance for African Partnership, and the Bratton Fellowship.I hold a Bachelor of Science in Mass Communication (First Class) from the University of Lagos, an Erasmus Mundus Master's in Journalism, Media, and Globalization (with a specialization in Media and Politics) from the University of Amsterdam, Aarhus University, and the Danish School of Media and Journalism. Additionally, I hold an MA in Political Science from Michigan State University.