Artwork by Abel Tilahun

In 2016 I was awarded a Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship to pursue my PhD research in Ethiopia.  My dissertation, entitled “Digitizing Ethiopic: Coding for Linguistic Continuity in the Face of Digital Extinction,” explores the relationship between digital communication technologies and language diversity.  While in Ethiopia, I also helped organize arts and culture events with Zoma Contemporary Art Center, and contributed to the leadership of 4-H Ethiopia, teaching hands-on extracurricular courses to public school students in Addis Ababa.  I successfully defended my dissertation research at American University’s School of Communication in June 2017.