Faculty and Student Bios

Focus: Health Communication

Ezinne Chioma Abaneme (MSc) is a PhD student in Health Communication at Ohio University's Communication Studies. Her research focuses on maternal health, social support groups, and behavioral change, with particular emphasis on how family discussions shape women's health decisions. She believes in understanding and, developing culturally centered health communication strategies tailored towards disadvantaged and marginalized women in Nigeria.

Before joining Ohio University, Ezinne was a Lecturer at Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike, Ebonyi State, Nigeria, where she taught in the Department of Mass Communication. She has a rich blend of teaching and research, having published in reputable journals. Her research uses quantitative and qualitative methods depending on the research question.

Ezinne holds a master’s degree in public relations and advertising from Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, and a bachelor’s degree in mass communication from Imo State University, Owerri. She is also a promoter of Girl Child Education and Period Poverty, having volunteered and coordinated projects for Speak Out Africa. Beyond academia, Ezinne loves traveling. She is also passionate about nature, enjoys listening to music, making new friends, and learning about different cultures and their foods.

Pronouns: she/her

Erica Adzimah is a passionate sustainability advocate with extensive experience in social programs for marginalized and displaced communities. Erica holds two Master’s degrees—one in Educational Administration and Management from Ghana, another in Communication and Development Studies, and a certificate in Development Practice from Ohio University.

Her research interest focuses on the role communication ecologies play in the reproduction of poverty and inequalities. She is interested in the consequences of these not only for the individuals but also for the organisations and communities in which these individuals are embedded. She is particularly focused on using insights from research to improve educational, health, and environmental outcomes. With a keen interest in grassroots organizing, culture-centred approaches, and collective sense-making, Erica focuses on enhancing social interventions in impoverished rural and urban communities to promote equality.

Outside of her academic pursuits, Erica is deeply committed to her community. She volunteers her time and skills to support local organizations and initiatives. 

Stephen Agyei (M.A.) is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Communication at Scripps College of Communication, specializing in Interpersonal/Organizational Communication. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Cape Coast in Ghana (2014) and his master’s degree from the National University of Science and Technology “MISIS” in Moscow, Russia (2018).

Stephen’s research is at the intersection of organizational communication, non-governmental organizations, and migration. His work examines the communicative strategies that NGOs employ to foster a sense of belonging and offer support to African immigrants as they navigate life in a new social environment. His scholarship is also shaped by a broader engagement with deliberation, migrant voices, and the communicative construction of possibility for individuals and communities navigating systems of survival and change.

Guided by narrative and critical sensibilities, Stephen aspires to be an engaged scholar who translates research into policy impact and community engagement. Through his work, he seeks to amplify marginalized voices and contribute to conversations on organizational practices in migration and non-governmental contexts.

Stephen is a recipient of the Paul O. Boase Family Scholarship and the Outstanding Graduate Mentor awards. Stephen has served in different capacities in the Department of Communication’s Graduate Student Association. He was the former Vice President of GradCo and is currently the President of GradCo.

Health Communication Scholar | Researcher | Advocate

Ahmed Aly (M.A.) is a PhD student in Health Communication at Ohio University’s Scripps College of Communication, where he serves as a Graduate Teaching Associate. He holds a

Master of Arts in Communication and Development Studies and graduate certificates in Development Practice, Women’s, Gender & Sexuality Studies (WGSS), Crisis Communication, Health Policy, and Clinical Informatics from Ohio University. He also holds a Master’s degree in Gender and Development and a Bachelor’s degree in Statistics from Cairo University.

Ahmed’s research focuses on privacy management, self-disclosure, and digital communication among marginalized populations, with particular attention to how individuals navigate identity, belonging, and safety in transnational and digital contexts. His scholarship bridges health communication, policy analysis, and social justice, emphasizing the lived experiences of underrepresented groups. Ahmed is also recognized for his inclusive teaching philosophy and commitment to student growth. He has received multiple honors, including the Graduate Student Senate (GSS) Outstanding Graduate Student Award for Scripps College, the Edwin L. Kennedy Leadership Award for Outstanding Community Service, and the LGBT Center Student Hart Leadership Award from Ohio University.

Beyond academia, Ahmed brings extensive professional experience in humanitarian and development work with organizations such as Save the Children and projects funded by the Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration (BPRM), supporting refugee and vulnerable populations in Egypt and the Global South. His interdisciplinary work reflects a lifelong commitment to advancing equity, health, and human rights through research, education, and advocacy.

James Annan is a senior corrections officer in Ghana and has worked as a Communication/Public Relations Officer at both the national and regional levels. He is excited to join the Doctoral cohort at the School of Communication Studies at Ohio University for the 2024–2025 academic year.

He recently completed a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) program in Strategic Communication at the University of Education, Winneba. He also holds a Master of Arts (MA) in Public Relations from the Ghana Institute of Journalism and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Communication Design from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology. Additionally, he has a Graduate Diploma in Management Studies from the Institute of Commercial Management and a Diploma in Creative Writing from the Writers Bureau (UK).

His research focus is on Interpersonal and Organizational Communication. During his postgraduate studies, he conducted research on two topics: “The Role of Public Relations in Rebranding the Ghana Prisons Service” and “Prisoner Reintegration Communication: A Study of the Ghana Prisons Service.” James is an accomplished writer with over 50 feature articles published in various national media outlets, both print and online. These articles cover a wide range of critical topic, including human rights, politics, crime, security, administrative justice, and gender issues.

During his leisure time, James enjoys reading books by Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, the first President of the Republic of Ghana. He is eager to learn from esteemed faculty members, students, and other international students from diverse backgrounds at Ohio University. He considers it an honor to be part of the Bobcat community. James believes that with commitment, resilience, focus, and determination, it is possible to achieve your goals.

Specialization: Health Communication

Dr. Roshni Ashiq (MBBS, MS in Public Health) completed her bachelors and masters from Karachi, Pakistan and was previously working as Senior Coordinator in Sexual and Reproductive Health Care Component at national level NGO, named as Aahung. She has been a gender and SRH advocate since the time she started to serve in the domain of public health. This led her to develop her approach to critically question the procedures of the medical field, health care system and the suffering of marginalized groups which made the country advocacy network to nominate her for the Youth Advocacy Institute held at Continent level. Roshni had been critically engaged in the discussions of medical ethics, which made the management of a tertiary care hospital to include her in their ethics committee. She had been a speaker at various multi-disciplinary platforms where her views on gender equity, gender based violence, sexual and reproductive health and rights of all people, especially women and vulnerable communities, are welcomed and appreciated. Her exposure to field have provoked her thoughts regarding how the health care system of her country is still under developed and how the health communication field is still nascent in its concept. That is why she designed her career path as she was always dedicated and passionate about learning PhD in Health Communications which would enable her to better communicate her thought process. She aims to implement her academic discourse in a decision-making approach pertaining to health care in her professional lives. Roshni believes that by questioning one’s decision would ultimately enhance the intellectual capacity to refine the approach and fulfil vacuum to positively communicate the refinements required in the medical field of Pakistan. She is very keen to drive for hours despite the scorching heat of Karachi. Roshni is looking forward to moving to Athens and explore her personality thereby; contributing in a healthy manner to effectively improvise the health communication system in her country.

Pronouns: She/her

Dominic Asitanaga is a doctoral student in the School of Communication Studies, on the Rhetoric and Culture track. His academic and professional work focuses on rhetoric, political communication and decolonial communication frameworks, with a particular focus on Ghanaian democratic practices and participatory governance. 

He serves as the Graduate Student Representative on the Student Alumni Advisory Council, a Research Associate for the Africa Center for Digital Transformation, and Graduate Student Senator for Scripps College in Ohio University's Graduate Student Senate. Previous leadership roles Dominic held include Vice President of the African Student Union and Congress Chair of the Graduate Students' Association of Ghana-USA. 

Outside of academic engagements, he enjoys reading, listening to music, and watching movies to inspire his creativity and broaden perspectives. 

Rayna is focusing on Culture and Writing, and she aims to work on fiction and non-fiction creative writing in Kashmir. Her previous work is based on transnational literature, and now she is focusing on narrative scarcity through fieldwork in Kashmir that leads to cultural erasure and orature amnesia.

Office: Schoonover 434

Area: Interpersonal & Organizational Communication

Alex Boesch (B.A.) comes to OHIO from Champaign, Illinois, and received his bachelor’s degree in communication studies from Cedarville University. During his time at Cedarville, he also received a minor in psychology with a focus on group counseling. Alex’s research interests include fan theory, parasocial relationships, and game studies. In his work at OU, he uses qualitative methods to explore how fans interpersonally engage their own and others’ fan identities.

In addition to research, Alex is dedicated to his teaching and employs experiential learning practices in the classroom. As a former public speaking competitor, he also enjoyed serving as assistant coach for the forensics team. 

Area: Interpersonal & Organizational Communication 

Nolan Bowers (M.A.) is originally from Hayti, South Dakota. He received his undergraduate degree and master's degree from South Dakota State University. As Part of his master's degree, Nolan completed a thesis operationalizing the philosopher Karl Jasper's theory of existential communication and assisted in coaching the forensics team. 

His primary research interest lies in interpersonal communication through dyadic communication. He is also highly interested in how emotion is conveyed through communication, as well as instructional communication. During his time at Ohio University, he has been serving as assistant coach for the forensics team. 

Colin Cameron (M.A.) grew up in Petal, Mississippi, and received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in communication studies from the University of Southern Mississippi. Colin’s research interests are centered around digital storytelling, health and risk communication, and stigma, with a focus on how narrative processes of medicalization exist in alternative contexts and spaces. His master's thesis explored how patterns of blame and medical scapegoating emerged in media narratives and framing practices in response to health crises throughout the last two centuries. Colin is also a current research assistant for Dr. Lynn Harter with the Barbara Geralds Institute for Storytelling and Social Impact.

Colin has a strong love for teaching and has taught a diverse set of courses in both communication studies and media production. Additionally, Colin received the Top Paper award in the Political Communication Division and the Robert Bostrom Young Scholar award at the 2022 Southern States Communication Conference.

Colin’s personal interests include playing music with his band, soccer, and reading.

Rosemary Charway is a dedicated and accomplished individual hailing from Ghana. She obtained her bachelor's degree in Communication from the University of Cape Coast in 2019. She then pursued a Master's degree in Communication at Central Michigan University, USA. During her undergraduate and graduate years, she worked as a Teaching Assistant at the University of Cape Coast and a Graduate Teaching Assistant at Central Michigan University. These teaching experiences have equipped her with unique and valuable teaching skills needed to facilitate effective teaching and learning. 

She possesses a deep understanding of the power of communication in shaping societies and is committed to utilizing her skills to address pertinent issues. With a specific focus on women's representation in Africa, Rosemary's research interests center around exploring and advocating for increased gender equality and empowerment across West Africa. Having worked as a Sexual Aggression Peer Advocate for a year, she also has deep interests in issues of sexual assault and domestic violence that confront individuals, particularly minority groups. 

Outside her professional and academic work, her interests include travelling, kayaking, reading, and cooking.

Prathana Dodia (M.S.) earned a Master of Science degree with a focus in Psychology from India. Prathana is a passionate researcher with a demonstrated history of working in the higher education industry. Her research interests lie specifically in gender studies, identity, and the narration of mythological and religious texts. Over the years, Prathana has been working on exploring the societal representation of women as portrayed in mythology and widespread belief. She focuses on different mediums and narratives to study political and societal misconceptions of gender in today’s society. Her current research focuses on the reproductive rights of women in the US and India. Besides academics, Prathana loves being in nature, watching sunsets, reading books, and cooking.

Specialization: Rhetoric & Culture

Ryan Eisenhuth (B.A., Geneva College) is a Doctoral Student and Graduate Teaching Associate in Ohio University's School of Communication Studies. Ryan earned a Bachelor's degree in Communication with a double-emphasis in Integrated Media Production and Public Relations from Geneva College in 2023. In addition to his academic pursuits, Ryan has professional experience in the field of communication after working in the Public Information Department of the City of Mentor, Ohio, and the Marketing & Communications Department of McGregor Senior Living in Cleveland, Ohio. Currently, Ryan serves as the Manager of Ohio University's Communication Resource Center and as the Communication Coordinator for the Ohio Communication Association Executive Board.

Ryan's research lies at the intersection of media ecology, religious communication, and rhetorical theory. Recent research projects Ryan has worked on include "Media Ecology and the Modern Invention of Race," "Orality, Literacy, and the Renegotiation of Authenticity on BeReal," "Memory Dis-Membered: A Call to Re-Member the Forgotten Rhetorical Canon," and "Revitalizing Friendships in the Age of Disruption." In these projects and beyond, Ryan aims to explore how the rhetorical functions of communication technologies shape what we remember, how we relate to each other in communities, and what it means to be human.

In his free time, Ryan likes to read books, go on hikes, grow as an amateur photographer, and travel around the country with his family and friends. 

Research Focus: Intercultural Communication

Sheyla Finkelshteyn (M.A., University of Kentucky) is a critical intercultural scholar. She is originally from Uzbekistan and came to the U.S. in 2013 for her undergraduate studies in communication at Berea College. An international student herself, she found that she wants to research that phenomenon in her academic career, which led to her focus - intercultural communication competence. She is bilingual in Russian and English and is passionate about improving her Spanish. Teaching has been her favorite part of academia, therefore she decided to continue her education at OU, where teaching is highly emphasized. Her hobbies are traveling and cooking. She has been to 17 countries and 17 states and hopes to continue once it is safe to do so!

Pronouns: She/Her

Elis Fricker (pronouns they/them) has an M.A. in Communication Studies from the University of South Dakota and an M.A. in History with a Graduate Certificate in Women and Gender Studies from North Dakota State University (NDSU). In between degrees, Elis worked as an adjunct instructor for classes across multiple disciplines and a site interpreter for the State Historical Society of North Dakota. Their research encompasses critical rhetoric, public memory, media, and queer and gender/sexuality studies to examine how mainstream education and media silence marginalized people and their experiences while also advocating for increased inclusion of marginalized histories and voices in those spaces. 

Jessie Gongolo is a doctoral student in the Communication Studies Program who loves people and storytelling. She is proud to be from Malawi, the Warm Heart of Africa, and has her M.A. in Communication Development Studies from Ohio University and a B.A. in Humanities focusing on Theatre for Development and a minor in Classics. Her passion for using art to inspire change led her to Hannover, Germany, where she worked on theater productions addressing gender-based violence. She later spent two years in Mozambique, where she picked up some conversational Portuguese. At the core of her work lies using narratives and performance as tools for social change, health communication, and women's justice.

When Jessie is not engaged in research or creative projects, you can find her experimenting in the kitchen, exploring life’s rhythms through music, books, movies, and podcasts, or simply enjoying quality time with friends and exploring new places.

Research Focus: Rhetoric & Culture

Reedwan Habib is a full-time faculty member at the Department of English & Modern Languages of IUBAT University, Dhaka, Bangladesh. He completed his Bachelor's (Honors) in English Linguistics and TESOL at North South University, Dhaka, where he graduated cum laude. After completing his graduation, Mr. Habib was selected to pursue a Master's in English Linguistics at the University of Bayreuth in Northern Bavaria, Germany. He was awarded the prestigious Bavarian Government Fund at the University of Bayreuth, which is one of the foremost research universities in Germany. Reedwan specialized in “Critical Discourse Analysis”, a sub-branch of Sociolinguistics for his Master's studies. Right after completing his post-graduation, Mr. Habib was selected to pursue a prestigious teaching certificate degree from Cambridge University, which is known as CELTA (Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults). He successfully completed this teaching degree and learned some useful, innovative, and communicative ways and methods of teaching English to speakers of other languages, i.e., learners whose first language is not English. Reedwan aims to become a communication theorist in the near future and wants to help build a well-communicated and healthy society.

Pronouns: He/him

Parwana Hamdam is originally from Afghanistan. Her undergraduate degree in Public Health was earned at Kabul Medical University, and her Master's in Public Health with a specialization in Health Promotion and Community Health at the American University of Beirut. She obtained a second Master's degree in Communication and Development, focusing on Health Communication, from Ohio University. Throughout Parwana's career, she has held roles centered on health communication, community engagement, social mobilization, health promotion, and public health research in diverse settings. 

Parwana's research interests are deeply rooted in the field of maternal health, where she aims to explore the multifaceted dynamics that shape the reproductive well-being of women. Specifically, she is drawn to investigating the intricate interplay of societal norms, cultural influences, and accessibility barriers that significantly impact women's reproductive health outcomes, especially within marginalized communities residing in developing countries. Through her research endeavors, she aspires to advocate for evidence-based policy interventions and grassroots initiatives aimed at addressing the root causes of maternal health disparities. By amplifying the voices of marginalized women and fostering community-driven solutions, Parwana aims to contribute to the creation of more equitable and inclusive maternal healthcare systems that prioritize the well-being of all women, regardless of their socio-economic background or cultural context. 

Apart from her studies, Parwana loves doing things like cooking, going to the gym, taking walks outside, being in nature, shopping, listening to music, and hanging out with friends and family. 

Carolina A. Herrera Céspedes (M.A., Universidad Internacional de la Rioja; M.A., Facultad Latinoamericana de Ciencias Sociales; B.A., Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador) focuses on the intersections of health communication, public health, and urban environments. Her research explores how communication strategies, particularly in risk and uncertainty communication, can influence public understanding and health behaviors in the context of infectious and non-communicable diseases. Carolina's work is deeply interdisciplinary, examining how cities and urban environments shape health outcomes, particularly in Latin American settings. Prior to her doctoral studies, she worked as a communication specialist for a Health Research Center and consulted with various NGOs and higher education institutions in Ecuador. She is also actively exploring the potential of arts in health interventions as a service-linked component of her academic work.

Specializations: International Health & Development, Health Campaigns, Health Communication.

Iman Ikram holds a B.A. in Dental Surgery followed by an M.B.A. in Healthcare Administration from Mewar University in India. She worked as a dentist and collaborated with Colgate to conduct free dental health camps and Anti-Tobacco Campaigns. Iman presented a detailed report on ‘Challenges faced by Rural Healthcare in India’ during her master's. She headed various projects such as ‘Love Yourself Campaign,’ ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign,’ and ‘Priority Health Clinic for Women’ as a Team leader and is currently responsible for D.I.S.H.A, a smart health assistant for pregnancy. Her broad area of interest lies in international health and development, health campaigns, and health communication. She is interested in creating a healthcare system that accommodates all aspects of quality healthcare delivery in developing countries. Moreover, she is concerned with raising awareness among the masses about their rights and providing them with unprecedented and uncompromising healthcare. When not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading fiction novels, indulging in retail therapy, traveling, and is a food enthusiast.