MAKING NIGERIA PROUD OVERSEAS:
DR. WENDY OSEFO, Nigerian Born award-winning AMERICAN Researcher is Professor of Education at JOHNS Hopkins University…First BLACK WOMAN to earn a Ph.D. in Public Affairs-Community Development from Rutgers University
*Holds B.A. in Political Science from Temple University, an M.A. in Government from The Johns Hopkins University, and an M.Sc. in Public Affairs from Rutgers University
*Combines love for Politics, Social Justice empowering People and Communities
*Served as Intern at The International Center for Terrorism Studies
* She is Founder and CEO of The 1954 Equity Project, LLC
*Earlier worked as Policy Analyst at The Office of the Attorney General
* Regularly interviewed on CNN, ABC, Fox News, Fox Business, HLN, Russian TV, The Washington Post, In Touch Weekly, Business Insider, One America News Network, TV-One, Highly sought after as a Political Commentator and Strategist
* Runs a weekly Radio segment on Radio One 93.9FM WKYS, entitled ‘Three Things You Need to Know’, Contributor The HILL Newspaper
*Authored her Master’s thesis at The Johns Hopkins University entitled ‘Ethnic Rivalry, Corruption, and Impulsive Political Transitions in Nigeria’
BY GEORGE ELIJAH OTUMU, FOREIGN BUREAU CHIEF, UNITED STATES
SHE IS VERY INTELLIGENT, brilliant and beautiful. Her story could be summed up as ‘Beauty and Brain.’ DR. WENDY OSEFO was born in Nigeria, had her childhood there, started her intern policy learning at the prestigious International Center for Terrorism Studies. This charming Naturalized American is a familiar face in most homes in United States having appeared on various mainstream media platforms fighting for the oppressed, less privileged, and ensuring that women are empowered daily.
Dr. Osefo is an award-winning researcher, an influential voice in politics and social justice being highly sought after political commentator and strategist in United States. She is a Professor of Education at The Johns Hopkins University, Contributor at The Hill, and the Founder and CEO of The 1954 Equity Project, LLC.
According to a detailed information posted on her website, in addition to her extensive policy experience, Dr. Osefo has been interviewed by and provided commentary for CNN, ABC, Fox News, Fox Business, HLN, Russian TV, The Washington Post, In Touch Weekly, Business Insider, One America News Network, and TV-One to name a few.
Dr. Osefo has a weekly radio segment on Radio One 93.9FM WKYS, entitled ‘Three Things You Need to Know, With Dr. Wendy O’. Additionally, she has delivered keynote speeches and lectures on highly publicized issues in culture and politics.
To ensure justice, equity to the oppressed, Dr. Osefo combined love for politics and social justice. That was when she discovered her passion was empowering people and communities through the design and implementation of effective policies and programs.
Regarding her academic adventure, Dr Osefo started her journey at The Fund for American Studies where she served as an intern at The International Center for Terrorism Studies. There, she gained extensive national policy experience that led to her authoring her Master’s thesis at The Johns Hopkins University entitled ‘Ethnic Rivalry, Corruption, and Impulsive Political Transitions in Nigeria.
Having learned the intricacies of politics and policy, she moved on to become a Policy Analyst at The Office of the Attorney General (OAG). Dr. Osefo went on to serve as the Director of Family and Community Engagement for the Obama Administration’s Antipoverty Initiative and the signature program for the White House Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, DC Promise Neighborhood (DCPNI).
During her stay at DCPNI Dr. Osefo designed, and implemented culturally competent parent-centered engagement strategies and successfully created and launched the first comprehensive adult learning academy within an underserved neighborhood in Washington D.C. Her leadership in the creation of the first comprehensive adult learning academy led her to serve as the inaugural Director of the Master of Arts in Management Program at Goucher College.
Presently, Dr. Osefo serves as a Professor at The Johns Hopkins University where she teaches in the Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) program at the top-ranked School of Education. At Hopkins, Dr. Osefo teaches courses that examine the role of policy and politics in education, entrepreneurship, amongst many others.
As a researcher, Wendy examines how race and class influence the learning, achievement, and educational trajectories of African American and other non-dominant students in schools and community settings. Dr. Osefo’s latest research explores the effects of the 2016 United States Presidential election on minority populations.
As Founder & CEO of the 1954 Equity Project, Dr. Osefo develops and implements the strategic vision of the organization. The 1954 Equity Project provides students with navigational capital to not just survive academia, but to thrive in academia as their authentic selves. Through the use of the Osefo Equity Framework, the 1954 Equity Project builds community with underrepresented minority students in universities to create a platform for students to share their lived experiences, identify and navigate microaggressions experienced on-campus, and work collaboratively with school administrators to co-create equitable solutions to address issues of inequality.
Dr. Osefo holds a B.A. in Political Science from Temple University, an M.A. in Government from The Johns Hopkins University, and an M.Sc. in Public Affairs from Rutgers University. Dr. Osefo made history in 2016 when she became the first black woman to earn a Ph.D. in Public Affairs-Community Development from Rutgers University. Dr. Osefo is the 2017 recipient of the Johns Hopkins Diversity Recognition Award, the 2017 recipient of the Johns Hopkins University Outstanding Graduate Award, a Baltimore Business Journal 40 Under 40 Honoree, and a 25 Women To Watch Honoree.
This happily married woman, an influential voice in politics, policy, and education
is a Board Trustee of the Children’s Scholarship Foundation of Baltimore, and a board member for The Education Foundation, Congressman Elijah Cummings Youth to Israel Program and The Obama Green Charter School. Dr. Osefo is a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and The National Urban League. Dr. Osefo resides in Maryland and enjoys spending time with her husband and two sons.
