Alpha Abebe

Dr Alpha Abebe is an Associate Professor of Communication Studies & Media Arts in the Faculty of Humanities at McMaster University, Canada. She also serves as the Lead for the African and Black Diaspora Studies (ABLD) programme, driving interdisciplinary research and curriculum innovation centred on equity, migration and Black community engagement.

Education

• B.A., University of Toronto
• M.A., York University
• Graduate Diploma, Refugee and Forced Migration Studies, York University
• Ph.D., University of Oxford

Research Interests

Dr Abebe’s scholarship interrogates African diasporas, transnational identities and Black community engagement through lenses of critical race theory, migration studies, and community-based participatory research. Her work spans anti-oppression pedagogy, cultural studies, globalization, youth and social justice. She is particularly interested in how diasporic youth negotiate belonging and contribute to development discourses across borders.

Recent analyses explore health advocacy within Black Canadian communities, COVID-19 impacts on diasporic populations, and the politics of representation in public engagement. Across these themes she foregrounds ethical leadership and student voice.

Publication Trends

Between 2009 and 2024 Dr Abebe has produced a steady stream of peer-reviewed articles, book chapters and policy-oriented pieces. Her scholarship is anchored in diaspora studies but increasingly intersects with public health policy, critical development studies and visual methodologies. Collaborative outputs emphasize co-authorship with community stakeholders and emphasize participatory epistemologies.

Teaching & Mentorship

At McMaster she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses including Being, Belonging and Migration, Researching Global Peace and Social Justice, and Insight & Inquiry: Questions to Change the World. She is actively involved in the Black Student Mentorship Program and continually works to amplify student perspectives in curriculum design and university governance.

Labs, Teams & Initiatives

Dr Abebe leads the African and Black Diaspora Studies (ABLD) initiative at McMaster, convening faculty, students and community partners around research, events and curricular development. She maintains extensive networks with grassroots organizations and youth groups across Ontario, positioning the university as a key site for community-engaged scholarship.