Jane Kani Edward

Dr. Jane Kani Edward is an Associate Professor and Chair of the Department of African and African American Studies at Fordham University. She directs the African Immigration Research component of the Bronx African American History Project (BAAHP). Her research focuses on refugee and immigrant women’s experiences, human rights, gender, race, and post-conflict societies. She teaches courses on African women’s leadership, African history, and immigration to the U.S.

Dr. Edward holds a Ph.D. in Sociology in Education from the University of Toronto (2004), an M.A. in Sociology/Anthropology from The American University in Cairo, and a B.A. in Education from Juba University. Her work includes field research with South Sudanese refugees in Egypt, Uganda, and South Sudan.

Her research contributions include the book Sudanese Women Refugees: Transformations and Future Imaginings (2007) and numerous opinion articles addressing gender issues in conflict zones and African diaspora communities. She has been honored by Fordham University at the 3rd Annual African Heritage Celebration (2016), receiving a Congressional Record statement for her work with the African Diaspora in the Bronx.

Dr. Edward’s scholarship bridges academic inquiry with advocacy, emphasizing the intersection of gender, migration, and human rights in global contexts.