Sobukwe Odinga

Sobukwe Odinga serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of African American Studies at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he bridges African American Studies with US Foreign Policy through rigorous academic inquiry.

His educational foundation includes a Ph.D. in Political Science from The City University of New York Graduate Center and an M.A. in Africana Studies from New York University.

Dr. Odinga's research centers on International Relations theory, African regional security dynamics, and the intersection of race with US foreign policy. His current work critically examines intelligence cooperation between African states and the United States, covert operations, and evolving African American perspectives on national security within counterterrorism frameworks. This scholarship reveals how security liaisons influence regional conflicts in Africa while challenging conventional narratives about US-Africa relations.

His publication trajectory demonstrates a decisive shift toward intelligence and security studies since 2017, with earlier literary work contextualizing his later geopolitical analyses. The 2018 and 2017 articles establish his expertise in US-Africa intelligence bargaining, while the 2005 interview with Chinua Achebe reflects foundational engagement with African intellectual traditions.

Notable recognitions include:

• 2017 APCG-Lynne Rienner Best Dissertation Award (African Politics Conference Group, APSA)
• 2015 Ralph Bunche Dissertation Fellowship
• 2015 Award for Archival Research in African Diaspora Studies (CUNY Graduate Center)

Dr. Odinga's scholarly trajectory was advanced through a Vice Provost Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Pennsylvania, which supported his transition into faculty research. While no formal advising roles or major grant leadership are documented in the source text, his fellowship demonstrates institutional investment in his security studies expertise.