AMHERST, N.Y. – Dr. Joseph Sankoh, associate professor of political science and director of African initiatives at Daemen College, has been elected president of the Fulbright Association Western New York and Western Pennsylvania Chapter.

“Dr. Sankoh’s election to this significant leadership role speaks to the high caliber and quality of our faculty, and we congratulate him on this distinguished achievement,” said Dr. Michael Brogan, Daemen vice president for academic affairs and dean of the college.

The local Fulbright Association chapter is one of 60 across the country that provides opportunities to be actively involved with the Fulbright program, and engage with program participants in the U.S. and with Fulbright alumni. The association supports the program’s international exchange experience by promoting lifelong learning, collaborative networking, and service at home and abroad for alumni, supporters and friends of the program.

“I’m deeply honored to have this opportunity to lead a chapter of such a prestigious organization, and I look forward to working with my esteemed colleagues in this capacity,” said Sankoh.

A Fulbright Senior Specialist, Sankoh is participating in comparative political studies and service learning projects at overseas institutions. Most recently, he was a guest professor at O.P. Jindal Global University in India, where he initiated cross-cultural projects and taught a graduate course on global migration and refugees, participated in workshops, and visited a Tibetan refugee camp.

Sankoh’s current research is focusing on global genocide since World War II. His scholarly works have been published in Oxford University Forum on Public Policy, Third World Foundation Studies Monograph, the Journal of Intercultural Disciplines, and the National Association of African American, Hispanics and Asian Studies Monographs, among others.

Sankoh earned both a doctorate and a master’s degree in political science from the University at Buffalo, a master’s degree in international studies from Farleigh Dickinson University, and a bachelor’s degree in political science from SUNY Cortland. He holds a People to People Ambassadors certificate and an Oxford University Forum on Public Policy certificate.

He resides in Amherst.