Joan Wangui Wanyama

Joan Wangui Wanyama earned her master’s degree in social work, community practice, with an international social work concentration from Baylor University. She also holds a master’s degree in arts, project planning and management and a bachelor’s degree of arts, social work from The University of Nairobi. Joan enters the doctoral program with eight years of experience coordinating and supporting various child safeguarding, gender mainstreaming, and disability inclusion programs in Sub-Saharan Africa. She has been involved in different community service initiatives serving underprivileged populations in different capacities in government and non-profit organizations, locally and internationally. Her core competencies include project management, program design, implementation and evaluation, fundraising, grant writing, and management. Joan currently serves as a program manager at Christian Brothers Ruben Centre, a faith-based nonprofit in Kenya, where she coordinates health, education, and socio-economic empowerment projects in the informal settlements of Mukuru, Nairobi. Joan is interested in social justice advocacy for vulnerable and marginalized groups and research that aims to create equitable opportunities for individuals, families, and communities and that helps to eliminate inequalities reinforced by poverty through innovations for social development. She is especially interested in intervention and data-driven research that targets children and youth in under resourced international communities. Professor Gina Chowa will serve as Joan’s research mentor.