Joseph Opoku Gakpo

Joseph Opoku Gakpo is a graduate student pursuing a doctorate in agricultural and extension education. Under the supervision of Assistant Professor Katherine McKee and Professor John M. Dole, his doctoral dissertation investigates factors that influence the academic success of undergraduate agricultural and life sciences students. He is also pursuing a graduate minor in Genetic Engineering and Society, with research focus on how communication influences the deployment of agricultural technologies. He previously served as the instructor of record teaching Communication Methods and Media in Agriculture and Life Sciences and is currently a Graduate Research Assistant in the department. He is also a 2016 Global Leadership Fellow of Cornell University’s Alliance for Science Program, and a 2020 AgBioFEWS Fellow of the Genetic Engineering and Society (GES) Center, NC State University. Joseph is an award-winning Ghanaian journalist with more than 15 years of experience covering science, environment, agriculture, parliamentary affairs, and rural development issues in Africa. He works with Ghana’s largest private media house, the Multimedia Group Limited, where he produces documentaries and other content for radio, television, and online platforms. He additionally works as an Africa-based communications consultant who develops and implements communication plans for international development organizations and private sector firms.