Governance

2025-2026 EXECUTIVE COUNCIL OFFICERS

Immediate Past President: Joseph Bangura
bangurajjoseph@gmail.com

President: Sabella Abidde
sabidde@alasu.edu

VP/President Elect: Ryan Alexander
ralex006@plattsburgh.edu

Secretary: Philip Szmedra
szmedra001@gannon.edu

Treasurer: Danielle Smith
daniellesmith@georgiasouthern.edu

Executive Director: Lauren Eastwood
lauren.eastwood@plattsburgh.edu

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS

Position #1: Alwen Yeung
alwen.yeung@gsw.edu

Position #2: Assefaw Bariagaber
assefaw.bariagaber@shu.edu

Position #3: Yassaman Saadatmann
ysaadatmand@georgiasouthern.edu

Nominations & Elections Committee [chair]: Michael R. Hall
mrhall@georgiasouthern.edu

Information Services Committee [chair]: Brian Parkinson
brian.parkinson@gsw.edu

Teaching Committee [chair]: Cathy Skidmore-Hess
cskid@georgiasouthern.edu

Journal of Global South Studies [editor]: Carolina Rocha
cmrocha@illinois.edu

The Call for Nominations was from 1 June 2025 to 1 August 2025. Elections were conducted from 15 August 2025 to 15 September 2025The new VP/President Elect is Ryan Alexander.  Representing Position #2 is Assefaw Bariagaber.  In addition, the Executive Council appointed Brian Parkinson to fill the vacant position of chair of the Information Services Committee. On 6 January 2026 we welcomed Carolina Rocha as the new Editor of the Journal of Global South StudiesIf you are interested in serving on the Executive Council, please contact the chair of the Nominations and Elections committee at any time throughout the year.