A 7-year Ph.D. Candidate in Communication and Media Studies in the School of Journalism & Communication (SOJC), Emrakeb’s doctoral journey has been fraught with challenges but also opportunities. She began her studies well, completing her coursework comprehensive exams, defending her dissertation proposal ahead of schedule, and becoming a doctoral candidate. Her dissertation proposal was the last defense SOJC had; it took place on March 13, 2020, and three days later, Oregon announced the stay-at-home order. Then, things started to go wrong. “There I was, ready to graduate in four years, and all my plans failed. Two years of my doctoral life were lost due to COVID-19, Trump's shenanigans during his term against immigrants/international students, George Floyd’s killing, Black Lives Matter protests, and a civil war in my country, Ethiopia.” 

Emra (her preferred name), recalled how, on November 4, 2020, she was watching the news about Trump’s early seemingly winnings in most states while receiving on her phone notifications about the war between the Ethiopian government and a rebel group in Tigray, the TPLF. “It was after 5 pm, and I watched on Fox News & CNN as almost all states turned red while I also saw phone footage of the fighting in my home country. It was the worst feeling; I was paralyzed with fear of not knowing where to be, the place I called home for the past three years might have Trump reelected, and my chance of being kicked out without completing my Ph.D. degree very high while also knowing I have nowhere to go because my country is at war with itself,” she said.

“All these curveballs were thrown at me simultaneously, and doing research or publishing was nearly impossible,” Emra said, despite research and publication being some of her main reasons for pursuing a Ph.D. With a sinking feeling, she realized that her well-thought-out plans and goals may not come to fruition.

Emra had to navigate for three terms in 2020-21 how to survive being an instructor of record while having two middle schoolers doing online education at home and sharing a two-bedroom house with four members. However, always seeing the glass half full, Emra fought hard to find solace in gaining self-introspection and more time to connect with her family while remaining humble and patient.

In June 2022, she joined the Division of Graduate Studies as Family GE, one of her most rewarding job experiences, she said. She can relate to the challenges faced by graduate students who are parents like her and want to help in any way because she did not want to see them go through what she went through during the first four years of her stay at the UO. She provides information and resources available at the UO and off campus while organizing family-friendly events and creating community and networks.

Planning to graduate by Spring 2024, Emra is set to join the job market as an assistant professor in a tenure track positionp in the media and PR industry or as a professional PR and media expert. Her dissertation, Critical Assessment of Public Communication Campaigns in Ethiopia: The Case of ‘No Woman Should Die While Giving Life,’ explores the intersections of social identities such as gender, ethnicity, geography, language, religion, class, and disability can impact accessing health services. The assessment allows her to examine the corporate communication management systems of Ethiopia's Ministry of Health, its regional health bureaus, Addis Ababa City Administration, and the WHO and how these groups handled media relations and carried out their strategic public relations campaigns. Her dissertation also examined their social media content strategies by looking at their public relations writing, such as press releases, news articles, and videos on social media platforms, while promoting their health campaigns. Emra was also the first author of a chapter called “Participatory and intersectionality approaches for gender equity and maternal health promotion in sub-Saharan Africa” in the Handbook of Communication and Development. One of her research papers, "Reclaiming Family Planning Adverts from patriarchy: Assessment of DKT Social Marketing in Ethiopia," has been accepted at the 11th Annual Black Doctoral Network Conference, which she will present on October 19-21, 2023, in Atlanta, Georgia.

Emra is excited about the future. She said, “I just can’t believe I am here; I am so grateful that I had all the support when I needed it, all those people who were there when I was down. I plan to pay it forward by joining the workforce soon and doing what I love doing the most, i.e., ‘be the change I want to see.’” She paraphrases Gandhi here, one of her heroes. 

- Story and photos by Emrakeb Woldearegay and post by Aqsa Khan, Division of Graduate Studies.