STARS fellows

Fellows are paired with faculty and research staff affiliated with Cornell University or partner institutions, with whom they jointly author a paper on a topic of mutual interest relating to structural transformation in sub-Saharan Africa.

In addition to producing high-quality publishable research, the program includes writing, data management, and communication capacity building designed explicitly to develop and expand the professional reach of talented early-career scholars.

HEAR from OUR FELLOWs

2026 fellows

Sawsan Abdul-Jalil
STARS Fellow (Sudan)
Ojiri Enahoro Innocent
STARS Fellow (Côte d'Ivoire)
Solomon Haddis Teklehaymanot
STARS Fellow (Ethiopia)
Yezihalem Mebrie Gobezie
STARS Fellow (Ethiopia)
Benjamin Musah Abu
STARS Fellow (Ghana)
Reem Nabil Hashad
STARS Fellow (Egypt)
Jules Ngango
STARS Fellow (Rwanda)
Sunmibola Oyetola Olaniyi
STARS Fellow (Nigeria)
Zakayo Zakaria
STARS Fellow (Tanzania)

Past Fellows

2025 cohort

Dah Sansan Ali Bepounte (Burkina Faso)
Interests: Armed Conflicts, Agricultural Technology Adoption, Agricultural Productivity.
Guyo Godana Dureti (Ethiopia)
Interests: Policy Evaluations, Land Degradation and Productivity, Food Security and Nutrition, Agricultural Extension, Climate Shocks and Resilience
Jonathan Garcia (Nicaragua)
Interests: Food-Security, Targeting, Conflict, Social-Protection
Tolulope Rachael Jerumeh (Nigeria)
Interests: Agricultural policy analysis, Food security, Poverty reduction, Gender