Ambassador Robin Renee Sanders of Nigeria and the Republic of Congo is coming to Gannon University next week to visit classes, meet with people on and off campus, give public lectures and mentor students.

Sanders is an internationally-renowned leader who is visiting campus to help students and faculty understand the United States’ connection with the broader world.

Sanders holds a Doctor of Science Degree in Information Science and Communication from Robert Morris University, Masters of Art degree in International Relations and Africa Studies, and a Masters of Science degree in Communications and Journalism from Ohio University. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from Hampton University.

Sanders lived in Africa for several years working as an ambassador and now is Considered the U.S. Permanent Representative to the West African Regional Organization, ECOWAS.

She testified before congress concerning Boko Haram, the group that kidnapped 300 Nigerian girls.

She participated in the U.S.-Africa summit that brought African leaders together in Washington, D.C.

The Academic Affairs office is sponsoring her trip and the Honors Program has coordinated all of the events.

The classes that have been set up for her to visit include Introduction to Women’s Studies, Honors Public Speaking, Women in the Middle East History and more.

“I think that classes should have more international speakers,” said Ericka Cochran, a junior social work major.

“Sanders will be able to teach us so much that we wouldn’t have been able to get from a textbook.”

Sanders currently runs FEEEEDS (Food Security, Education, Environment-Energy, Economics, Democracy-Development and Self-help) which focuses on food security issues in the world.

Right now, her second book about African socio-economic communication expressions is in the works.

Living in Africa gave her an appreciation for every culture and its “communication expressions.” Certain aspects of the African cultural practices, especially languages, artifacts and signs and symbol systems, struck her.

Two lectures will be open to the public next week. On Wednesday she will be discussing the U.S.-Africa relationship and its elements and why it’s important.

This will take place at 7:30 p.m. in the Yehl Ballroom of the Waldron Campus Center.

This lecture will also be structured around current events such as the Ebola outbreak.

Last week Sanders was on MSNBC speaking about Ebola and her beliefs on it. She expressed her concern about how it is being spread and how it is not monitored as much as it should be.

She also addressed the fact that Ebola is not a main cause of death in Africa. Although this will not be the center of her lecture, it may be addressed.

At 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 30, she will also have a lecture on her book that was published last year, “The Legendary Uli Women of Nigeria” in room 3216 of the Palumbo Academic Center.

Her book follows eight Nigerian women through a phase in their lives as they try to preserve their Uli system.

“I think it’s really important that someone who has been over there is coming to talk to us,” Alyssa Guerriero, a junior nursing major, said.

“We don’t really know what women from other countries are like and what they deal with besides the stereotypes that we all hear.”

KAT SHINDLEDECKER
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