MENLO PARK, Calif.—The William and Flora Hewlett Foundation announced today that Joseph Asunka has joined the Foundation as a program officer in the Global Development and Population Program.
From an email to grantees and Foundation staff that Global Development and Population Program Director Ruth Levine sent about the appointment:
I’m happy to announce that Joseph Asunka has joined the Hewlett Foundation as a program officer to work on our transparency, participation, and accountability efforts. Joseph’s extensive research on the interplay among government policy, civil society, and politics leaves him well placed to contribute to the development of our strategies and grantmaking.
Most recently, Joseph was a lecturer in political science at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), where he taught courses on data analysis, political institutions and economic development, and the political economy of Africa. Since 2004, he has served in multiple research-related roles at the Ghana Center for Democratic Development, leading research and capacity building projects related to governance and social development. Joseph’s prior experience includes data management to support the Afrobarometer project, as well as monitoring and evaluation work with World Vision International and Catholic Relief Services. He also has consulted for the Africa Region of the World Bank Institute on a meta-analysis of political economy studies in Africa.
Joseph holds a Ph.D. in political science from UCLA, as well as a master’s in economics and a bachelor’s degree in statistics and computer science, both from the University of Ghana, Legon.
Joseph’s research and knowledge is closely tied to a range of topics of interest to the Foundation and our grantees, including: the effect of election observers on electoral fraud, violence, and intimidation; the drivers of good governance; the impact of community health workers; and the use of public resources on education, among others. I’m so pleased that we will be able to draw on Joseph’s considerable expertise to better support our grantees in our shared effort to advance global development.
I hope you’ll join me in welcoming Joseph to the Hewlett Foundation.