Research and Teaching

Nana aba’s research interests lie at the intersection of race, journalism and leadership. Her current focus is the establishment of the Mary Ann Shadd Cary Centre for Journalism and Belonging at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada. The centre’s goal is to advocate, support and participate in inclusive and belonging-focused journalism in Canada. The initial focus is on the relationship between Black communities in Canada and journalism in the present, past and future.

At Carleton University’s School of Journalism and Communications, she designed and delivered the new third-year course Journalism and Belonging (JOUR 3401) course. In it, she aims to help students understand how diversity, inclusion, and belonging affect journalism, journalism practice and society in Canada.

She also co-led the team that redesigned the mandatory second-year course, Fundamentals of Reporting (JOUR 2201). Her  innovative contributions included the creation of two new reporting assignments: “Not My Community” asks students to interview a person who is not a member of their community and “In My Community” asks students to report on a story informed by their own lived experience as a member of a community with which they identify.