University at Buffalo (UB)
Faculty Profile
Africa Hands
Assistant Professor
Information Science
africaha@buffalo.edu
Education:
- PhD, Information Systems, Queensland University of Technology, 2018
- MLIS, Library and Information Science, San Jose State University, 2008
Professional experience:
- Assistant Professor, Information and Library Science, University at Buffalo
What mentoring means to me:
Mentoring means an opportunity to give back, to support someone's professional development. As a former first-generation student and someone from a marginalized background, it's important to support others with similar experiences. Education systems are complicated to navigate and career decisions are hard to make in isolation. I hope to provide support, coaching and sponsorship to students so they can achieve their goals.
Topics I am willing to discuss with students:
Academic Culture
- Considering a non-academic path after grad school.
- Decoding and demystifying academic culture and norms.
- Taking a non-traditional path to grad school.
- Uncertainty about staying in grad school.
Personal Experiences
- Experiences related to being a woman.
- Experiences related to class and/or socioeconomic status.
- Experiences related to racial, ethnic, cultural and/or religious minority status.
- Experiences related to sexual and/or gender minority status.
- Financial stress and strain.