Joseph Akowuah

  1. PhD Student
Email Addressjoseph.s.akowuah@wsu.edu
LocationJohnson Tower 706

Biography

I am a PhD student in Political Science at Washington State University. I specialize in political violence and conflict research. I am also pursuing an MSc in Statistics with a focus on data analytics. In the near future, I seek to build an AI algorithm that can predict and help prevent election-related violence by integrating geospatial data, social networks, and statistical modeling. Outside of research, I run the “Social Data Analysis” YouTube channel to promote data literacy.

Research Interests

Political violence; conflict processes; electoral integrity; democratic resilience; political psychology; comparative politics; peace and conflict studies; data analytics; geospatial modeling; social network analysis; machine learning applications in political science.

Committee Members

  • Jacob S. Lewis (Chair) – Associate Professor, Washington State University
  • Anthony Lopez – Associate Professor, Washington State University
  • Tricia Glazebrook – Professor, Washington State University

Education and Training

  • PhD in Political Science, Washington State University (2023–2028, in progress)
  • MSc in Statistics (Data Analytics), Washington State University (2025–2027, in progress)
  • MSc in Political Science, University of Gothenburg, Sweden (2020–2022)
  • BA in Political Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Ghana (2013–2017)
  • ICPSR Summer Program in Quantitative Methods, University of Michigan (2025)
  • Data Analytics Certification, DataCamp (2023)

Awards, honors and achievements

  • Distinguished Junior Scholar Award, Political Psychology Section, American Political Science Association (2025)
  • Graduate Student of the Year, School of Politics, Philosophy and Public Affairs, Washington State University (2025)
  • Foley Institute Summer Fellowship (2025)
  • Burlington Northern Graduate Fellowship, Washington State University (2025)
  • H. Paul Castleberry Graduate Fellowship, Washington State University (2024, 2025)
  • WSECU Graduate Scholarship (2025–2026)
  • Graduate and Professional Students Association Senator Scholarship, Washington State University (2024–2025)
  • Morris Reed Scholarship, Washington State University (2025)
  • Denny Johnston & Cornelia Terzetti-Johnston Endowment, Washington State University (2025)
  • Swedish Institute Scholarship for Global Professionals (SISGP), University of Gothenburg (2020–2022)

Outside of work, I enjoy…

Outside of work, I enjoy playing music instruments, creating new sounds, and using music as a way to relax and recharge. I also enjoy sharing knowledge through my YouTube channel on data analysis and engaging in community service.