Fall 2015 and spring 2015 seminar: Ph.D. candidate, Africana studies
Nadia Sasso has a dual B.A. degree in English and sociology from Bucknell University, and an M.A. in American studies with a certification in documentary film from Lehigh University. Her master’s project was a documentary film, Am I: Too African to be American or Too American to be African?, which explores the complex identity formations of young African women living in America and West Africa who identify bi-culturally. It specifically looks at how they wrestle with concepts of race, complexion, gender, and heritage among other issues. Sasso is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Africana Studies at Cornell University where she will continue to use film and new media to generate qualitative insights into the fusion of U.S. and African experiences, as well as identify the contours of new identity formations among immigrants beyond the first generation. Born in America to parents who emigrated from Sierra Leone, Sasso believes in the potential for collaboration to inspire innovation. She spearheaded the corporate social responsibility initiative at Royal Dynamite so that the company donates an educational care package to children around the world when a t-shirt is purchased from the company. The initiative has led to collaboration with more than 300 organizations in countries across the globe. In 2010 she cofounded Yehri Wi Cry (YWC), an organization that distributes birthing kits in Sierra Leone to increase the successful birth and delivery rates for women. Named among Katie Couric's "Next Generation of Female Leaders," Sasso received the Young African Committed to Excellence Award by Face2Face Africa magazine. She is also the 2013 recipient of the Posse Foundation's Ainslie Alumni Achievement Award where she was honored for her commitment to social responsibility.