I am an award-winning scholar and educator with research and training expertise in intergroup relations, cultural adjustment, conflict management, and mediation, with several years of work experience in Africa, Europe, Russia, and North America in both the academic and corporate sectors. I currently work as a Professor of Communication with a focus on Peace and Conflict Studies in the Department of Communication, California State University San Marcos, USA. I dream of a society where people with different social identities or group belongings can coexist peacefully irrespective of their differences. I spent my formative years in Cameroon, growing up in a time and place where there were deeply religious, political, social, and linguistic divides. I became passionate about understanding the role these differences play in people’s lives and how they communicate with each other. As a result, I enjoy investigating why certain minority groups are prejudiced or marginalized in society. This is important because having this understanding has implications for changing prejudice towards marginalized groups in society. Intergroup relations is central to the discipline of communication because communication occurs within the context of intergroup relations and the way we feel about people who are different from us potentially impacts how we communicate with them. My research interests are motivated by my experiences living in different parts of the world such as Europe, Africa, Russia, and North America as an immigrant minority. The overall goal of my research is to improve relations between groups in society. Intergroup prejudice remains one of the most important social concerns in most societies. My previous work has led to the development of training packages, initiatives, courses, policies, and community sensitization campaigns that aim at improving relations between groups in different parts of the world.

In addition, my research and training expertise focuses on cultural adjustment, particularly the psychological and socio-cultural adaptation of immigrants into their host society. Understanding the factors that impede or facilitate the adaptation of immigrants has implications for the successful integration of immigrants into their host society or cultural environment. As such, I enjoy investigating the ways in which individuals adjust to and experience a new cultural environment. I have significant experience conducting cultural adjustment research, training, coaching, and consulting for individuals, organizations dealing with short- and long-term employee relocation to Africa and Europe and international education stakeholders sending students overseas.

My research and training expertise also focuses on conflict management and mediation. My research particularly seeks to explore the types of perceptions people have about conflict, how these perceptions are formed, and the extent to which these perceptions impact them during conflict situations at work and in different relational contexts. I have taught courses on conflict management and mediation for several years at the university level. I’m passionate about helping individuals, groups, teams, organizations, and communities develop and enhance the skills to approach conflict constructively and transform it. I have significant experience offering conflict management training, coaching, and consulting to individuals, groups, organizations, and institutions. I am also a trained mediator and offer mediation services to individuals and organizations. You may contact me as an individual or as an organization for your mediation needs. I have taught and trained hundreds of students over the years as mediators through my university-level mediation course at California State University San Marcos. I’m also open to the possibility of serving as an extension of your human resource team.

I have published journal articles in renowned peered-reviewed journals in my field such as Journal of Intercultural Communication Research, Journal of International and Intercultural Communication, International Journal of Intercultural Relations, Journal of Islam and Christian-Muslim Relations and International Journal of Conflict Management. I have also written peered-reviewed chapters in books published by renowned publishers. I am currently working on the first Research Handbook of Communication and Prejudice with Prof. Stephen Croucher as co-editors.

Thank you for stopping by my page. I’m excited about the possibility of working with you!