Movement Researcher
A scholar of global migration is named EWU’s Chertok Endowed Professor.
Kassahun Kebede, an associate professor of sociology at EWU whose work on immigration and refugees has attracted international acclaim, was honored in October as Eastern’s new Jeffers W. Chertok Memorial Endowed Professor.
Kebede, who has served as an instructor and researcher in both Ethiopia and the U.S., is a noted scholar who has also provided expertise to prominent international organizations including the World Bank, USAID, and OXFAM-America. His contributions include providing crucial insights into the realities of rural lives and livelihoods in his former homeland of Ethiopia, a nation where conflict and climate change have made desperately needed development initiatives difficult to sustain.
The Chertok Professorship was established to honor the life and legacy of Jeffers W. Chertok, a cherished EWU professor and administrator who died in 2004. It is funded through gifts from private donors, including the Daniel and Margaret Carper Foundation, and a match from the state of Washington. It is focused on supporting Chertok’s predominant area of scholarly interest: classic social science theory with an emphasis on the origins of thought.
At EWU, Kebede helps students engage with issues related to rising levels of cross-border migration, medical sociology and anthropology, while teaching courses that grapple with “social problems on a global scale.”
“This is a testament to the power and promise of this country for me,” he says. “As an immigrant coming here and becoming the endowed professor, it is a dream come true.”
During his two-year term as Chertok Professor, Kebede says he intends to focus on initiating meaningful discussions related to the often highly fraught issue of immigration and refugees. He also plans to work with administrators to establish an EWU migration research and outreach program.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about refugees and immigrants — particularly refugees. So, this professorship will provide a chance to really dispel some of those misconceptions and misunderstandings about global population movements,” says Kebede, who himself immigrated to the United States as a young adult.
Kebede earned his doctoral degree at Syracuse University in 2012, and became a faculty member at EWU three years later.
Given his own background, he says being honored as the Chertok Memorial Endowed Professor is particularly gratifying and meaningful.
“This is a testament to the power and promise of this country for me,” he says. “As an immigrant coming here and becoming the endowed professor, it is a dream come true.”
