George Ayittey, PhD provides economic expertise and oversight for RadioFreeAfrica.org.

Dr. Ayittey is a Ghanaian economist and widely recognized authority on political and economic development in Africa.  A distinguished economist in residence at American University and president of the Free Africa Foundation, Dr. Ayittey has championed the idea that “Africa is poor because she is not free.”  True freedom never came to much of Africa after independence from colonial rule, says his first book, Africa Betrayed, which won the H.L. Mencken Award for “Best Book in 1992.”  His latestbook is Africa Unchained.

Dr. Ayittey earned his Ph.D. from the University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada; an M.A. University of Western Ontario, London, Canada and a B.Sc. Univ. of Ghana, Legon, Ghana.

Please see his web page at the American University for further information including links to current articles and speeches.

Dave Goodman handles project management and organizational development for RadioFreeAfrica.org.  He established the project as a way to help implement Dr. Ayittey’s  ”Radio Free Africa” — universal access to independent media as a human right.

Dave is the co-founder and Director of NYC Results, a policy advocacy group with a focus on U.S. foreign aid. Dave is also a contributor, as Board Secretary, to the Health Impact Fund, an innovative proposal to create incentves for pharmaceutical companies to research, develop and deliver drugs to the world’s poorest. He has managed research in cognitive neuroscience at Columbia University’s Center for the Decision Sciences and worked as a research analyst at D.E. Shaw & Co.   Dave has a degree in Environmental Science and Public Policy from Harvard University.

Gina Robbins volunteers with Radio Free Africa as a Web Sources and Current Events Analyst.  Gina comes from a project management background and serves in that capacity for a global retailer. Gina possesses a political science degree with a focus on Africa from Ohio State University.

Jacien Carr volunteers with Radio Free Africa as a Policy Research Analyst.  Jacien is a native of Liberia (currently residing in Virginia) and brings his life experience to the group.  Jacien is a graduate of Ohio State University with a bachelor’s degree in history and a minor in political science.   Jacien is currently writing his first book, which is a critical analysis of the first three generations of post colonial African leaders.