Seth Appiah-Opoku Ph.D., AICP

Director, Alabama in Ghana Summer Abroad Program

http://bama.ua.edu/~ghana-al/instructors.html

Listed in Profiles of Minority Environmental Professionals

http://www.umich.edu/~meldi/4_profiles_minprof.html

 

 

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Regional Planning & Resource Development, University of Waterloo,  Ontario, Canada

M.Sc. Rural Planning & International Development, University of Guelph, Ontario, Canada

B.A   Urban & Regional Planning Ryerson Polytechnic University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

B.Sc. (Hon) Urban Planning, University of Science & Technology, Ghana

 

TEACHING

Assistant Professor, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL (2002-Present)

Visiting Assistant Professor, Environmental Science Department, Allegheny College, Meadville, PA, USA (2000-2002)

Visiting Assistant Professor, Environmental Program, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA (1998-2000)

Instructor, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, Canada (1997-1998)

 

 

ACADEMIC AWARDS

1994    A Celebration of Achievement, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario. A

            special recognition of most outstanding doctoral student

1992        Graduate Scholarship, University of Waterloo, Waterloo, Ontario ($15,000)

1990    Certificate of Merit, School of Urban & Regional Planning, Ryerson Polytechnic

            University, Toronto, Ontario

 

 

TEACHING AND RESEARCH AWARDS

2005    Diversity Initiative Award, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, $5000

2005    Arts and Science Teaching Grant, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, $900tc  \l 5 "RESEARCH AWARDS"

2004    RAC, Summer Research Grant, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, $4980

2003    Provost's Research Award, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. $5096

1999    PRIVATE International Advisory Council Grant, University of Vermont (UVM). Received $1050

1999    Environmental Program supported the field studies course with $2500 grant

1995    Young Canadian Researchers Award, International Development Research Center (IDRC) Ottawa, Canada, $25,000

1992    International Rural Development Research Award, University of Guelph, $9,500.

 

 

NEWSPAPER COVERAGE OF STUDENTS' CLASS PROJECTS

"UA Students Share Ideas to Improve Downtown," Tuscaloosa News, p.5b, 4/26/04.

"Allegheny Students Study Downtown Revitalization," Meadville Tribune, p. 3a, 12/13/2000.

"Revitalization and Environmental Protection are Goals: SAL to Connect Businesses, Students," Meadville Tribune, front page, 3/4/2001.

"UNBC Planning Students have Vision for Third Avenue," Price George Citizen, p. 4b, 4/15/1998.

 

 

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (JOURNALS)

Appiah-Opoku, S.  (re-submitted). "The Need for Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Stewardship: An African Example", Journal of Cultural Geography.

 

Appiah-Opoku, S.  (2004). "Rethinking Ecotourism: The Case of Kakum National Park in Ghana", African Geographical Review, Vol. 23, pp. 49-63.

 

Appiah-Opoku, S. 2001. "Environmental Impact Assessment in Developing Countries: The Case of Ghana," Environmental Impact Assessment Review, (21)1:59-71.

 

Appiah-Opoku, S. and B. Hyma. 1999. "Indigenous Institutions and Resource Management in Ghana," Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor Vol. 7, No.3, pp.15-17

 

Appiah‑Opoku, S. 1999. "Indigenous Economic Institutions and Ecological Knowledge:

A Ghanaian Case Study." The Environmentalist, Vol. 19, No. 3, pp. 217-227

 

Appiah‑Opoku, S. 1998. "A Critique of World Bank's Structural Adjustment Programs in Africa: A Case Study of Ghana." Africa Notes, February, pp.7-11 (Published by Cornell Institute for African Development, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY)

 

Appiah‑Opoku, S. and G. Mulamoottil, 1997. "Indigenous Institutions and Environmental Assessment: The Case of Ghana," Environmental Management, Vol. 21, No.2, pp.159‑171

 

Appiah‑Opoku, S. 1994. "Theoretical Orientations of Environmental Assessment in Canada: Application to the Third World," Environments, Vol. 22, No.3, pp. 103‑110

 

Appiah‑Opoku, S. 1994. "Applying Canada's Environmental Impact Assessment Model to the Third World," Plan Canada, Journal of Canadian Institute of Planners, March, pp. 14‑17. This article has been requested for use as teaching and reference material at the University of Luton, England

 

 

PEER REVIEWED PUBLICATIONS (BOOK/ BOOK CHAPTERS)

Appiah-Opoku, S.  (2006). "Indigenous Knowledge and Environmental Management in

Africa: Evidence from Ghana". In, Konadu-Agyemang, K., and Panford, K. (eds.). Reinventing

Africa's Development in the 21st Century, Ashgate.

 

Appiah-Opoku, S.  (2005). The Need for Indigenous Knowledge in Environmental Impact

Assessment: The Case of Ghana.  New York, NY: Edwin Mellen Press.

See Reviews: http://www.mellenpress.com/mellenpress.cfm?bookid=6293&pc=9

 

 

BOOK REVIEWS

Urbanization and African Cultures, 465 pp., by Toyin Falola and Steven J. Salm, (forthcoming), Canadian Journal of African Studies

Africa Survey, 2/e. Reviewed for Oxford University Press (2004).

Women and Land in Africa: Culture, Religion and Realizing Women's Rights, by Wanyeki, L. M. (2003), Journal of African Studies Review, Vol. 47(2):221-222.

Verandas of Power: Colonialism and Space in Urban Affairs, by G.A. Myers (2003), Journal of Cultural Geography, Vol. 21(2):114-115.

The Evolution of Technical and Institutional Options for Small Farmers in West Africa, by Lawrence, P, Renard, G and M. Von Oppen (1999), Indigenous Knowledge and Development Monitor, Vol. 8 (2): 38-39.    

 

 

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP

American Institute of Certified Planners (AICP)

Association of American Geographers (AAG)

African Studies Association (ASA)

American Planning Association (APA)

International Association for Impact Assessment (IAIA)

Minority Environmental Professionals

 

 

COMMUNITY SERVICE

External Examiner, Ph.D. Dissertation, Murdoch University, Australia (2005)

Member, Diversity Committee, University of Alabama (2005-2006)

Director, African Specialty Group, Americ

an Association of Geographers (2005)

Alternate Member, Faculty Senate, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, (2004-2006)

Chair, Campus Master Plan Committee (2004-2005)

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Member, Committee Selecting Consulting Firm to Update Campus Master Plan (2004)

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Member, International Editorial Board (Since May, 2003)

Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Gattikon, Switzerland

Prepared Undergraduate and Graduate Brochures (August-October 2003)

Geography Department, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Member, African-American Studies Program Committee (Since August 2003)

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

Member, Campus Master Plan Committee (Since August 2003)

University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa

 

Last updated: September 2006