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College of Agriculture and Life Sciences 
Agricultural and Human Sciences

Joseph Gakpo

JG

Graduate Assistant

Ricks Hall- Graduate Suite

Bio

Joseph Opoku Gakpo is a Ph.D. Candidate in Agricultural Education and Human Sciences with a concentration in Extension Education. He is a Graduate Research Assistant on the Student Success Project – a North Carolina Agricultural Foundation-funded project investigating factors that predict College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students’ chances of success. His co-advisors are Associate Professor of Agricultural and Human Sciences Dr. Katherine McKee and Professor of Horticulture Dr. John Dole. Joseph previously served as the instructor of record teaching undergraduate students a course called Communication Methods and Media in Agriculture and Life Sciences. He also previously worked with NC State Extension’s Conservation Agronomy Program, managing the program’s communications and supporting farmer outreaches. He is also pursuing a graduate minor in Genetic Engineering and Society. He is a 2016 Global Leadership Fellow of Cornell University’s Alliance for Science Program, and a 2020 Agricultural Biotechnology in Our Evolving Food, Energy and Water Systems (AgBioFEWS) Fellow of NC State University’s Genetic Engineering and Society Center.

Joseph’s research interest is in how humans interact with technological innovations. Specifically, his interdisciplinary research works investigate how communication influences the deployment of agricultural biotechnologies like genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and CRISPR gene editing. His research on GMOs in Africa explores public perception, media coverage, facilitators of trust, rhetoric, and communication strategies, among others. His research in the USA explores public perception of CRISPR and how people process information on gene editing technologies. His other areas of research include the evaluation of extension competencies and agricultural initiatives, communication strategies in international agricultural development, and factors that improve agricultural education in colleges.

Joseph is a Ghanaian journalist with more than 15 years of experience covering science, environment, agriculture, parliamentary affairs, and rural development issues in Africa. He works with Ghana’s largest private media house, the Multimedia Group Limited, where he produces documentaries and other content for radio, television, and online platforms. He has been recognized with ten local and international journalism awards, including the 2018 International Federation of Agricultural Journalists’ best video reporter award. He additionally works as an Africa-based communications consultant who develops and implements communication plans for international development organizations and private sector firms.

Contributing Websites

Professional Honors/Offices/Recognitions

Selected Publications

  • Gakpo, J. O., & Baffour – Awuah, D. (2024). The Evolution of Media Reportage on GMOs in Ghana Following Approval of First GM crop. GM Crops & Food, 15(1), 16–27. https://doi.org/10.1080/21645698.2024.2365481
  • Gakpo, J. O., Hardwick, A., Ahmad, J., Choi, J., Matus, S. C., Mugisa, J. D., Ethridge, S., Utley, D. and Zarate, S. (2024). The Need For Communication Between Researchers and Policymakers For The Deployment of Bioengineered Carbon Capture and Sequestration Crops. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems. 8. Article no 1329123. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2024.1329123

Education

BSc Agricultural Biotechnology Kwame Nkrumah University of Science & Technology, Ghana

MA Communication Studies University of Ghana

MA Liberal Studies NC State University

Area(s) of Expertise

  • Agricultural Extension
  • Agricultural Education
  • Science Communication
  • Biotechnology
  • International Development

Groups