Board
Mashebe Mushe Subulwa
Founder
Mashebe (aka: Mushe) was born and raised in Naloyela Village, Mabumbu area, western Zambia. Mushe grew up with 5 brothers and 4 sisters. His father (Edward Mooka) passed away when Mushe was only 4 years old. His mom (Namakau Maria) and his sister (Monde Regina) ensured that the rest of the Subulwa children continued in school despite the loss. Mashebe attended Kalangu Basic School until he was 15 years old when he moved to the capital city (Lusaka) to live with his brother (Charles Mwakamui – former Dean of the College of Education at the University of Zambia). After high school, Mushe obtained a technical degree in automotive mechanics/engineering and operated an automotive mechanics business in Lusaka for several years. In 2003, Mashebe moved to South Africa where he worked as a teacher and principal at A Petit Pat Independent School in Mpumalanga. In 2005, Mashebe’s father-figure/brother, Charles Mwakamui, passed away and Mashebe returned to Zambia to handle family affairs. During this time, Mashebe met Ang as they lived in the same neighborhood on campus. In 2006, Mushe and Ang married and returned to the U.S.
Mashebe first settled in Kansas and worked building train engines while Ang completed her Ph.D. In 2008, they moved to Oshkosh, Wisconsin and Mushe completed a degree in Renewable Electric. He currently works for Lube-Tech installing/programming/troubleshooting automated car war systems throughout the state. Mushe also serves on the City of Oshkosh Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. When he isn’t working, Mashebe is running around with his young sons – Mooka (12) and Mwakamui (8) – who keep him busy, humble, motivated, and hopeful.
Angela G. Subulwa, PhD
Founder
Ang was born and raised in Sioux City, Iowa. She earned a Ph.D. and M.S. in Geography at the University of Kansas, as well as a graduate certificate in African Studies. She also has a B.S. in Geography, with minors in Computer Science and GIS from Northwest Missouri State University. Her research interests include examining the processes of forced displacement and identity as it relates to development, gender, political, and cultural geographies. Most of her research focuses on southern Africa, with a concentration on Zambia. In addition to numerous geography courses, she also teaches in the Women’s and Gender Studies Program.
Ang first traveled to Zambia in 2005 as a Fulbrighter to conduct her dissertation research on the former Ukwimi Refugee Settlement in eastern Zambia. While at the University of Zambia, Ang met Mashebe. They married in 2006 and moved to Kansas. After completing her Ph.D., they moved to Oshkosh where Ang worked as a professor and Chair of the Department of Geography at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. In 2020, Ang took on a new role at the UW Oshkosh as the Director of the International Studies Program.
Garth A. Myers, PhD
Garth Myers is the Paul E. Raether Distinguished Professor of Urban International Studies at Trinity College. Garth earned a Ph.D. in Geography (1993) from UCLA with an allied field in Urban Planning. Myers has an M.A. (UCLA, 1986) in African Area Studies, with Geography & Urban Planning as the major and minor fields, and a BA with Honors in History from Bowdoin College, with concentrations in African and African-American History. He has taught at the University of Kansas, University of Nebraska-Omaha, Miami University (Ohio), California State University at Dominguez Hills, and UCLA. Garth has conducted research in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Senegal, South Africa, Finland, and the UK over the past 20 years. While at the University of Kansas, he was Director of the African Studies Center (2006-11) and Director of KU’s link with the University of Zambia (2000-04). He has traveled and conducted research in Zambia five times from 2000-2013, and worked with Ang and Mushe in western Zambia in 2013. Garth has been married to Melanie Hepburn for more than 30 years. They have two daughters, Phebe and Atlee.
Yusufu U. Kamara, PhD
Dr. Yusufu Kamara is a Professor of Economics at Clark College. Dr. Kamara was born in Sierra Leone and earned his BSc (Honors) in Economics from Fourah Bay College, University of Sierra Leone. After graduation, Yusufu worked as an Investment Officer at the National Social Security and Insurance Trust (NASSIT) in Freetown, Sierra Leone before earning a Fulbright Scholarship in June 2006 to study for his master’s degree at the University of Kansas. Dr. Kamara earned my M.A. in Economics in May 2008 followed by a Ph.D. in May 2014, both from the University of Kansas (KU).
After graduating from KU, Dr. Kamara served briefly as an Adjunct Instructor at Baker University in Kansas. In 2015, he joined Clark College 2015 as a full-time Economics professor. His primary research interests and expertise are in the area of international capital flows and their impact on economic growth and development, particularly in developing and emerging economies.
Dr. Kamara lives in Vancouver with his wife and two kids. He is excited to lend his expertise as SEPO Zambia continues to build and expand.
Samantha Gray
Samantha was born and raised in Elk Point, South Dakota. She is a mother, a wife, a business owner, a social justice warrior, a passionate environmentalist, and a true nerd. After spending years in the telecommunications industry where her focus was on wireless network engineering and project management, Samantha left corporate America behind to create Goatshark Enterprises, LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to helping organizations plan and deploy sustainable technology solutions. Her company donates half of its time to helping non-profit organizations realize their environmental sustainability goals. Samantha is married to her best friend, Ryan. They have four children, who are being trained in the arts of sarcasm and social activism. When she’s not busy saving her boyfriend, The Planet, she and Ryan (who is completely supportive of their relationship) enjoy nerdy podcasts or marathoning Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
Frank Gray
Frank has over thirty-five years of local government finance experience and retired as the City Treasurer of Sioux City, Iowa in 2013. He was a charter member of the Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of Iowa and Chair of its Investment Committee. Frank also served for 20 years as a member of the Woodbury County Conservation Board, five years as the Chair of the Board. He is a past member of Blessed Sacrament Church Endowment Board and Finance Committee, Crittenton Center board, and the Special Troopers Adaptive Riding School (STARS). He currently volunteers his time and expertise to the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). Frank has a degree in Finance and Accounting from Briar Cliff University. Frank and his wife (Cindy) have been married since 1972 and have two children and six grandchildren. Frank traveled to Zambia in 2006 and remains committed to moving SEPO’s mission forward.