Biography:

Eden Mekonen is a dual title Geography and African Studies PhD student at Penn State University. She is currently a graduate admin assistant and started working with the Center for Black Digital Research in Fall 2022. Her research interests include inter- and intra-community identity formation and placemaking within/across Horn of Africa diasporas, as well as place-based othering and belonging processes. Eden earned her Bachelor's degree in Critical Theory and Social Justice with a Postcolonial Theory emphasis and minor in Interdisciplinary Writing from Occidental College.