I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of African American and Africana Studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. My research examines the relationship between immigrant integration, transnational engagement, and racial and ethnic identity with a particular focus on Black (namely, African) immigrants. In one line of research, I draw on in-depth interviews with Oromo immigrants from Ethiopia living in the Washington, D.C. and Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan areas to explore how ethnic and racial identities are and continue to be informed by events and processes in both the United States and Ethiopia. In another line of research, I utilize quantitative methods to unpack how Black immigrants are reshaping (Black) American politics through their partisan affiliation and support for various social and economic policies.

Prior to joining the University of Maryland, I earned a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Michigan, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Stanford University. My research has been published in some of the top racial and ethnic studies journals including Sociology of Race and Ethnicity and Race and Social Problems.

My name is pronounced “bay-kah” “goo-loo-mah” and my preferred pronouns are he/him/his.