Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program Alumni Highlight #4: Molalign Adunga

| 3 January 2025 |

Each quarter, we will be highlighing the career of Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program alumni. In this edition we focus on Molalign Adunga (Molo), who graduated with a PhD from the School of Rehabilitation Therapy at Queen's.

Molalign Adugna, PhD (who prefers to be called Molo), is an impact-oriented academic with over 12 years of experience in teaching, research, and administration at the University of Gondar in Ethiopia. Born and raised in a rural Ethiopian village, he initially engaged in farming and local tour guiding in the Simien Mountain National Park before pursuing university studies in sociology and social anthropology.

Dr. Molalign’s expertise spans inclusive education, disability, social determinants of health, transitions, and entrepreneurship/employability research focused on children and youth with disabilities. He earned his MA in Sociology (Health and Well-being) from Addis Ababa University in July 2012 and his PhD in Rehabilitation Science from Queen’s University, Canada, in December 2021. His dissertation, titled “The Quest for Inclusion and Overcoming Stigma among Children with Disabilities and their Families,” utilized Constructivist Grounded Theory to advance disability inclusion, inclusive education, and social justice in Ethiopia.

Currently, Dr. Molalign serves as an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Co-Director of the Mastercard Foundation Scholars Program at the University of Gondar. This $24.5 million, 10-year initiative aims to enhance inclusive higher education and disability inclusion in Ethiopia and East Africa. His work involves collaborating with children with disabilities, their caregivers, policymakers, and practitioners to foster disability awareness and inclusive education. He also contributes as a volunteer trainer, guest speaker, and trustee for various organizations and has been featured in local and national media, including FM 98.2 Radio. He has completed his MBA coursework at the University of Gondar and is currently conducting research for his thesis titled “Investigating Barriers and Enablers of Entrepreneurship Among Entrepreneurs with Disabilities in Ethiopia.”

Dr. Molalign’s career includes notable achievements such as the 2016 Mandela Washington Fellowship for public management and leadership at Bridgewater State University and the 2021 Stigma Research Training Institute fellowship at the Fogarty International Center, NIH. His research has been presented at international conferences, including those organized by the Mastercard Foundation in Nairobi, Kigali, and Dakar, as well as at the UN Economic and Social Forum in New York. He has also traveled to Hargeisa and Juba for scholar recruitment from Somalia/Somaliland and South Sudan. In addition, Dr. Molalign is co-leading a Participatory Action Research (PAR) project on improving access to and completion of higher education for students with disabilities in collaboration with the University of Gondar and Bahir Dar University. His work is particularly focused on addressing challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing regional conflicts. He also partners with Light for the World (LFTW) to establish paid internships for graduating schools and advance disability inclusion in African universities through a free web-based toolbox.

School of Rehabilitation Therapy