Abel Djassi Amado joined the Simmons University Department of Political Science and International Relations in 2016. He did his undergraduate studies in international relations at Technical University of Lisbon, Portugal, and in political science at University of Massachusetts, Boston. He holds a PhD in political science/African studies from Boston University. Prior to joining Simmons, Amado had taught in other universities and colleges in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. He has also co-directed the University of Rhode Island Summer Abroad in Cabo Verde for many years. Amado is an active board member of the West African Research Association (WARA), a US-based non-profit scholarly organization that promotes investigation and study of West African issues and encourages academic linkages between scholars on the two sides of Atlantic.