Welcome! If you’re curious about my personal story, you’ve come to the right place. For a deeper dive into my professional work, feel free to explore my research or browse my cv-chala-endalkachew 2024
I was born in Harar, a historic city in Eastern Ethiopia where tradition and history are woven into everyday life. At five, my family moved to a small town west of Addis Ababa. Later, I studied English at Dilla University in Southern Ethiopia. This was a journey I hadn’t initially planned. It introduced me to the transformative power of education and technology.
In 2005, after graduating from Dilla University, I went to Arba Minch University to teach English and Communication. Teaching English at Arba Minch University in Southern Ethiopia expanded my understanding of learning. It also enhanced my grasp of storytelling and the potential of technology. It was during this time that I began blogging, a decision that would shape my path ahead. In 2012, I co-founded Zone 9, a civil rights group that broke new ground in social media activism in Ethiopia. Amidst significant government repression, we launched the Amharic version of Global Voices, translated digital security tools, and provided encryption resources to empower vulnerable communities.
My involvement with Global Voices started as a volunteer writer, covering underreported stories from Ethiopia and beyond. Over time, I took on a more significant role, eventually becoming the Sub-Saharan Africa editor. In this capacity, I helped curate and amplify voices from across the region, focusing on digital rights, press freedom, and social movements. I still occasionally write for Global Voices, continuing my commitment to fostering independent journalism and global conversations.
I continued my digital rights advocacy as a Google Policy Fellow at the Electronic Frontier Foundation, where I contributed to translating Surveillance Self-Defense, a crucial guide offering tools and tips to protect against government and corporate surveillance.
My journey eventually led me to Oregon in 2013, where I pursued my Ph.D. in Media Studies at the University of Oregon, which I earned in 2018. During my time in Oregon, I developed a deeper interest in researching technology’s impact on communication, particularly in the context of transnational communication and its influence on local political, cultural, and personal interactions. I also enjoyed teaching multimedia storytelling as a teaching assistant and later as an instructor of record.
That fall, I joined Hamline University as a tenure-track assistant professor, a position I held until October 2022. At Hamline, I particularly enjoyed teaching interpersonal and intercultural communication courses, which deepened my appreciation for the nuances of human connection across cultures. Now, I primarily focus on research, though I continue to teach occasionally. While I am passionate about teaching, seeing it as a way to engage and inspire, I view research as a critical avenue for knowledge production and contributing to broader academic and societal conversations.
Thank you for visiting, and I hope this page provides a glimpse into the journey that brought me here!