Erezi Ogbo-Gebhardt
Dr. Erezi Ogbo-Gebhardt is an assistant professor in Information Science and the program director of Online and Extended Studies in the School of Library and Information Sciences (SLIS). She is a nationally recognized digital access scholar. She uses mixed methods to investigate the socio-economic and socio-technological factors that impact broadband and digital technology acceptance, use, and impact of use. Her work also evaluates the broader impact of programs established to improve the adoption and use of digital technologies (e.g., subsidized broadband or digital literacy training) on the recipients.
In 2014, Ogbo-Gebhardt was recognized as a promising young scholar by the Federal Government of Nigeria and awarded the Presidential Special Scholarship for Innovation and Development. She received the 2022 Charles Benton Early Career Scholar Award for her paper evaluating the Alabama Broadband Connectivity for Students program (the only broadband subsidy initiative in the US administered using direct-to-consumer vouchers). She also received the 2022 PTC Emerging Scholars Award for her work investigating the impact of broadband pricing policies on broadband use in Nigeria.
Dr. Ogbo-Gebhardt earned a Ph.D. and an MSc. in Engineering and Public Policy from Carnegie Mellon University in 2019 and 2017, respectively, an MSc. in Management and Information Technology from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, in 2013, and a B.Tech. in Information Technology from Bells University of Technology, Nigeria, in 2011. Before joining the tenure track at NCCU, she was a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Southern California, where she reviewed existing research on the effectiveness of broadband adoption initiatives and built analytical models to evaluate the effectiveness of broadband adoption initiatives and inform broadband policymaking.
Courses
Publications
Ogbo, E., Brown, T., Gant, J.P., and Sicker, D. “When Being Connected is not Enough. An Analysis of the Second and Third Levels of the Digital Divide in a Developing Country”. Journal of Information Policy Vol. 11 (2021), pp. 104-146 https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0104
Ogbo, E., Brown, T., Gant, J.P., Davis, A., and Sicker, D. “The Impact of Over-the-top Services on Preferences for Mobile Services: A Conjoint Analysis of Users in Nigeria”. Journal of Information Policy Vol. 11 (2021), pp. 403-443 https://doi.org/10.5325/jinfopoli.11.2021.0403
Ogbo, E., et. al. "If We Build it, Will They Come? Strategies to Advance High Impact, Digital Inclusion Ecosystems." Paper presented at the 51st Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy (TPRC50), 2023.
Ogbo, E. “Broadband Voucher Programs: Evaluating the Alabama Broadband Connectivity Program”. Paper presented at the 50th Research Conference on Communication, Information and Internet Policy (TPRC50), 2022.
Ogbo, E., Miller, A. H. D., Dow, L., & Allison, C. (2014). Enhancing assisted learning with 3D virtual environments. In J. Pirker, M. Ebner, K. Erenli, R. Malaka, & A. Walsh (Eds.), Journal of Immersive Education: E-iED 2014, Proceedings (pp. 58 – 66). Immersive Education Initiative. https://jied.org/1/1/index.html
Grants
Funding from the Duke Endowment and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. Role: PI. Digital Equity and Inclusion Asset Inventory, 2023.
Funding from the Duke Endowment and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology. Role: PI. Digital Literacy Literature Review, 2023.
Funding from the Inaugural Marjorie and Charles Benton Opportunity Fund Fellowship. Role: PI. Assessing the Impact of Subsidized Broadband among Low-Income Families, 2022–2025.
Funding from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Role: Investigator (PI: Siobahn Day Grady). Connecting Minority Communities, 2022–2024.
Funding from the National Institutes of Health. Role: Investigator. Role: PI. Nutrition for Precision Health, 2022–2027.
Presidential Special Scholarship Scheme for Innovation and Development, 2015–2019.
Delta State Government Award to First Class Honors Graduates, 2012–2015.