Those who know him sometimes call him a “quiet storm.” But, CSUB Communications chair and professor Andy Odasuo Alali would rather not brag too much about his accomplishments. “I don’t care if people so much read my work; I care if it has an impact,” he said modestly.

Alali’s latest projects entail teaming up with the United Nations and writing “Media, violence and terrorism in Africa” (2002), editing “Health Communication in Africa: Contexts, Constraints, and Lessons,” (2002) collaboratively with Dr. B.A. Jinadu, director of the Kern County Department of Public Health, and being the co-founder and editor of The Journal of African Communications. Currently he’s studying and documenting the contextual linkages between interpersonal networks and the health decisions people make in Africa.

His work isn’t just about his passion; it’s part of his heritage.

Alali was 19 when he left his home in Nigeria, West Africa, for the United States to attend college. And there was no choice in the matter. “There was pressure to go,” he said. “It was part of our upbringing to be prepared to do things independently.”

He didn’t have any trouble adjusting to his new home at Alabama A&M University where he received his bachelor’s in telecommunications. An uncle had introduced him to journalism and he focused on becoming a film producer. “I’m very adventurous,” he said. “I got over the culture shock. I knew I was here for a purpose. I did not let those distractions bother me.”

And he didn’t. Alali went on to receive his master’s in journalism and radio/television from Murray State University and his doctorate in mass communication from Howard University. By this time he had caught the teaching bug and, at 26 years old, was heading the class at Bowie State University in Maryland. “Once I caught it, I couldn’t get rid of it,” he said.

It was tough for his family to support college careers for all nine children. One year into his undergraduate program he was awarded a scholarship by the Rivers State Government, his state government. “The scholarships eased the burden,” Alali said. “But I couldn’t work because I wasn’t a United States citizen.”

Alali comes from a close-knit family. After the older siblings graduated they helped support the younger siblings go to school. “Everyone pulls together when one is in need. We all share.”

He left Bowie for CSUB in 1986 and didn’t really know what to expect. “I remember driving through the Mojave Desert wondering where I was going,” he laughed. Alali left for Cal State Dominguez Hills in 1987 but returned to CSUB in 1989 where he’s remained since.

Now Alali not only teaches, but also works diligently to promote healthy lifestyles in African countries, such as Nigeria, Burkina Faso, Mali, South Africa, and Zimbabwe. “HIV/AIDS has taken over as the No. 1 killer, more than malaria and associated diseases,” he stressed. “Most who are affected don’t even know they have it.”

His biggest challenge in this venture is attempting to communicate health issues to a different culture. “This is a place where it is a cultural belief to some that HIV doesn’t even exist.” Alali travels to Nigeria three times a year working with health educators, holding workshops, and organizing informational brochures.

His work has been well rewarded. He is the 1994, 1997 and 1998 recipient of the Whitney-Carnegie Award for Excellence in Research, and has been awarded fellowships by the Council for Advancement of Scientific Education in 2000. The board of directors for the Society for Environmental Journalists has just invited him to participate at its 15^th annual conference in Austin, Texas, Sept. 28-Oct. 2, as a distinguished winner of the society’s 2005 Fellowship for U.S. Journalists of Color.

Even though he made a complete “u-turn” from what he trained in during his undergraduate work, Alali seems pleased with the ways things turned out. “For better or worse, I have had the opportunity to meet and work with thousands of people who have impacted my life,” he said. “I’ve had the flexibility to do all these different things.”