Dr. Corina Shika Kwami

• Class of 2010

• Roots of GU experience: Jazz History (Patrick Warfield), DC Jazz History (Maurice Jackson) and Davis Center (on/off offstage)
• What are your most important skills you learned in the Davis Center? Critical thinking and the power of storytelling to build bridges across cultures and create new partnerships. While in the Davis Center, I was fortunate to take Natsu Onoda’s class on Reimagining ‘Madness’ and  guest artist, Synetic Theater’s, Physical Theater class. The class on reimagining madness, challenged me to think critically about the narratives we hold closest and to question why through creative approaches to storytelling. The conversations with my colleagues and Natsu inspired me to use art & culture as an entry point for understanding the many ways we can tell stories.
• What are some professional highlights? I represented the arts for UNLEASH Innovation Lab in Singapore as a keynote speaker and performer. I finished my doctorate in engineering from the University College of London on innovative cities and did a TEDx talk in London! These were not connected to my life at TPST directly, though each demonstrates the power of bridging the arts and sciences. In the same spirit, you can see me on the Science Channel and Discovery Channel talking about innovative solutions to engineering challenges on shows like Engineering Catastrophes and in spaces  like NYCxDesign week for ‘Designing for the Planet.’ These all connect to the values of Cura Personalis and bridging the arts and sciences  – all principles that felt so natural at Georgetown and continue to shape my journey!
• How have you carried the Davis Center’s ethos of creating new work and collaborations? Fostering new connections and innovative partnerships has been the cornerstone of my work, inspired by the Davis Center’s ethos such as the “Bridge to Peace Residency.” My approach to storytelling builds on this ethos – for example, I’ve spearheaded programs that use jazz as a starting point for dialogue across sectors, cultures and systems, a platform for embracing improvisation in different sectors. At the UNLEASH Innovation Lab in Singapore, I used Duke Ellington’s band leading as a starting point for inspiring social change makers to envision their teams like a jazz band, connecting to the TPST intersectionality. (Check it out!) For TEDx in London, I adapted a live tour of jazz hubs in Berlin for a London audience in ‘Many Voices to Tell a Story,’ which unpacks the history of cabaret, jazz and politics in Berlin.
• Where in the world has your work taken you? All over –  I’ve lived in over 10 countries and worked in 25+ countries including Switzerland, Morocco, Germany, Rwanda, Myanmar, Colombia, UK, Sweden, Ireland, Norway, Malaysia, China to name a few. My work developing curriculum for innovation labs has been adapted to tackel complex challenges in Liberia, Ghana and Arizona. We included that curriculum in a proposal (that we’ve won!) for bringing international innovations to the US!

"My wish for the future of the Davis Center: Celebrate people and take risks by embracing folks who don't fit the mold!"

Dr. Corina Shika Kwami