Meet The Team
BSN Board Bio
The Burkinabe Students Network (BSN) Welcome Package With The Board Members Biography
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabèDr. Brice Zoungrana
Dr. Brice Zoungrana is a seasoned geospatial expert with a rich academic and professional background. He began his educational journey at Lycée Mixte de Gounghin in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso, and earned a Bachelor's in Macroeconomics and Development Management from University Saint Thomas d'Aquin.
His graduate studies include a Master's in Geomatics with a focus on Project Management from Institut Supérieur d'Etudes Spatiale et de Télédétection, a second Master's in Geography with a GIS specialization from South Dakota State University, and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics.
Currently serving as Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., Dr. Zoungrana applies cutting-edge geospatial tools to environmental monitoring and agricultural development. He holds certifications in Unmanned Aircraft Systems, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics.
Outside of work, he enjoys sports, movies, and outdoor adventures. His commitment to community development is reflected in his leadership and mentorship within BSN.
Current Residence:
Nebraska, USANationality:
American and BurkinabèMr. Salomon Ilboudo
Mr. Salomon Ilboudo serves as Vice Chair / Vice President and is a skilled Civil Engineer and Project Manager with a Master’s degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Nebraska – Lincoln.
His expertise lies in structural design and project execution, where he applies a practical and solutions-oriented approach. His strong technical foundation and leadership capabilities contribute significantly to BSN’s strategic vision and operational excellence.
Beyond engineering, Salomon is a passionate guitar player who actively contributes musically to his church community. His blend of technical precision and artistic expression makes him a dynamic, approachable, and well-rounded leader.
Current Residence:
Durham, NCNationality:
BurkinabèDr. Angelika Ouedraogo
Dr. Angelika Ouedraogo is a trailblazing Sustainability Engineer at Wolfspeed, holding a PhD in Biosystems Engineering from Oklahoma State University. She also earned a Master’s in Applied Engineering – Energy Science from Georgia Southern University and a Bachelor’s in Water and Environmental Engineering from 2iE.
Her academic achievements include authoring over 11 research papers, serving as Honorary Graduate Commencement Marshal, and receiving the William Endowed Distinguished Graduate Fellowship twice.
Beyond academia, Angelika is a decorated athlete and three-time Olympic swimmer, a national record holder, and a recipient of the Knight of the Order of Merit of Youth and Sport in Burkina Faso.
Her advocacy focuses on sustainability in sports and advancing athletes’ rights across Africa and within the International Olympic Committee. In her free time, she enjoys swimming, hiking, robotics, and outdoor cooking.
Current Residence:
ArizonaNationality:
BurkinabèDr. Abdoul Aziz Kouanda
Dr. Abdoul Aziz Kouanda serves as Treasurer and holds a PhD in Civil Engineering with an emphasis on Water and Environmental Engineering from South Dakota State University.
His technical expertise and analytical background contribute significantly to BSN’s financial stewardship and strategic planning efforts.
Further details regarding his current professional role and achievements will be shared in due course.
Current Residence:
Minneapolis, MNNationality:
BurkinabèMr. Abdoul Kader Naze
Mr. Abdoul Kader Naze serves as Fundraising & Scholarship Development Chair and is a data-driven strategist currently working as AVP of Marketing Analytics for Consumer Deposits at US Bank.
He holds a Master’s in Applied Economics and a Graduate Certificate in Data Analytics. His academic journey began at Complexe Sainte Famille and USTA in Burkina Faso before advancing to St. Cloud State University.
His expertise in economics and analytics plays a key role in strengthening BSN’s fundraising strategies and scholarship development initiatives.
Outside of work, he enjoys soccer, movies, reading, and staying active at the gym.
Current Residence:
OuagadougouNationality:
BurkinabèLena Maryse Angela Ouandaogo
Lena Maryse Angela Ouandaogo serves as Communications & Branding Chair and is an Agricultural and Biosystems Engineer with a Bachelor’s degree from South Dakota State University.
Her work focuses on soil and water management, with a strong interest in drone technology and automation for sustainable agriculture.
As a member of SOL Vert, Angela empowers rural women and leads agroecological projects that promote environmental sustainability.
Her passion for climate resilience and community upliftment plays a vital role in shaping BSN’s communications and branding strategy.
Current Residence:
Stillwater, OKNationality:
BurkinabèMr. Ibrahima Savadogo
Mr. Ibrahima Savadogo serves as Programs & Student Support Chair and studied Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Oklahoma State University.
He brings strong technical insight and a student-centered approach to BSN’s programming initiatives and support systems.
Additional details regarding his professional role and community contributions will be added soon.
Current Residence:
Eau Claire, WINationality:
American and BurkinabèTene Linda Bayala
Tene Linda Bayala serves as Student Experience & Wellness Chair and is an entrepreneur as well as a Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographer (RDMS), holding a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Dakota.
Previously working as a youth and family counselor, she specializes in academic planning and life skills development, supporting students in achieving both personal and professional success.
Linda is passionate about helping others reach their full potential. Her wellness initiatives within BSN reflect her commitment to holistic student support.
In her free time, she enjoys sports and staying active.
Closing Message
Together, the BSN Board works tirelessly to build a vibrant and supportive network for Burkinabe students worldwide.
Welcome to the family — your journey with BSN starts here!
Welcome Guide for New Students
1. U.S. Arrival Basics
At the Airport
- Documents to Keep Handy:
- Passport and student visa (F-1, J-1, etc.)
- I-20 or DS-2019 form
- Admission letter
- Proof of finances and SEVIS receipt
- Customs and Border Protection: Answer clearly and honestly.
- Transportation: Uber, Lyft, taxis, shuttles. Some universities offer free pickup.
Finding Housing
- Temporary stay (hotel, Airbnb, dorm)
- Long-term housing (student apartments, shared rentals)
Phone & Internet
- Buy SIM from T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon
- Prepaid plans recommended
- Free Wi-Fi available in most public places
Academic Preparation & Success
- Understand your degree structure and requirements
- Read your syllabus carefully
- Check prerequisites before registering
- Create a semester-by-semester plan
- Register early
- Ask about credit transfers
- Use WES for transcript evaluation
- Understand GPA system (4.0 scale)
- Prepare for English proficiency (TOEFL / ESL)
2. Common Student Fees
| Fee Type | Description | Approx. Range (USD) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | Cost per semester or credit hour | $5,000 – $25,000 per year |
| Health Insurance | Medical emergency coverage | $800 – $2,000 per year |
| Student Services Fee | Campus facilities & activities | $200 – $1,000 per year |
| Technology Fee | Online tools & Wi-Fi access | $100 – $500 per year |
| Housing & Meals | Dorm or off-campus living | $6,000 – $12,000 per year |
| Transportation | Bus pass / shuttle | $100 – $300 per semester |
| Books & Supplies | Textbooks & materials | $500 – $1,500 per year |
More information: EduPass Cost of Studying
Note: Always check your university billing portal.
3. Appropriate Clothing
Climate Guide
- Northern States: Very cold winters (-20°C)
- Southern States: Hot summers (40°C)
- Midwest: Mixed climate
Everyday Wear
- Casual for classes
- Business casual for presentations
- Traditional wear welcome at cultural events
4. Banking Essentials
Popular Banks
- Wells Fargo
- Chase
- Bank of America
- PNC Bank
- Credit Unions
Required Documents
- Passport
- I-20 / DS-2019
- Visa
- Proof of address
- University ID
Money Transfers
- MoneyGram, Ria, Remitly, Tap Tap Send, Western Union
5. Maintaining Student Status
DO ✅
- Attend classes full-time
- Update address within 10 days
- Keep documents valid
DON’T ❌
- Work without authorization
- Let visa expire
- Ignore international office emails
6. Filing Taxes
- File January – April
- Use Sprintax, Glacier, or VITA
- File Form 8843 even with no income
Final Words
Welcome to the United States and to the Burkinabe Students Network (BSN)!
This is more than a student group. It is a community that celebrates your culture, supports your goals, and helps you thrive academically and personally.
Together, we rise.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Salfo Bikienga
PhD in Statistics and in Economics with advanced knowledge of Natural Language Processing. Strong background in economics, econometrics, and statistics. 7+ years of experience working with data, teaching statistics at undergraduate and graduate levels; and working as a Data Scientist for a consulting firm. Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of descriptive and predictive modeling.
RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Developed web applications and visualization tools that tell a “story” focused on insights conducive to forecasting models improvement.
- Applied topic modeling to demonstrate that political leaders’ consistency over economic issues predict positive economic outcome.
- Applied Variational Bayes methods to create a Supervised Topic Modeling Algorithm that improves topics predictive power.
PROJECTS
- Maintain a blog:http://www.salfobikienga.rbind.io/
- Built Shiny Web Applications for exploratory data analysis:
- https://bbr-cba-unl-human-capital.shinyapps.io/MyShiny/;
- https://salif.shinyapps.io/topic_context/
- Built a big data missing missing values and outliers detection tool, combined with a missing data imputation method, for time series data.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Machine Learning: Classification, Clustering, Natural Language Processing… Statistical Methods: Design of Experiments, Latent variables models such as: Principal Component Analysis, Factor Analysis, Canonical Correlation Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, Partial Least Squares Modeling. Econometrics: Time Series Analysis, Panel or Longitudinal Data Analysis, Quasi-Experiment Methods, Regression Methods such as: OLS, Logistic Regression, Quantile Regression… Software and Programming Languages:R programming, Python, SAS, SQL EDUCATION
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Harounan Kazianga
Prof. Harounan Kazianga is currently The Carson Priority Excellence Professor of Economics at Oklahoma State University. He is a development economist whose research focuses on rural economic activity in Sub-Saharan Africa. He conducts extensive field research in West Africa on technological change in agriculture, the use of financial markets, asset accumulation and gift exchange to cope with risk, gender relations and the structure of household economies, property rights, access to education and a variety of other aspects of rural economic organization. He holds an undergraduate degree and a Master degree from the University of Ouagadougou and a PhD from Purdue University. He was a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University and Columbia University.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Patrice Sanou
STRUCTURES DE FORMATION
- CEG Bobo-Dioulasso
- Lycée Municipal Bobo-Dioulasso
- Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo de Ouagadougou
- CIRAD/Montpellier/France
- South Dakota State University/Etats Unis
ETUDES / DIPLÔMES
Baccalauréat Série D (Mathématiques et Sciences de la nature)
Licence en analyse rurale
Bachelor (Maîtrise) en cultures irriguées
Master of Science en télédétection aérospatiale et système
d’information géographique
Doctorat (PhD) en technologies spatiales et gestion des ressources naturelles
Spécialisé en géoscience, écologie et géographie
Expert en changements climatiques
Chercheur CIRAD (Centre Coopération internationale en Recherche
Agronomique pour le Développement)/Montpellier
INSTITUTIONS COURANTES D’ACTIVITÉ
SERVIR WEST AFRICA/NASA Point Focal Burkina UNION AFRICAINE: Africa Science and Technologies Advisory Group for Disaster Risk Reduction (AfSTAG/DRR) Global Monitoring of Environment and Security / Africa GROUP on EARTH OBSERVATION (GEO) IINSTITUT SUPERIEUR D’ETUDES SPATIALES ET TELECOMMUNBICATIONS (ISESTEL) UNIVERSITE JOSEPH KI-ZERBO INSTITUT PEDAGOGIQUE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT EN AFIQUE DE L’OUEST ET DU SAHAL
FONCTIONS
2019-2020
Professeur Emérite Technologies spatiales
Expert Af-STAG/DRR (Union Africaine)
Principal GEO (Group on Earth Observation)
Directeur Général ISESTEL
Coordonnateur GMES & Africa (Union Africaine) au Burkina
Coordonnateur SERVIR-WA/NASA (USAID) Burkina
Co-chair Land Degradation Neutrality/UNCCD
Chair Réseau des Universités Francophones d’Enseignement de Technologies Spatiales (Union Africaine)
Expert International de l’OMVS (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Sénégal)
Enseignant géomatique IPD/AOS
Enseignant géomatique Département Géographie de l’Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (GEOCFID)
Enseignant géomatique ISESTEL
Expert Technique PAAEDC/ Convention Maires Sud Sahara
Expert FAO/FFEM Dégradation des terres Burkina
2010-2018
Membre Conseil d’Administration Université Saint Thomas d’Aquin
Fondateur ISESTEL
2003-2009
Secrétaire Permanent AfricaGIS2007
Membre du Conseil d’Administration SIE-Afrique
1990-2003
Consultant indépendant en technologies spatiales
Directeur Technique GEOCONSEIL
Chef de service informatique et SIG de l’Institut Géographique du Burkina (IGB)
Chef de service scientifique et technique Station de Recherche de Kamboinsé (INERA)
Chercheur Institut de l’Environnement et Recherches Agricoles (CNRST/INERA)
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Edouard Wemy
Dr. Wemy received his B.A. in Economics and Mathematics at Ohio Dominican University, and his Ph.D. in Economics in 2015 from Emory University.
Dr. Wemy’s research interests are in macroeconomics and time series with applications in business cycles and total factor productivity and the emphasis on the importance of technological progress embodied in capital equipment. He teaches macroeconomics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Brice Zoungrana is a geospatial expert with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds degrees in Macroeconomics, Geomatics, Geography (GIS), and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics. As Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., he leverages advanced geospatial tools for environmental and agricultural projects. Certified in UAS, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics, he is also an active mentor and community leader within BSN.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Brice Zoungrana is a geospatial expert with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds degrees in Macroeconomics, Geomatics, Geography (GIS), and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics. As Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., he leverages advanced geospatial tools for environmental and agricultural projects. Certified in UAS, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics, he is also an active mentor and community leader within BSN.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Brice Zoungrana is a geospatial expert with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds degrees in Macroeconomics, Geomatics, Geography (GIS), and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics. As Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., he leverages advanced geospatial tools for environmental and agricultural projects. Certified in UAS, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics, he is also an active mentor and community leader within BSN.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Brice Zoungrana is a geospatial expert with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds degrees in Macroeconomics, Geomatics, Geography (GIS), and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics. As Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., he leverages advanced geospatial tools for environmental and agricultural projects. Certified in UAS, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics, he is also an active mentor and community leader within BSN.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Salfo Bikienga
PhD in Statistics and in Economics with advanced knowledge of Natural Language Processing. Strong background in economics, econometrics, and statistics. 7+ years of experience working with data, teaching statistics at undergraduate and graduate levels; and working as a Data Scientist for a consulting firm. Deep theoretical and practical knowledge of descriptive and predictive modeling.
RESEARCH AND PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
- Developed web applications and visualization tools that tell a “story” focused on insights conducive to forecasting models improvement.
- Applied topic modeling to demonstrate that political leaders’ consistency over economic issues predict positive economic outcome.
- Applied Variational Bayes methods to create a Supervised Topic Modeling Algorithm that improves topics predictive power.
PROJECTS
- Maintain a blog:http://www.salfobikienga.rbind.io/
- Built Shiny Web Applications for exploratory data analysis:
- https://bbr-cba-unl-human-capital.shinyapps.io/MyShiny/;
- https://salif.shinyapps.io/topic_context/
- Built a big data missing missing values and outliers detection tool, combined with a missing data imputation method, for time series data.
TECHNICAL SKILLS
Machine Learning: Classification, Clustering, Natural Language Processing… Statistical Methods: Design of Experiments, Latent variables models such as: Principal Component Analysis, Factor Analysis, Canonical Correlation Analysis, Structural Equation Modeling, Partial Least Squares Modeling. Econometrics: Time Series Analysis, Panel or Longitudinal Data Analysis, Quasi-Experiment Methods, Regression Methods such as: OLS, Logistic Regression, Quantile Regression… Software and Programming Languages:R programming, Python, SAS, SQL EDUCATION
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Harounan Kazianga
Prof. Harounan Kazianga is currently The Carson Priority Excellence Professor of Economics at Oklahoma State University. He is a development economist whose research focuses on rural economic activity in Sub-Saharan Africa. He conducts extensive field research in West Africa on technological change in agriculture, the use of financial markets, asset accumulation and gift exchange to cope with risk, gender relations and the structure of household economies, property rights, access to education and a variety of other aspects of rural economic organization. He holds an undergraduate degree and a Master degree from the University of Ouagadougou and a PhD from Purdue University. He was a postdoctoral researcher at Yale University and Columbia University.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Patrice Sanou
STRUCTURES DE FORMATION
- CEG Bobo-Dioulasso
- Lycée Municipal Bobo-Dioulasso
- Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo de Ouagadougou
- CIRAD/Montpellier/France
- South Dakota State University/Etats Unis
ETUDES / DIPLÔMES
Baccalauréat Série D (Mathématiques et Sciences de la nature)
Licence en analyse rurale
Bachelor (Maîtrise) en cultures irriguées
Master of Science en télédétection aérospatiale et système
d’information géographique
Doctorat (PhD) en technologies spatiales et gestion des ressources naturelles
Spécialisé en géoscience, écologie et géographie
Expert en changements climatiques
Chercheur CIRAD (Centre Coopération internationale en Recherche
Agronomique pour le Développement)/Montpellier
INSTITUTIONS COURANTES D’ACTIVITÉ
SERVIR WEST AFRICA/NASA Point Focal Burkina UNION AFRICAINE: Africa Science and Technologies Advisory Group for Disaster Risk Reduction (AfSTAG/DRR) Global Monitoring of Environment and Security / Africa GROUP on EARTH OBSERVATION (GEO) IINSTITUT SUPERIEUR D’ETUDES SPATIALES ET TELECOMMUNBICATIONS (ISESTEL) UNIVERSITE JOSEPH KI-ZERBO INSTITUT PEDAGOGIQUE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT EN AFIQUE DE L’OUEST ET DU SAHAL
FONCTIONS
2019-2020
Professeur Emérite Technologies spatiales
Expert Af-STAG/DRR (Union Africaine)
Principal GEO (Group on Earth Observation)
Directeur Général ISESTEL
Coordonnateur GMES & Africa (Union Africaine) au Burkina
Coordonnateur SERVIR-WA/NASA (USAID) Burkina
Co-chair Land Degradation Neutrality/UNCCD
Chair Réseau des Universités Francophones d’Enseignement de Technologies Spatiales (Union Africaine)
Expert International de l’OMVS (Organisation pour la Mise en Valeur du fleuve Sénégal)
Enseignant géomatique IPD/AOS
Enseignant géomatique Département Géographie de l’Université Joseph Ki-Zerbo (GEOCFID)
Enseignant géomatique ISESTEL
Expert Technique PAAEDC/ Convention Maires Sud Sahara
Expert FAO/FFEM Dégradation des terres Burkina
2010-2018
Membre Conseil d’Administration Université Saint Thomas d’Aquin
Fondateur ISESTEL
2003-2009
Secrétaire Permanent AfricaGIS2007
Membre du Conseil d’Administration SIE-Afrique
1990-2003
Consultant indépendant en technologies spatiales
Directeur Technique GEOCONSEIL
Chef de service informatique et SIG de l’Institut Géographique du Burkina (IGB)
Chef de service scientifique et technique Station de Recherche de Kamboinsé (INERA)
Chercheur Institut de l’Environnement et Recherches Agricoles (CNRST/INERA)
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Edouard Wemy
Dr. Wemy received his B.A. in Economics and Mathematics at Ohio Dominican University, and his Ph.D. in Economics in 2015 from Emory University.
Dr. Wemy’s research interests are in macroeconomics and time series with applications in business cycles and total factor productivity and the emphasis on the importance of technological progress embodied in capital equipment. He teaches macroeconomics at both the undergraduate and graduate levels.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Brice Zoungrana is a geospatial expert with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds degrees in Macroeconomics, Geomatics, Geography (GIS), and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics. As Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., he leverages advanced geospatial tools for environmental and agricultural projects. Certified in UAS, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics, he is also an active mentor and community leader within BSN.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Brice Zoungrana is a geospatial expert with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds degrees in Macroeconomics, Geomatics, Geography (GIS), and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics. As Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., he leverages advanced geospatial tools for environmental and agricultural projects. Certified in UAS, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics, he is also an active mentor and community leader within BSN.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Brice Zoungrana is a geospatial expert with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds degrees in Macroeconomics, Geomatics, Geography (GIS), and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics. As Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., he leverages advanced geospatial tools for environmental and agricultural projects. Certified in UAS, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics, he is also an active mentor and community leader within BSN.
Current Residence:
San Antonio, TXNationality:
BurkinabeDr. Brice Zoungrana is a geospatial expert with extensive academic and professional experience. He holds degrees in Macroeconomics, Geomatics, Geography (GIS), and a PhD in Geography from Oklahoma State University, specializing in Nature-Society Dynamics. As Director of Geospatial Technologies at ArborPro, Inc., he leverages advanced geospatial tools for environmental and agricultural projects. Certified in UAS, Google Project Management, and Drilling Basics, he is also an active mentor and community leader within BSN.
Together, the BSN Board works tirelessly to build a vibrant and supportive network for Burkinabe students worldwide.
Welcome to the family — Your Journey With BSN Starts Here!
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