African American Studies awards their Cultural Research Award to graduate students near completion of their dissertation for outstanding contributions, commitment and initiative related to research in African American culture. Kefas has made numerous contributions to the field of African American studies during his time here at the University of Iowa, publishing a number of articles and presenting his research at conferences across the country. In his dissertation, “Kefas offers a new lens on the Christianization of Africa by shifting the focus from European missionaries to indigenous missionaries, whose role has been overlooked by Christian communities, historians, and scholars of colonial and post-colonial religions,” according to Dr. Paul Dilley.