Assefaw Bariagaber joined the School of Diplomacy and International Relations in fall 1999. He served as the founding chair of the faculty from 2006-2013. Before coming to Seton Hall University, Dr. Bariagaber taught at the University of Nebraska at Kearney and was a Research Fellow in 1998-99 at the Center of International Studies, Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University. His research interest includes peacekeeping and peacemaking in Africa, ethnic and cultural pluralism, and conflict and refugee movements in Africa.

Dr. Bariagaber is the author of a book entitled, Conflict and the Refugee Experience: Flight, Exile, and Repatriation in the Horn of Africa, published by Ashgate Press (UK) in 2006. He has published numerous articles on conflicts and refugees in such referred journals as the Journal of Modern African Studies, Ethnic and Racial Studies, International Migration, Journal of Black Studies, Journal of Asian and African Studies, and Journal of Third World Studies. He has also written several papers for the UNHCR and UNA-USA on refugees and peacekeeping, respectively.

Dr. Bariagaber is a member of several professional associations, including African Studies Association, African Studies and Research Forum, Eritrean Studies Association, and Third World Studies Association. He currently serves as the Secretary of the Eritrean Studies Association and as the Associate Editor of Eritrean Studies Review.