Author: Marissa Culbreth

On Wednesday January 22, Bonginkosi Gumbi (University of Florida) gave a SASA lecture, “Deciphering the Adaptive Success of an African Rodent Pest (Mastomys natalensis). His lecture highlighted his preliminary work on landscape change and Mastomys natalensis, a common rodent pest in Africa, which is known to cause 80% of maize destruction and is a vector […]

Keynote Lecture with Dr. Asonzeh Ukah On Thursday, the “Media and ‘Public’ Islam in Africa” Workshop began with a presentation by Asonzeh Ukah (University of Cape Town). His presentation, “From the Excess to the Apocalyptic: Media and the Production of Religious Surplus in Africa,” pointed to the last three decades following the liberalization and deregulation […]

Martina Onyenwe is a 3rd year Public Health and International Studies dual degree student.  She has a minor in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance as well as a certificate in Geospatial Information Analysis. Martina’s interest in the Center developed because of her passions and heritage, but blossomed as a result of the incredible faculty that she […]

Savannah Hall is a third year anthropology student, currently focusing her studies on zooarchaeology. She has studied Kiswahili at the University of Florida since her first semester, and continues to cultivate an interest in EastAfrican archaeological research. As a student ambassador for the Center for African Studies, she is excited to spread awareness about the […]

Mandisa Haarhoff graduated this semester with a Ph.D. in English Literature. She became involved in the Center for African Studies through her committee member, Professor Emeritus Dr. Hunt Davis. Dr. Agnes Leslie also connected Mandisa to the Center through the College for Kids Program at Santa Fe and the Teachers’ Institute. She used her artistic skills […]

Our own Programs and Communications Officer, Riley Ravary, will bid a eight-month farewell to the Center as she heads to Uganda for dissertation research on a Fulbright-Hays DDRA grant. Riley’s research focuses on environmental governance on the Ugandan side of Mount Elgon National Park, a transboundary protected area between Kenya and Uganda. The two countries govern […]

Graduate Student Amanda Edgell recently published her article, “Vying for a Man Seat: Gender Quotas and Sustainable Representation in Africa” in African Studies Review. The article stemmed from her paper presented at last year’s African Studies Association meeting, which won the Graduate Student Paper Prize.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of May 14, 2018 

Graduate Student Ben Smith published his article, “Hunting in yellow waters: an ethnoarchaeological perspective on selective fishing on Lake Turkana” in Quaternary International. CAS News Bulletin- Week of May 14, 2018 

Dr. Peter Schmidt is professor of anthropology and a former director of the Center for African Studies. He has conducted archaeological research in Tanzania, Eritrea, Kenya, Ethiopia, and throughout eastern Africa. His work has a strong focus on facilitating community archaeology in the regions he conducts research. His publications include: “Hardcore Ethnography: Interrogating the Intersection of […]

A quick note to wish everyone a wonderful summer. It’s been quite a year here at UF. We weathered hurricanes and white-nationalist rallies, only to end the year with a bungled graduation ceremony. Goings-on at CAS have been much more successful, and inclusive. Building on hard-work of graduate program assistant Riley Ravary, we welcomed our […]

Jessica Casimir (Ph.D. Candidate, Sociology) received a Boren fellowship to conduct field research in South Africa during 2018-19.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of April 23, 2018

Ryan Z. Good (Ph.D. Candidate, Geography) was awarded a travel grant from the Urban Geography Specialty Group for his work in Tanzania at the recent American Association of Geographers conference. At the same meeting, Ryan was named a finalist for the Landscape Specialty Group’s best presentation award for his dissertation work on urban environmental change around Lake […]

Jesse B. Borden Department: School for Natural Resources and Environment Thesis Title: “Ecological Disturbances and Canopy Communities”Ann Lee Grimstad Department: History Dissertation Title: “Zanzibar: the Nine Hour Revolution”Erik Timmons Department: Anthropology Dissertation Title: “Hip-Hop Life and Livelihood in Nairobi, Kenya.” Jacqueline Allegra Curnick Department: MDP Field Practicum: “Environmental health and justice in Alaska and Documentary: Pulling […]

On April 20, Peter Alegi (Michigan State University) gave a Baraza lecture titled, “Shaka’s Progeny: Youth Football and Masculinity in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.” The presentation focused on the Izichwe Youth Football Program in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa. The program was founded in 2010 by Reynold Thabo Dladla, a footballer (African Wanderers, AmaZulu Royals) who began coaching after his […]

Cartoonist Yvan Alagbé gave a lecture titled, “Yellow Negroes and Other Imaginary Creatures,” on April 16 for the Text/Image Working Group. Alagbé gave a reading of his work, “Le Negro Jeune” and discussed his artistic choices in his cartoons. Alagbé intended for his images to be raw and imprecise, representing the details of life that blur together. […]

Melody Mullally is a senior Undergraduate student in Anthropology, History, and Botany. In spring of 2017, she participated in the University of Florida’s study abroad program in Ethiopia, researching Stone Age archaeology with Dr. Steven Brandt. While visiting Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, she worked in the National Museum at Addis Ababa University. There, she studied […]

Beginning in 2018, Benjamin Soares will direct a three-year multi-disciplinary project, “Islam and Africa in Global Context,” funded through a grant from the Henry Luce Foundation’s Initiative on Religion in International Affairs to the University of Florida. The project will be carried out by the Center for Global Islamic Studies in conjunction with the Center […]

On April 11, the Text and Image in Africa Working Group hosted Grace Musila (Stellenbosch University) for her lecture, “Comic calibrations of violence in Kenya, Nigeria, and South Africa.” Her lecture questioned how comedy and humor engage with violence in Africa, driven by the existing literature that ties together humor and social suffering. Dr. Musila […]

Please join the Center in welcoming Raeann Meyerhoff, our new Administrative Support Assistant. Raeann is a recent University of Florida graduate and has a B.A. in International Studies with a focus on Latin America and the Caribbean. Raeann started out on an African Studies track as a freshman, and took Anthropology of Modern Africa with Dr. […]

On April 6, the China in Africa Working group hosted Dr. Liu Haifang (Peking University) for her Baraza lecture, “Africa in China’s Belt and Road Initiative.” The lecture focused on the background of Chinese-African partnerships prior to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The BRI was proposed in 2013, intending to improve infrastructure along the Silk Road […]

The Social Change and Development in Africa Working Group met on Monday April 2 for a lecture by Ikram Getachew (University of Florida) titled, “Ruqa: Healing, Power Struggle and Women in Ethiopia.” Ikram used the presentation to discuss her research on exorcism—its change and continuity, analyzing impacts of society and gender, and how it exists as a […]

Anna Mwaba (Political Science) has accepted a one-year Lecturer position in Government at Smith College starting Fall 2018. We welcome Raeann Meyerhoff to the Center for African Studies! She will be acting as the new Travel Specialist for the Center.     CAS News Bulletin- Week of April 9, 2018

Dr. Nancy Hunt has been announced as a 2018 Guggenheim Fellow. Congratulations! Her project, “Ideation as History: Dream Collectors and Picture Archives from Post-1968 Urban Congo” seeks to join images and words to dreaming in the ex-Belgian Congo. Her approach uses both history and anthropology to consider how text-image links to Congo’s postwar period. She will […]

A portrait of Mandissa Haarhoff (PhD student, English) was recently painted in downtown Gainesville. The mural, located at the entrance of the Gainesville Southwest Downtown Parking Garage, is part of the Urban Revitalization Project and 352walls project. If you want more info on the Urban Revitalization Project, click here.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of April 2, […]

Sebastian Elischer and Lisa Mueller have a new piece in the Washington Post discussing Niger’s protests. CAS News Bulletin- Week of April 2, 2018

In her work this semester at the Center for African studies, Carli Snyder hopes gain more knowledge and insight on how she can forward the Center as much as possible in my last semester. She wants to make the most of the hours she spend working, whether that means learning from faculty members or interacting with the […]

On March 30, Dr. Ann Wainscott gave a Baraza lectured titled, “Bureaucratizing Islam: Morocco and the War on Terror.” Dr. Wainscott is assistant professor of political science and earned her Ph.D. from UF in 2013. Her publications include: “Religious Regulation as Foreign Policy: Morocco’s Islamic Diplomacy in West Africa” Politics and Religion (2018); Bureaucratizing Islam: Morocco and the War on […]

Morgan Ungrady is a 4th year Political Science major. She has a specialty in International Relations as well as a minor in French. Morgan has been involved with the Center for African Studies through research and working groups and is looking forward to developing her position within the Center. Morgan’s interest in the Center stemmed from the […]

Danny Hoffman, Associate Professor in Anthropology at the University of Washington, outlined the central argument and ethnographic context of his new book, Monrovia Modern: Urban Form and Political Imagination in Liberia.  The book is light on the ethnography typical of an anthropological monograph and instead places the ruined forms of four Monrovian buildings at its center. […]

On Monday, March 19, UF’s Center for African Studies and School of Architecture co-sponsored a keynote address by DK Osseo-Asare, assistant professor of architecture and design at the Pennsylvania State University and co-founder of the Ghana and Texas-based LOWDO design studio. Addressing a crowded room of design, architecture, and African Studies-affiliated undergraduate and graduate students and […]

Peter Schmidt. 2017. The Colonial Origins of Myth and National Identity in Uganda. In Unmasking Ideology: The Vocabulary and Symbols of Colonial Archaeology, eds. Bonnie Effros and Goulong Lai. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of Archaeology, UCLA.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of March 19, 2018

Dr. Sandra L. Russo, Director of the Office for Global Research Engagement (OGRE) in the University of Florida’s International Center (UFIC), was recognized by the UF Association of Academic Women as AAW Woman of Distinction 2018. Dr. Russo was presented with the award at the Women’s History Month Awards Reception on March 14th, at the […]

Gainesville, FL – March 13, 2018- NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, announced today that the University of Florida has been selected as one of five institutions to receive the 2018 Senator Paul Simon Award for Comprehensive Internationalization. The award will be formally presented during International Education Week on November 13 in Washington D.C. UF […]

Melody Mullally is a senior Undergraduate student in Anthropology, History, and Botany. In Spring of 2017, she participated in the University of Florida’s study abroad program in Ethiopia, researching Stone Age archaeology with Dr. Steven Brandt. While visiting Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, she worked in the National Museum at Addis Ababa University. There, she studied Stone […]

On Friday afternoon, Chipo Dendere gave a refreshing presentation exploring the role that social media played in former Zimbabwean president, Robert Mugabe’s, resignation. In her talk titled “The Revolution will be Retweeted,” Dr. Dendere juxtaposes participatory media and military powers to highlight the complexities within the 2017 Zimbabwean coup d’état. She argues that an uneasy union of […]

On Monday, March 12th, Peter Redfield (Professor of Anthropology at UNC-Chapel Hill) gave a provocative presentation titled “Aftermaths: Equipment for Living in a Broken World.” The lecture followed several examples of minimalist humanitarian equipment, or “magic bullets,” and the imaginations surrounding them to interrogate three problem spaces: biopolitical horizons of expectations; the needy human and a mobile […]

Mouhamadou Hoyeck is a 4th year political science major and African Studies minor. Throughout his two years spent at the University of Florida as an undergraduate student, Mouhamadou has participated extensively in multiple extracurricular activities. He is currently one of the public relations directors of the African Student Union at UF. He says that joining this organization […]

Dr. Fallou Ngom, Boston University, gave a Baraza lecture on March 2nd titled “The Odyssey of Ajami in Muslim Africa.” Dr. Ngom is Professor of Anthropology and Director of the African Studies Center. His publications include: Facts, Fiction, and African Creative Imaginations (co-edited, 2010); “Ajami Scripts in the Senegalese Speech Community.” Journal of Arabic & Islamic Studies (2010); and Oral and […]

On March 1st, the NRM Africa group met for the lecture, “Integrating Natural and Social Science to Improve Conservation and Fisheries Management on Lake Tanganyika,” by Dr. Catherine O’Reilly, Illinois State University. Dr. O’Reilly is an Associate Professor in the Department of Geography, Geology, and the Environment at Illinois State University. Her research focuses on water quality, […]

On March 1st, the Center for African Studies and Institute for Sustainable Food Systems held the Health in Africa Symposium The symposium, titled, “Livestock, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Child Growth: Exploring the Complex Underlying Causes of Child Stunting,” covered topics including diet, nutrition, epidemiology, livestock systems, child growth, and intestinal health. The symposium engaged with multiple […]

Elisabeth Rios-Brooks is a second-year undergraduate student at the University of Florida. She is currently double majoring in Anthropology and International Studies with a focus on Africa. Her involvement throughout her time at UF has consisted of a myriad of leadership positions related to African studies. Her most noteworthy, being Showcase Director for the African Student […]

On Friday afternoon, Xolela Mangcu gave an energetic exposition of his forthcoming biography of Nelson Mandela. Mangcu is professor of sociology and visiting scholar at the Wilson Center. A supporter of the Black Consciousness Movement and long-time critic of Mandela, the self-proclaimed “unlikely biographer” described the paradoxical figure of South Africa’s first Black president. In his talk […]

On February 19, Valerie Valerio (University of Florida) gave presented, “Systems Modeling for Quantitative Value Chain Analysis: a Case Study from the Lowveld of Swaziland.” The lecture centered on her doctoral research on the use of value chains for livestock management and investment. She began the lecture by discussed what a value chain is—the full range of […]

Morgan Ungrady Carli Snyder Moustapha Hoyeck Elisabeth Rios-Brooks Melody MullallyAmbassadors will play an active role in undergraduate recruitment and outreach initiatives. Students chosen for the position were selected for their commitment to African Studies, academic excellence, communication skills, and intercultural competency.The Center will be hosting an induction ceremony Tuesday February 27 at 4pm in 471 […]

Undernutrition is an underlying cause of nearly half of all deaths among children under five, and, in Africa, nearly one third of children are chronically undernourished. Chronic malnutrition – as indicated by stunted growth – is not completely reversed by optimized diet and reduced diarrhea. This has led to the hypothesis that a primary underlying […]

Ayobami Simeon Edun is a first-year master’s student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. He graduated from Federal University of Technology Akure, Nigeria in the top 3% of his class having succeeded in a wide range of courses. He also engaged in diverse projects ranging in focus from networking, […]

Dr. Cherif Keita (Carleton College) presented “Renegade Missionary to Liberation Hero: Reverend William Cullen Wilcox in South Africa,” at Baraza on February 16. Dr. Keita discussed a project he has been working on for 18 years, which connects the stories of Reverend William Cullen Wilcox, Ida Belle Wilcox, John Dube, and Nokutela Dube. Dr. Keita became […]

On February 13, the Center for Global Islamic Studies and the Religion Graduate Student Association co-sponsored a screening of the documentary, “Prince Among Slaves.” The film tells the story of Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori, an African prince who was sold into slavery in the American south. Abdul-Rahman was captured in 1788 while he and an […]

African Studies alumni, Lina Benabdallah quoted in New York Times article, which discusses portrayals of Africa featured in China’s televised Lunar New Year Show.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of February 19, 2018

In the latest OECD West African Paper, Dan Eizenga and the UF Sahel Research Group look at the short and long-term outlook for security and political stability in Chad. Read it here.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of February 12, 2018

Dan Eizenga is a PhD Student in Political Science focused on the Sahel. During his first two years as a PhD Student, Dan benefitted from Foreign Language and Area Studies fellowships to study Arabic, which also enabled him to spend the summer of 2012 at the Arabic Language Institute in Fez. He then became a Research […]

The 2018 Carter Conference, “Text Meets Image, Image Meets Text: Sequences & Assemblages Out of Africa & Congo,” took place this Thursday February 8th through Saturday February 10th.  The conference consisted of five sessions, with additional workshops, outreach events, performances, and art installations. Participants traveled from around the world to attend the conference—coming from Australia, Congo, Belgium, […]

University of Florida MDP student, Jackie Curnick, presented on “Water Security and Rainwater Catchment Systems in Eastern Cape, South Africa,” at the February 5th SCAD meeting. Her lecture centered on the water crisis in Cape Town as the city approaches “Day Zero,” when water will run out in the city, making it the first major city to […]

Dr. Trevor Orchard (University of Pittsburgh) presented on “Type 1 Diabetes in Rwanda: Challenges, Progress, and More Challenges,” on February 2. Dr. Orchard opened his lecture by covering background information on Youth Onset Type 1 Diabetes touching on his work with the Pittsburgh Diabetes Complications Study. He argues that everyone with Type 1 Diabetes experiences complications, […]

Kehinde Ojo is a second-year master’s student in the Department of Food and Resource Economics, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Florida. She obtained her bachelor’s degree in Agricultural and Resource Economics from the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Nigeria and Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University (FAMU) Tallahassee, Florida in the year 2016. […]

On February 1, Sam Ferreira (South Africa National Parks) lectured on “A Collage of Goliath Teachings; What Do Elephants and Rhinos Tell Us about Ourselves?” This presentation focused on the social and ecological factors of conservation at Kruger National Park, highlighting the management of elephants and rhinos. In the past, officials at Kruger utilized the idea that […]

“Text Meets Image & Image Meets Text: Sequences & Assemblages out of Africa & Congo” February 8-10, 2018 A critical public forum about contemporary African arts and their curation and politics. The conference celebrates one Congolese street artist’s comic archive, now held by UF, aiming toward the first Papa Mfumu’eto exhibitions in Gainesville and beyond. […]

The 2018 Carter Conference will take place February 8-10. For more information on the conference including this year’s program, visit the Carter Conference page.

What does the future hold for Niger’s stability? In the latest OECD West African Paper, Dr. Sebastian Elischer and the Sahel Research Group gauge the state of play and look at three possible scenarios for the country’s stability. Read it here.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of January 29, 2018

On January 26, Peter Schmidt (University of Florida) gave a presentation titled, “What is Community Archaeology? Reclaiming the Past in Africa to Remake the Future.” The lecture focused on three community archaeology projects in Northern Tanzania. The first project focused on the Kaiija Shrine Tree or “Place of the Forge,” a sacred shrine dedicated to iron working.  […]

Jean-Hervé Jezequel and Vincent Foucher (International Crisis Group) presented on “Jihadi Movements and Security in the Sahel” in a joint lecture through the Sahel Research Group and Center for African Studies. Political Science graduate student Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim moderated the discussion. Vincent Foucher presented “Current Dynamics and the Future of Boko Haram,” which he informally renamed, “Going Rural: […]

To see more of UF student Zoe Nhleko’s work on white rhino conservation, read the feature from UF News. Photo by Lyon Duong/UF Photography; Story by Alisson Clark/UF News.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of January 29, 2018  

Laurin Baumgardt is a first year PhD student in Anthropology. His prospective PhD research centers on questions of urban innovation, humanitarian design, and urban planning strategies. The research will be based on fieldwork in urban South Africa, in which issues of inequality, race, and social change are widely and publicly discussed. Laurin’s research interests and focus […]

Shobana Shankar (History/Africana Studies, SUNY Stonybrook) gave a Baraza lecture on Friday January 19 titled, “Afro-Dravidianism: A Senegalese-South Indian Muslim-Hindu Enchantment.” Her lecture centered on how Afro-Dravidianism became a post-colonial project, and how religion acted as a way of doing politics. The lecture was divided into three parts, the first identifying Leopold Senghor’s intellectual path leading […]

Emmanuel Akande is a 3rd year Ph.D. student in the Department of Food and Resource Economics (FRE). He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 2008 where he graduated at the top rank of his class. He obtained a Master of Arts (M.A) in Economics in 2012 from Florida State University […]

On Friday January 12, Randall Cantrell (Housing and Community Development, University of Florida) gave a lecture titled, “Housing and Community Development in Niamey and Niger: Young Migrants’ Hope for their Present and Future.” Cantrell is a former peace corps volunteer and is currently an International Center Global Fellow. His lecture focused on how young, low-income males migrating […]

Northwestern University has appointed political scientist Zekeria Ahmed Salem, as director of the Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought in Africa (ISITA). Zekeria was a Fulbright Visiting Scholar at the University of Florida from 2010-11.  More information on his appointment and current research can be found here.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of January 15, 2018

On Friday January 12, the Center for African Studies celebrated the unveiling of the Historical Marker located on Grinter Lawn. The event began with songs by Pazeni Africa Choir, as well as lectures by Brenda Chalfin (Director, Center for African Studies), David Richardson (Dean, College of Liberal Arts and Sciences), Leonardo Villalon (Dean, UF International […]

UF gets $8.7 million grant to improve nutritional quality and food safety in Ethiopia, Burkina Faso. To learn more read the article or read the Twitter updates.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of January 8, 2018

The UF Libraries and co-sponsors, including the Center for African Studies, celebrated 50 years of gorilla research at Karisoke Research Center in Rwanda by hosting two visiting primatologists, Dr. Tara Stoinski and Professor David Watts, who shared their research and conservation efforts through a series of workshops and lectures. This event corresponds with the Smathers […]

  Leonardo A. Villalón and Olivier Walther presented their new OECD project Cities and Borders at a workshop entitled “Linking borderlands research and policy in Africa and Europe” in Niamey, Niger on December 1. The workshop was organized by Point Sud, the African Borderlands Research Network (ABORNE) and the Laboratory of Studies and Research on Social Dynamics and Local Development (Lasdel). CAS News […]

Graduate Student News Anna Mwaba (Political Science) just successfully defended her dissertation, “Monitoring Elections in Africa: Investigating the Role of Regional Actors.” Congratulations Anna on your successful defense! Mandisa Haarhoff (English Literature) has been hired as a lecturer in the Department of English Literature at the University of Cape Town. She notes that she will be the first […]

Wishing CAS friends, faculty, students and affiliates happy holidays and best wishes for the new year. The Spring Semester schedule is already filling-up. Mark your calendars for the 2017 Carter Conference “TEXT meets IMAGE | IMAGE meets TEXT: SEQUENCES & ASSEMBLAGES OUT OF AFRICA & CONGO” scheduled for February 8-10.  Fallou Ngom, winner of the […]

Sarah Meyers is a Center for African Studies graduate student in Anthropology. She is a first year student and holds a FLAS Fellowship with the Center. Her research examines the use of Artemisia annua for the prevention and treatment of malaria and corruption and a lack of transparency within the World Health Organization (WHO).  Her research examines the unofficial […]

Dr. Elizabeth DeVos is associate professor of emergency medicine and medical director for international emergency medicine education at University of Florida in Jacksonville. Her lecture, “Emergency Medicine in Africa: Building Systems to Meet Sustainable Development Goals,” addressed what emergency medicine is, why it is important globally, and what methods are used in training. Emergency medicine in Sub-Saharan […]

Mandela Celebration The Center for African Studies and African Students Union celebrated Nelson Mandela Day on December 1st. Students, faculty, and staff came together at Pugh Hall then walked to Grinter Gardens where the Mandela Evergreen Tree was planted in his honor in 2014. CAS News Bulletin- Week of December 4, 2017

  Hatsuki Aishima from the National Museum of Ethnology in Osaka, Japan gave a seminar for the Center for Global Islamic Studies on November 28th. Her seminar, “Public Culture and Islam in Modern Egypt: Media, Intellectuals and Society” drew from her recently published monograph. Her lecture centered on what happens to societies with the introduction of […]

Public Lecture Celebrating University of Florida-University of Ghana Partnership Kodzo Gavua from the University of Ghana, Legon gave a lecture tilted “Archaeology and Ghana’s Cultural Heritage: Critical Issues and Approaches.” The lecture served as an informal start to the partnership formed between University of Florida and University of Ghana. Dr. Gavua’s talk provided an overview of […]

The Center for African Studies was pleased to host Fall 2018 Visiting Artist Elisabeth Efua Sutherland. Sutherland is an artist, dancer, choreographer, playwright, and director, based in the West African nation of Ghana. Sutherland holds a B.A. in Theatre from DePauw University (USA) and an MA in Performance Arts from Brunel University (UK). Sutherland is co-founder of Ghana’s Accra […]

Primatology researchers to speak on mountain gorillas and their conservation To celebrate the exhibit “Bob Campbell’s Photographs of Dian Fossey’s Karisoke Research Center, 1968-1972”, the UF Smathers Libraries are pleased to host two leading primatologists to discuss their work with the mountain gorillas of East Africa. Tara Stoinski of the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and […]

University of Florida Center for African Studies had over 40 presenters representing the program at the African Studies Association Annual Meeting in Chicago, IL. Even more UF African Studies affiliates came to the meeting to support the Center and attend lectures. UF attendees came together for the African Studies Quarterly reception held on Saturday, honoring Hunt Davis […]

Fezile Mtsetfwa is a PhD student at the School of Natural Resources and Environment enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Ecology Program. She also works for the Center for African Studies as the Managing Editor of the African Studies Quarterly (ASQ) journal. Over the summer Fezile traveled to Swaziland to conduct field research that was partially sponsored by […]

  On November 13, the Social Change and Development in Africa working group welcomed Alula Pankhurst (Ethiopia WIDE) for his lecture titled, “The changing faces of Ethiopia’s rural communities: evidence from Ethiopia WIDE 20 communities over 20 years with a focus on inequalities and youth transitions.” The presentation focused on changes affecting Ethiopia’s rural communities, the WIDE […]

Eastside High School Felicity Tackey-Otoo was at the Eastside High School on Thursday November 2, 2017 to give a presentation on traditional and modern dressing in Ghana during their History of Africa course. She used various traditional and modern Ghanaian clothing as examples for students.  She talked about the kinds and types of clothes like […]

Jessica N. Casimir is a McKnight Doctoral Fellow in the Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law where she is pursuing her PhD in Medical Sociology. Her research examines the social epidemiology of chronic disease and how it intersects with social inequality in the United States and South Africa. Her dissertation titled, “The Racialization of HIV/AIDS […]

Center for African Studies Artist-in-Residence: Elisabeth Efua Sutherland The Center for African Studies was pleased to host Fall 2017 Visiting Artist Elisabeth Efua Sutherland. Sutherland is an artist, dancer, choreographer, playwright, and director, based in the West African nation of Ghana. Sutherland holds a B.A. in Theatre from DePauw University (USA) and an MA in Performance Arts from Brunel University […]

Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim is a PhD candidate in political science and a research associate with the Sahel Research Group. His dissertation, “Political Contestation and Islamic Discourses in the Sahel: Global ideologies, local contexts, and individual motivations,” addresses the specific questions of why have Islamic political contestations in the Sahel taken different forms: jihadist insurgencies, violent […]

Visiting Associate Professor Olivier Walther completed a 6-month comparative study for the World Food Programme (WFP) Regional Bureau for West Africa on women market activities this month. The study examined the role that women play in the rural market economy and the agricultural and livestock sector value chain, from production at village level through to […]

Megan Cogburn (PhD student, Anthropology) and Jordan MacKenzie (CAS Adjunct Lecturer, Swahili) recently led a Tanzania/Swahili club at Littlewood Elementary School in Gainesville as a part of their multi-age classroom program. Megan and Jordan showed students between the ages of five and seven objects of cultural significance in East Africa, namely: kangas, kitenge, Maasai shukas and jewelry, as well as […]

Dr. Rebecca Hardin from the University of Michigan presented “Elemental Design, Environmental Health and Sustainable Technology at Gabon’s Schweitzer Hospital,” at the most recent Baraza on Friday October 27.  Her research concerns human/wildlife interactions, social and environmental change, wildlife management, tourism, logging, and mining especially in Central African Republic and the western Congo basin. She is a frequent contributor […]

On Monday October 23, Natasha Sokolsky from the Pact Institute presented “Friend or Foe? The New Role of Corporations in Africa’s Development and Mining Sectors: Case Studies from the INGO Shared Value Perspective,” at the SCAD working group meeting. The Pact Institute is a 45-year-old NGO that supports projects in health and international development in […]

CAS is pleased to announce a new bi-weekly bulletin funded in part by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education with support from the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences. “African Business Update” is dedicated to providing curated reporting on business in select African countries. A preview of the African Business Update is viewable […]

Sheila Maingi, a 2nd year student in the Masters of Development Practice (MDP) program, conducted research in Gauteng Province, South Africa this past summer. She partnered with Gender Links for Equality and Justice, a Southern Africa based organization, in their ‘Sunrise Campaign’. The program seeks to empower women who are survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) with […]

Dr. Christopher DeCorse is a professor of anthropology at Syracuse University. He works in historical archaeology, focusing on the impact of the Atlantic Slave Trade and colonialism in West Africa. His presentation at the October 20 Baraza, “European Forts; African Landscapes: West Africa during the Slave Trade,” was the Center for African Studies 26th Annual Distinguished Lecture […]

Felicity Tackey-Otoo presented her research at the latest SASA meeting on Wednesday October 18. Her lecture was titled, “The Viability of Low Cost Housing in Ghana: The Redevelopment of Tema.” Her presentation began with the idea that shelter is a necessity of life, and according to the Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, biological or physiological needs such […]

Hilker, F. M., L. J. S. Allen, V. A. Bokil, C. J. Briggs, Z. Feng, K. A. Garrett, L. J. Gross, F. M. Hamelin, M. J. Jeger, C. A. Manore, A. G. Power, M. G. Redinbaugh, M. A. Rúa and N. J. Cunniffe.  2017. Modelling virus coinfection to inform management of maize lethal necrosis in Kenya.  […]

Dr. Pedro Sanchez recently joined University of Florida as a Research Professor of Tropical Soils with the Soil and Water Sciences Department and Institute for Sustainable Food Systems. His work with tropical soils and food security in Africa builds off of multiple partnerships both within and outside of the University of Florida. First and foremost is […]

Jeffrey W. Paller from the University of San Francisco presented “Everyday Urban Politics: Leadership and Civic Life in Ghana,” at our most recent Baraza on Friday October 13. Dr. Paller received his PhD from University of Wisconsin, completed a post-doc at Columbia, and was a lecturer at Bates College. His research focuses on urbanization and urban […]

Social Change and Development in Africa On Monday October 9, Max Gelber (University of Florida) presented “Mapping the Shark Chain in Ghana,” at the Social Change and Development in Africa working group meeting. Max was presenting his research from the summer, conducted in the coastal western region of Ghana. Max worked with Hɛn Mpoano (Our Coast), a local NGO, […]

Dr. Olivier Walther and Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim were quoted in the New York Observer on the current security climate in the Sahel.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of October 9, 2017

Walther, O. (2017), “Wars and Conflicts in the Sahara-Sahel”, West African Papers, No. 10, OECD Publishing, Paris. https://dx.doi.org/10.1787/8bbc5813-en   CAS News Bulletin- Week of October 9, 2017

Shahreen Zaman is the newest addition to the Center for African Studies staff. She is the Academic Assistant for the Center for African Studies, contributing to program and database management, among other critical duties. You can find her at the main office desk. Shahreen is a recent graduate of the University of Florida, earning a B.A. […]

Dr. Olivier Walther gave a lecture on Thursday October 5 for the Department of Geography. His lecture, “Mapping cross-border policy networks in West Africa” discussed his recent research for the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). Using social network analysis, quantitative indicators, and mental maps, the project sought to better understand cross-border cooperation in 18 countries […]

Dr. Peter Schmidt (Anthropology) and two Africanists (Kathryn Weedman Arthur and Jonathan Walz) associated with UF were published in the September 2017 issue of the Magazine of the Society for American Archaeology. To read the magazine, click here. Walther O, Leuprecht C, Skillicorn D. 2017. Political fragmentation and alliances among armed non-state actors in North and […]

Christopher Richards is an alumnus of UF, studying Art History and African Studies. He graduated in the summer of 2014. While at UF, Dr. Richards was very involved with the Center for African Studies, regularly attending Center events, and was a FLAS Fellow for multiple semesters. After graduating, he completed a Mellon Postdoctoral fellowship at the […]

Dr. Jacob Dlamini, gave a Baraza presentation last Friday, September 29 titled, “Safari Nation: A Transnational History of the Kruger National Park.” Dr. Dlamini is an assistant professor of history at Princeton University. He obtained his Ph.D. from Yale University in 2012 and is also a graduate of Wits University in South Africa and Sussex […]

SCAD Symposium: Revisiting Partnership for Development in Africa On Monday September 25, the Social Change and Development in Africa Working group held the symposium, “Revisiting Partnership for Development in Africa.” The symposium consisted of three lectures from guest speakers and a panel discussion with four speakers from UF. Jon Harald Sande Lie gave the first lecture […]

Dr. Marit Ostebo has been cultivating partnerships through her upcoming research projects and within her position as the faculty coordinator for the Social Change and Development in Africa (SCAD) Working Group. Most recently she has established connections with other researchers working on the concept of partnership through the SCAD Working Group symposium, “Revisiting Partnership in Africa” […]

The CAS Fall Reception was this Saturday at Ustler Hall. We want to thank all who attended to celebrate another year of African Studies at UF. Following the opening remarks from Director Brenda Chalfin, guests enjoyed food, drinks, and dancing to the music of DJ Dada.   CAS News Bulletin- Week of September 25, 2017

Dr. Samuel Nyamuame from Binghampton University gave a presentation titled, “Traditional Music in Ghanaian Churches: Transformations, Problems, and Recommendations” at the first Baraza of the semester on Friday September 22. Dr. Nyamuame is visiting assistant professor in the departments of music and theatre. He earned his PhD in ethnomusicology at UF where he worked with Agbedidi Africa […]

Werede Hagos, University of Florida “Colonial Architectures and Archaeological Sites: Assessing the Selection of Tangible Heritage Sites in Eritrea” On July 8, 2017, Asmara, the capital city of Eritrea, is in UNESCO World Heritage List. “Asmara: A Modernist City of Africa” holds one of the most remarkable Italian colonial buildings, encompasses futurist, art deco, monumental, […]

Dr. Luise White spent the past year researching and writing as a Fellow of the National Humanities Center in North Carolina. Her newest book will focus on white soldiers in the Rhodesian Army, continuing some of the issues that grew out of her last book about the Rhodesian state. In her new book, she has used the papers […]

Dr. Pedro Sanchez lectured on “Soil Management in Africa” at the latest Natural Resource Management in Africa Working Group meeting on September 14, 2017. Dr. Sanchez is a research professor in the Soil and Water Sciences Department at University of Florida, focusing specifically on tropical soils throughout his career. His research on soil management has allowed him to […]

Awards: Riley Ravary (PhD student, Anthropology) was awarded a US Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship to conduct dissertation research for 8 months in Uganda, beginning in 2018. Publications: African Border Disorders: Addressing Transnational Extremist Organizations.2018. Edited by Olivier J. Walther (University of Florida) and William F.S. Miles (Northeastern University). Routledge Studies in African Politics and International Relations. Since the end of the Cold […]

Dr. Rose Lugano spent her summer in Kenya, partnering with the Technical University of Mombasa on a project funded by the Carnegie Africa Diaspora Fellowship. This fellowship funds African faculty members in the US and Canada to partner with universities in their home countries throughout Africa on a variety of projects. Dr. Lugano worked with […]

Welcome from Director for the Center for Global Islamic Studies Dear Colleagues, I am very pleased to become the new director of Center for Global Islamic Studies (CGS) and work to develop the center and programming about Islam and Muslim societies at the University of Florida. I would also like to take this opportunity to […]

Bob Campbell is best known for his famous photos of Dian Fossey’s research on the mountain gorillas of Rwanda. His work was published in National Geographic, popularizing the conservation of mountain gorillas in the 1970s. This exhibit uses photos focusing on Dian Fossey’s gorilla conservation work at Karisoke Research Center, curated from the University of […]

Choreographer Faustin Linyekula visited UF for the 2004 Carter Conference, “Movement (R)evolution: Contemporary African Dance.” The New York Times article discusses his participation as an instructor in the “Festival of Dreams,” a workshop that helps street dancers in Brooklyn. The article also touches on how being from the DRC informs his dance, and his plans […]

Dr. Olivier Walther joins the Center for African Studies this year as a Visiting Associate Professor. He is an Associate Professor in Political Science at the University of Southern Denmark, the Africa Editor for the Journal of Borderlands Studies and has a long history of collaboration in research with organizations such as the World Food Programme and the OECD. His research […]

On Thursday August 24, Dr. Nyeema Harris gave a NRM in Africa presentation titled, “Socio-ecological Implications of Dynamics in the Conservation Estate.” Dr. Harris is an Assistant Professor at University of Michigan. Her talk touched on the two projects her lab, the Applied Wildlife Ecology Lab (AWE) at University of Michigan, is currently conducting in West Africa. […]

On Tuesday August 22, Hassan Muhammed Kawo gave an Islam in Africa presentation titled, “The Nature of the Islamic Literary Heritage in Ethiopia: Arabic and Ajami Texts.” Hassan Muhammed Kawo is a lecturer at Addis Ababa University and a PhD student at University of Cape Town. His talk discussed literary heritage in Ethiopia, which has one of […]

Dr. Abbey Chokera, UF alumnus and former Director of the UF Africa Choir (Pazeni Sauti), was featured in the UFIC Bulletin and UF College of the Arts News for his appointment by the President of Kenya’s office to be the Senior Assistant Director of Music for the Ministry of Sports, Culture and the Arts. https://arts.ufl.edu/in-the-loop/news/som-alumnus-abbey-chokera-appointed-senior-assistant-director-of-music-in-kenya/Dr. […]

Co-authors Jennifer Moore, a student in the Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, Felix Mulindahabi, a student in SNRE, and Madan Oli, a professor in WEC recently published an article in the Journal of Applied Ecology. Moore, J.F., Mulindahbai, F., Masozera, M.K., Nichols, J.D., Hines, J.E., Turikunkiko, E., and Oli, M.K. 2017. Are ranger patrols […]

Hello! I’m Riley Ravary, the new Programs and Communications Officer taking over for Jenny Boylan. This is my fourth year at UF researching East African protected areas through the Anthropology doctoral program. My undergraduate education was completed at Michigan State University, where I first started participating in African Studies coursework through their Center’s program. Here at UF […]

Alain Karsenty, Claudia Romero∗, Paolo Omar Cerutti, Jean-Louis Doucet, Francis E. Putz, Christelle Bernard, Richard Eba’a Atyi, Pascal Douard, Florian Claeys, Sébastien Desbureaux, Driss Ezzine de Blas, Adeline Fayolle, Timothée Fomété, Eric Forni, Valéry Gond, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, Fritz Kleinschroth, Frédéric Mortier, Robert Nasi, Jean Claude Nguinguiri, Cédric Vermeulen, Carlos de Wasseigek. 2017. Deforestation and timber production in […]

2017-2018 FLAS Fellows and CAS Research Assistants Congratulations to all Center for African Studies Research Assistants and Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellows for this school year! Swahili FLAS Fellows include Jesse Borden (Ecology), Aaron Ellrich (Anthropology), Joshua Martin (Linguistics), Ciara McLaren (Political Science), and Benjamin Lowe (Ecology). Akan FLAS Fellows include Max Gelber (MDP) […]

Welcome Back from Director Brenda Chalfin Dear CAS Students, Faculty, Friends and Affiliates: Welcome Back to Campus! As the 2017-18 Academic Year takes off we look forward to your involvement in Center programs and activities. Mark your calendars. Our first Baraza is scheduled for Friday, September 8 with Xolela Mangcu from the University of Cape Town. The […]

Allegra, Jacqueline – MDP program and Certificate in African Studies – Field Practicum: Environmental Health in the Artic- a documentary film, Anchorage, Alaska Borden, Jesse – 1st year MSc student (SNRE) and FLAS Fellow through CAS – conducting research in forest canopies around Gainesville from May-June. In June, he will be surveying a forest’s canopy in a small tropical […]

On Wednesday April 19th, Stig Jarle Hansen gave a presentation about his book, The Sahel, The Rift Valley, and The Horn: A Comparative Study of African Jihadists. Stig Jarle Hansen is an Associate Professor at the University of Life Sciences in Oslo where he teaches Norway’s only MA in International Relations. He speaks Somali, Swahili and Arabic […]

Marissa Coning is a Program Assistant at the Center for African Studies, contributing to program and database management, among other critical duties. The youngest of seven siblings, Marissa’s family initially moved frequently around the country as part of her father’s career in the military. Upon her father retiring from the military, her family settled down in […]

Tricia Kuhn works as the Administrative Support Assistant at the Center for African Studies, where she coordinates travel and reimbursements for faculty, students, and guests, provides HR assistance, handles effort reporting and is responsible for reconciling charges for the Center’s various projects and grants.  Originally from Corry, Pennsylvania, Tricia began her college career as a pre-med […]

  Ikeade (Ike) Akinyemi is the Coordinator of Administrative Services at the Center for African Studies (CAS). Born in Nigeria, she is the middle child of five siblings in total. Ike received all of her education in Nigeria before briefly residing in Germany and the United Kingdom. She received her first degree in Education (1988) […]

SWAC/OECD Secretariat signs a memorandum of understanding w/UF On 4 April, the SWAC/OECD Secretariat hosted the Sahel Research Group of the University of Florida to celebrate the new memorandum of understanding between the two organisations. Leonardo A. Villalón, Dean of the International Center and Co-ordinator of the Sahel Research Group at the University of Florida […]

Awards Fiona McLaughlin– Awarded a Residential Fellowship from the Camargo Foundation in Cassis, France for Fall 2017. While in residence, she will be working on her book, Language and urban life in Dakar: A critical sociolinguistics of language in the postcolony. Ikeade Akinyemi– Superior Staff Award, presented at the Evening of Excellence, UF College of Liberal […]

John Hames defended his dissertation in April 2017 and will graduate with his PhD in Anthropology this coming August. His doctoral research analyzes the practice of language activism among a tight-knit network of Senegalese and Mauritanians devoted to the promotion of the Pulaar language, which is spoken by significant minorities in both countries. He conducted […]

On Monday April 10th, Nancy Rose Hunt gave a talk to the Social Change and Development Working Group titled, “Pleasure and Dreams in a Congolese ‘Shrunken Milieu’”. Dr. Hunt joined the University of Florida as Professor of History and African Studies in Fall 2016, after a 19-year career at the University of Michigan. The talk focused on […]

Dr. Richard Hunt Davis, Jr. is Emeritus Professor of History and African Studies at the University of Florida. He is currently the Editor-in-Chief of the African Studies Quarterly (ASQ), which is hosted at UF. Dr. Davis was born in Highland Park, Michigan in 1939. Though born in Michigan, growing up Davis’ family moved around quite a […]

John Hames (Anthropology, UF), 2017, “‘A River is not a Boundary’: Interplays of National and Linguistic Citizenship in Pulaar Language Activism,” Canadian Journal of African Studies. Anita Hannig (Brandeis University), 2017, Beyond Surgery: Injury, Healing, and Religion at an Ethiopian Hospital. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press. (Dr. Hannig was our Baraza speaker on Oct. 21, 2016). CAS […]

Chizoba Ezenwa is a fourth-year International Studies- Africa major at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. She will receive her B.A. with a minor in International Development and Humanitarian Assistance in May 2017. She currently works as a program assistant for the Sahel Research Group (SRG) within the Center for African Studies where her main […]

    On Friday April 7th, Noah Salomon gave a Baraza presentation titled, “For Love of the Prophet: The Art of Islamic State-Making in Sudan.” Dr. Salomon is Associate Professor of Religion, and Director of Middle East Studies, at Carleton College. The talk supplemented material that can be found in Dr. Salomon’s new book, For Love of the […]

Lina Benabdallah (Political Science) has accepted a tenure-track Assistant Professor position in political science at Wake Forest University! Congrats Lina!   CAS News Bulletin- Week of April 10th, 2017

On Monday, March 27th, Chesney McOmber gave a talk to the Social Change & Development Working Group titled, “The Feminization of Rural Space: Exploring the Politics of Male Absence in Kenya and Morocco.” The talk focused on McOmber’s dissertation research comparing 4 communities between both Kenya and Morocco with dominant female populations (largely due to […]

I am Emmanuel Akande, Ph.D student in Food and Resource Economics (FRE). I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Economics from University of Lagos, Nigeria, in 2008 where I graduated at the top rank of my class. I was admitted to Florida State University (FSU) where I obtained my Master of Arts (M.A) in Economics in 2012. […]

On Friday, March 31st, Ch. Didier Gondola gave a Baraza presentation titled, “Buffalo Bill in Kinshasa: Westerns, Masculinity, and Violence in the Tropics.” Dr. Gondola is Professor of History at Indiana University – Purdue University at Indianapolis (IUPUI). The talk focused on Dr. Gondola’s new book, “Tropical Cowboys: Westerns, Violence, and Masculinity in Kinshasa” (Indiana University Press, […]

Ba, Oumar. 2017. “Dislocated Narratives and Kenyan Life Fragments: Political Violence, Nationhood, and Justice in Flux,” Journal of Narrative Politics 3(2): 108-119. Online available here. CAS News Bulletin- Week of April 3rd, 2017

“The History of African Trading Communities in Guangzhou, China” Dr. Heidi Østbø Haugen, University of Oslo “The Bridge is not Burning: Transformation and Resilience within China’s African Diaspora Communities” Dr. Adams Bodomo, University of Vienna April 5th, 404 Grinter Hall 11:45 AM— 2 PM (Lunch will be provided) Film Showing: Guangzhou Dream Factory With Filmmaker Christiane […]

On Friday March 24th, Rudolf Gaudio gave a Baraza presentation titled, “Islam in Africa, Africa in Islam: The Sexual Politics of Religion and Race.” Dr. Gaudio is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the State University of New York (SUNY)- Purchase College. The talk focused on stereotypes of race, religion, and sexuality in Nigeria, and how place or country/region/city of […]

Jessie-Leigh Seago (PhD candidate, Political Science) was awarded a US Fulbright Research Grant to conduct dissertation research for 9 months in Namibia, beginning in 2017. CAS News Bulletin- Week of March 27th, 2017

Chesney McOmber is a PhD candidate in Political Science. Her dissertation is titled, “The Feminization of Rural Space: Exploring Gender, Power, and Demographic Change in Africa.” Demographic change is an important driver of social and political change throughout the world. Mass migration due to political, economic, or environmental instability continues to displace power within both macro […]