UF’s Carter Conference brings together researchers from 14 universities across U.S.

Sandra Greene, the Stephen and Madeline Anbinder Professor of African History Emerita and a Stephen Weiss Presidential Fellow at Cornell University

The University of Florida’s Center for African Studies (CAS) hosted its 40th Gwendolen M. Carter Conference, bringing together the perspectives of Africanist scholars on issues of pressing importance to peoples and societies of Africa. The annual conference is considered the flagship event for the center.

UF’s Carter Conference examines Africa’s future

Nicole Harris leads a discussion on innovative ways of infusing Africa and the diaspora in K-12 curriculum

CAS hosted its annual Gwendolen M. Carter Conference, uniting leading experts, scholars, students, and community members to address pressing issues facing Africa’s people and environments.

Baraza Recap: Dr. John Straussberger, Florida Gulf Coast University

Baraza: March 3, 2023 Dr. Straussberger is an assistant professor in the Department of Political Science & Public Administration. His publications include: “Storming the Citadel: Decolonization and Political Contestation in Guinea’s Futa Jallon, 1945-1961.” Journal of African History (2016) and “Fractures and Fragments: Finding Postcolonial Histories on Guinea in Local Archives.” History in Africa (2015). Dr. John (Trey) Straussberger, Assistant Professor […]

Baraza Recap: Dr. Lamya Khalidi, Université Côte d’Azur

Baraza: February 3, 2023 Dr. Khalidi is CR1 researcher at CNRS and alumnus of the UF in Dar es Salaam study abroad program. Her publications include: “Survival kit for the afterlife or instruction manual for prehistorians? Staging artefact production in middle Neolithic cemetery Kadruka 23, Upper Nubia, Sudan.” Antiquity (co-author, 2021); “9000 years of human lakeside adaptation […]

Baraza Recap: Dr. Anna K. Mwaba, Smith College

Baraza: January 20, 2023 Dr. Mwaba is assistant professor in the department of government and earned her PhD at UF. Her recent writings have largely focused on public engagement: “Addressing a pandemic on a continental level.” Africa Is A Country (2020); “The African Union called on Congo to suspend its election’s results. That’s unprecedented.” The […]

CAME: Women Entrepreneurship, AI + Emerging Tech in Africa

CAME hosted the “Women Entrepreneurship, AI + Emerging Tech in Africa” event on September 27, 2022. Kishau Rogers shared in-depth insights into the processes for the success of her business, Time Study, and how she continues to triple the company’s revenue each year. Saidah Nash Carter shared her work focused on “Healing and Human Connection,” […]

Baraza: April 22, 2022

Professor Benneta Jules-Rosette is a distinguished professor of sociology and the African and African American Studies Research Center director at the University of California, San Diego. She also served as the President of the Society for Africanist Anthropology of the American Anthropology Association. Professor Jules-Rosette is also in charge of the Bennetta Jules-Rosette Graduate Students Essay […]

Recap: Graduate / Transfer Student Fair

The visitors spent the morning at Pugh Hall participating in a Graduate and Transfer Student Information & Recruitment Fair. For the afternoon, they proceeded to the Harn Museum for a gallery tour and dedicated language learning sessions. The students were divided into groups of 5 to work with each one of the African Language instructors on […]

Baraza Recap: Dr. Saida Hodžić March 25, 2022

Baraza: March 25, 2022 This week’s special baraza was also the keynote lecture for the SEAN (Southeast Africanist Network) annual meeting, held by Centre for African Studies. The speaker was Dr. Saida Hodžić, from Cornell University on the topic of “From (In)security to Abolition: African Perspectives on Ruling Imaginaries.” Dr. Saida Hodžić is associate professor […]

Baraza Recap: Dr. Witulski (March 4, 2022)

Dr Christopher Witulski is an assistant professor of ethnomusicology and earned his PhD at UF. He is also the author of Focus: Music and Religion of Morocco (2019); The Gnawa Lions: Authenticity and Opportunity in Moroccan Ritual Music (2018); and “Light Rhythms and Heavy Spirits: Entertaining Listeners through Musical and Ritual Adaptations in Morocco.” Ethnomusicology Forum (2016), among others. […]

Baraza Recap: Dr. Moorman, “Angolan Radio in Five Songs”

Dr. Marissa Moorman is a professor in the Department of African Cultural Studies, in University of Wisconsin. Her publications include: “Luanda Humms and Buzzes: Urban Soundscapes, Club Music, and Dance, 1960-present.” In Hossfeld, et al. (eds.) Ten Cities: Berlin, Bristol, Cairo, Johannesburg, Kiev, Lagos, Lisbon, Luanda, Nairobi, Naples (2020); Powerful Frequencies: Radio, State Power, and the Cold War in Angola, […]

Baraza Recap

Dr. David Rifkind is a director of the School of Architecture at the University of Florida. As he shared in his brief introduction, he has been contributing extensively through his professional works, publications, and ongoing book and architectural projects. His training informs his professional work as an Architect, his concerns about sustainability, resilience, and climate […]

Recap: China | Africa Working Group Oct. 7

AFRICA | CHINA WORKING GROUP FOCUS ON POST-COVID RELATIONS Fall Panel 2: Re-Thinking the China Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) Marina Rudyak, Heidelberg University China’s Belt and Road Initiative in Africa and the SDGs: Taking Stock of Promises and Implementation Gaps. Under What Conditions Do African Countries Benefit Most? Marina Rudyak is a sinologist working on the intersections […]

Recap: Living & Linking

African Legacies Through the Lens of Ethiopian Contemporary Fine Artist Prince Merid Tafesse AQJ Harvest History is aimed to “Inspire others to reach great heights. Preserving fragile histories and bring unique experiences to life” was the inspiration for the Art Talk by Ethiopian contemporary fine artist, Prince Merid Tafesse and Pan African Creative Consultant & […]

Recap: Mixing Disciplines Workshop

The Mixing Disciplines Workshop’s two-day virtual zoom conference occurred from April 22-23rd, 2021. Supported by the Center for African Studies, this two-day conference started with a detour to Lusophone Africa with the screening of Billy Woodberry film “A Story from Africa (2018). This film was a brilliant work that gave life to photos from archives […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Cleveland

On April 16th, 2021, The Center for African Studies hosted its weekly Baraza entitled, “Servers, Safaris, and Social Ascension: African Labor in the Tourism Industry of Colonial Mozambique, 1890-1975”. The presentation was given by Dr. Todd Cleveland, associate professor of history at the University of Arkansas. His publications include: Following the Ball: The Migration of African […]

Recap: State | Institutions Working Group with Dr. Ariotti

On April 12th, 2021, the Institutions and the State in Africa Working Group, hosted Dr. Margaret Ariotti, Assistant Professor in the Department of International Affairs, University of Georgia. Her talk was based on her forthcoming book project. This session focused on one chapter from her book with the topic titled: Beyond the Big Man: Executive-Legislative […]

Recap: Baraza with Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah

On April 9th, 2021 the Center for African Studies, the Islam in Africa Working Group, the Center for Global Islamic Studies, the Department of Religion, and the Henry Luce Foundation presented: A Baraza with Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah. The title of the Talk was “Christian-Muslim Encounters: The Nigerian Experience” Matthew Hassan Kukah is the bishop of […]

Recap: Health | Africa Working Group Session

On March 26th, 2021 the Health in Africa working group held their Post-COVID-19 opportunities and need: exploring potential collaboration event. Dr. Elizabeth Devos and Kim Dunleavy led the session. The session focused on what participants had experienced during COVID-19 to research and collaborative partnerships. The session had faculty join from international institutions such as the University […]

Recap: Social Change | Development Working Group with Dr. Noémi Tousignant

On March 29th,2021, The Social Change and Development Working Group hosted Dr. Noémi Tousignant, Lecturer at The University College London. Her presentation was titled: Carcinogenic Residues of Global Biomedicine in Senegal. Dr. Tousignant’s work focuses on historical and contemporary intersections of biomedicine with global inequalities in health in West Africa, especially in Senegal. Dr. Tousignant […]

Recap: Baraza with Álvaro Luís Lima

On March 26, 2021, The Center for African Studies presents hosted its weekly Baraza entitled: “Partners in Crime: The Dog in the Art of Post-apartheid South Africa”. The presentation was given by Dr. Álvaro Luís Lima, an assistant professor of art history here at the University of Florida. His publications include: “The Place of Socialism […]

Recap: State | Institutions in Africa with Nicholas N. Kerr

On March 15th, 2021 the Institutions and State Working Group through the Center for African Studies had a seminar by Dr. Nicholas N. Kerr, UF. The title of his talk was: “Election Commissions & Opposition Behavior in Africa’s Multiparty Regimes: Does Institutional Performance Matter for Election Boycotts and Losers’ Compliance?” This talk was focused on […]

Recap: Baraza with Cheikh Thiam

On March 19th, 2021, the Center for African Studies hosted its weekly Baraza entitled: “COVID-19, Coloniality, and the Limits of Western Arrogance: Thoughts from Africa.” The presentation was given by Dr. Cheikh Thiam, the academic dean for Africa South of the Sahara at the School for International Training, Brattleboro, VT. His publications include: “Negritude Africentered: […]

Recap: SERSAS/SEAN Spring 2021 Conference

The SouthEast Africanist Network (SEAN) was founded at University of Florida in 2000 and partnered with the Southeastern Regional Seminar on African Studies (SERSAS) in 2010 to host an annual joint meeting. The SERSAS/SEAN 2021 Virtual Spring Conference occurred on March 12-March 13th, 2021 and was co-hosted by UNC and UF African Studies Centers on […]

Baraza Recap with Ambassador John Campbell

On March 5th,2021, The Center for African Studies hosted its weekly Baraza entitled: “How Should the Biden Administration Engage with a Rapidly Declining Nigeria – and Does it Matter?”. Dr. Brenda Chalfin Director of the Center for African Studies and Dr. Villalón, Dean of the International Center at UF welcomed the speaker. Ambassador John Campbell […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Katherine Luongo

On February 26th, 2021, the Center for African Studies hosted its weekly Baraza entitled: “Border-Crossing Beliefs: African Witchcraft and Global Asylum-Seeking”. The presentation was given by Dr. Katherine Luongo, a professor of History at Northeastern University. Dr. Luongo is a specialist in the anthropological history of Kenya. Her work focuses on legal systems in colonial […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Nana Osei-Opare

On February 19th, 2021, the Center for African Studies hosted its weekly Baraza entitled: “We Became Ghanaian: The Archive, Race, and the USSR.” The presentation was given by Dr. Nana Osei-Opare, an Assistant Professor of African and Cold War History at Fordham University, New York City. He currently working on a manuscript tentatively titled, Ghana’s Cold War: […]

Recap: SASA with Ayobami Edun

On Feb 10th, 2021, Ayobami Edun, a PhD Student in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UF presented at the SASA (Students in African Studies Association) meeting. His lecture was titled, “The 2020 Co-Vent Project: A UF Contribution to the COVID Global Crisis.” The project was supported by the Center for African Studies and the University […]

Recap: Museum Nights – Sankofa

Museum Nights – Sankofa was hosted by the Harn Museum of Art on Thursday, February 11, 7 pm. Dr. Agnes Leslie gave the welcome address. Dr. Kole Odutola from the Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures at the University of Florida narrated a story. Barakissa Coulibaly, Master West African dancer and choreographer from Abobo, Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire and […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Folashade Soulé

Dr. Anita Spring, Dr. Lina Benabdallah, and Dr. Agnes Leslie organized this event as part of the Africa-China working group symposium. On February 12th, 2021, the Center for African Studies with the China-Africa working group hosted its weekly Baraza entitled: “African Agency in the Pandemic Time: Reflecting on Africa-China Relations”. The presentation was given by […]

Recap: Baraza with Oumar Ba

On February 5, 2021, Dr. Oumar Ba from Morehouse College, presented “Peace, Democracy, and Prosperity for All: Africa and the International Legal Order” at the Center for African Studies weekly Baraza. Dr. Ba is assistant professor of political science and earned his doctorate at UF. His publications include: States of Justice: The Politics of the […]

Recap: Baraza with Joel Hartter

Joel Hartter, from the University of Colorado, presented “Local People and the Global Conservation Imperative: Perspectives from the Albertine Rift” at the 01/29/2021 Baraza. Dr. Hartter is an associate professor of environmental studies and earned his doctorate from UF. His publications include: “More Robust Local Governance Suggests Positive Effects of Long-term Community Conservation.” Conservation Science […]

Recap: Baraza with Alex Thurston

On January 22, 2021, the Center for African Studies held its first Baraza of the year titled, “Northern Nigerian Intellectuals, Sudan, and the “Eclectic Style” in Contemporary Islamic Thought.” The presentation, given by Dr. Alex Thurston, functioned as the keynote of the “Remapping the Study of Islam and Muslim Cultures in Nigeria” online workshop. This […]

Recap: Carter Conference Keynote with Isaac Sesi

The 2020 Carter Conference on “Shifting Momentum in African Agriculture through Research and Technologies: Smart Agriculture, Smart Growth, Smart Kids” took place December 10th to 11th. This year’s conference featured two keynote speakers, the second of which was Isaac Sesi. He is the co-founder and team lead of Sesi Technologies. Mr. Sesi began his lecture […]

Recap: Carter Conference Keynote with Dr. Ayoola Oduntan

The 2020 Carter Conference on “Shifting Momentum in African Agriculture through Research and Technologies: Smart Agriculture, Smart Growth, Smart Kids” took place December 10th to 11th. This year’s conference featured two keynote speakers, the first of which was Dr. Ayoola Oduntan. He is the Group Managing Director of natnudO Foods. Dr. Oduntan’s lecture was titled, […]

Recap: Islam | Africa with Dr. Ousseina D. Alidou

On December 1 the CAS Islam | Africa Working Group hosted Dr. Ousseina D. Alidou from Rutgers University. Her lecture titled, “COVID-19 Pandemic, Hausa Muslim Poetic Narratives, Compassion and Resistance” focused on the transborder identity of artists from Nigeria and Niger. Dr. Alidou argued that Hausa artists are producing new discourse about what it means […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Bencherif

Dr. Bencherif is a postdoctoral fellow in the Sahel Research Group at UF. His Baraza lecture on December 4, titled, “Tuareg Women in the Northern Malian Conflict: Ambivalence and Layers of Symbolic Violence” focused on the role women play in the Tuareg political landscape. Dr. Bencherif explained that in Tuareg societies there are two main […]

Recap: Mixing Disciplines with Professor Kopano Ratele

Professor Kopano Ratele is the Director of the South African Medical Research Council Men, Injury and Violence Research Unit and Professor at the University of South Africa where he runs the Transdisciplinary African Psychologies Programme. His research, teaching, social-political activism, and community mobilization has focused on the men and masculinity, African psychology, violence, class, traditions, […]

Recap: Natural Resource Management Working Group with Dr. Richard Flynn and Dr. Christopher Brown

Dr. Richard Flynn from the Akavango Research Institute at the University of Botswana and Dr. Christopher Brown from the Namibian Chamber of Environment presented on “Wildlife, Livestock, and Sustainable Savannas” courtesy of the Natural Resource Management & Sustainable Savannas Initiative in Africa (NRM-SSI) working group. Dr. Flynn’s presentation argued for “an understanding of the determinants […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Adrienne Strong

Dr. Strong’s presentation was based on her recently published book “Documenting Death Maternal Mortality and the Ethics of Care in Tanzania.” She began her presentation by discussing the problem of maternal mortality at large. Sub-Saharan African and South Asian countries bear the burden of these deaths globally at approximately 350,000 deaths a year. Dr. Strong […]

Recap: Mixing Disciplines Post-Election Dialogue

The day after the 2020 presidential election, Mixing Africa’s Disciplines Working Group hosted “Post-Election Dialogue: Perspectives via Africa, USA & Black Lives Everywhere.” The 2-hour event featured UF professors Dr. Leonardo Villalón and Dr. David Canton. Dr. Villalón is Dean of the International Center and Professor of Political Science and African Studies. Dr. David Canton […]

Recap: Baraza with Paul Landau

Dr. Landau is professor of history. His publications include: “The M-Plan: Mandela’s Struggle to Reorient the African National Congress.” Journal of Southern African Studies (2019); Popular Politics in the History of South Africa, 1400-1948 (2010); and Images and Empires: Visuality in Colonial and Postcolonial Africa (co-edited, 2002). Dr. Landau’s presentation “Operation Mayibuye and the Limits […]

Baraza Recap: Dr. Matiangai Sirleaf

On Friday September 11, Dr. Matiangai Sirleaf (University of Maryland) presented, “Africa, COVID-19, and Responsibility.” Sirleaf is the Nathan Patz Professor of Law. She writes and teaches in the areas of global public health law, public international law, international human rights law, international criminal law, post-conflict and transitional justice, and criminal law. Her most recent publications in this area […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Meghan L.E. Kirkwood

On Friday February 28, Dr. Meghan Kirkwood gave a Baraza lecture titled, “Social Documentary Photography in the Twenty-first Century: The Ernest Cole Award and the Legacy of Struggle Photography in South Africa.” Dr. Kirkwood is assistant professor of art at Washington University—St. Louis and earned her doctorate at UF. Her publications include: “Land as Natural […]

Natural Resource Management | Africa with Elizabeth Pienaar

On Thursday, Dr. Elizabeth Pienaar (University of Florida) discussed her lab’s research on Oribi conservation in Kwa-Zulu Natal during her talk, “Protecting the Endangered Oribi on Private Farmlands.” Oribi are South Africa’s most threatened antelope species. They are grassland dependent, but as grasslands have been converted to other uses over time, oribi conservation has become […]

Recap: SASA with Christopher Muntzner

Last week’s Students in African Studies Association (SASA) Wednesday lecture featured Christopher Muntzner (University of Florida). His talk, “Nouns and Person-Gender-Number Markers in Khoekhoe,” reflected on his preliminary dissertation research. Khoekhoe is a Khoisan language spoken by about 250,000 people, primarily in Namibia. Muntzner’s research is located in the small town of Lüderitz in the […]

Recap: Social Change and Development | Africa with Audrey Smith

On Monday February 17, Audrey Smith (University of Florida) presented at the Social Change and Development in Africa (SCAD) Working Group meeting. Her talk, “Large-scale Land Acquisitions and Ecosystem Services: Impacts on Natural Woodlands and Energy Security in Ethiopia,” centered on her preliminary findings from her research on large-scale land acquisitions in Ethiopia. The overarching […]

Africa Museum Night: Beyond the Mask

Africa Museum Night: Beyond the Mask On Thursday February 13, the Harn Museum of Art hosted Africa Museum Night: Beyond the Mask. The event provided attendees with the opportunity to make jewelry, try on kente cloth, visit various booths relating to African Studies, and view exhibitions inspired by artists from across Africa. The event also […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Marloes Janson

On Friday February 14, the Center for African Studies and the Center for Global Islamic Studies hosted a Baraza with Marloes Janson (University of London). Dr. Janson is a reader in the Department of Anthropology and Sociology. Her publications include: “Studying Religious Pluralism in Yorubaland: A Tribute to J.D.Y. Peel.” Religion and Society: Advances in Research […]

Recap: SASA with Akintunde Akinleye

On Wednesday, Akintunde Akinleye (Carleton University) presented “Beyond the Frame: Photojournalism in the Context of Africa” for the Students in African Studies Association (SASA). Akintunde Akinleye has worked as a photojournalist since 2003 for Nigerian news outlets as well as Reuters. In 2007, his spot news single shot won the World Press Photo contest. He […]

Recap: State | Africa with Dr. Ruth Carlitz

On Monday, Dr. Ruth Carlitz (Tulane University) presented, “When do services reach the poor? Street-level discretion and pro-poor targeting” at the Institutions and the State in Africa Working Group. In the past twenty years, there has been increased attention in the international community on public services—such as education, health, and clean drinking water—motivated by Millennium […]

SEAN/SERSAS Visions 2020

On February 7 and 8 the UF Center for African Studies hosted the South East Regional Seminar in African Studies (SERSAS) and Southeast Africanist Network (SEAN) 2020 Annual Meeting, The meeting, Visions 2020: The Past and Present of Afrofutures was co-sponsored by the African Studies Center at UNC-Chapel-Hill and the Center for African Studies at University […]

Recap: Islam | Africa with Dr. Musa Ibrahim

Last Tuesday, Musa Ibrahim (University of Florida) gave a lecture for the Islam in Africa Working Group titled, “Exploring Kannywood as a Driver and Space for Contestations and Negotiations between Sufi and Salafi Muslims.” Musa (Abba) Ibrahim is a postdoctoral research fellow for the “Islam in Africa in Global Context” project, which is funded through a grant […]

Recap: Baraza with Dr. Tasiyana Javangwe

On Friday January 31, Dr. Tasiyana Javangwe gave a Baraza lecture titled, “‘Dis/eased Others’ – Identity and Agency in Literary Representations of Migrants of African Origin.” Dr. Javangwe is associate professor in the Department of English and Communication at Midlands State University. His publications include: “Colonial heterotopia as metanarrative in White Rhodesian writing: A post […]

SASA with Bonginkosi Gumbi

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 […]

Recap: Workshop on Media and Public Islam in Africa and Elsewhere

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Peter Alegi

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 […]

Recap: Text Image Studies and African Humanities with Yvan Alagbe

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. […]

Recap: Text Image Studies and African Humanities with Grace Musila

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 […]

Recap: China in Africa Working Group with Liu Haifang

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with Ikram Getachew

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Ann Wainscott

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Danny Hoffman

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. […]

Recap: Architecture in Africa with DK Osseo-Asare

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Chipo Dendere

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with Peter Redfield

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Fallou Ngom

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 […]

Recap: NRM in Africa with Catherine O’Reilly

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, […]

Recap: Health in Africa Symposium

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Xolela Mangcu

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with Valerie Valerio

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Cherif Keita

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 […]

Recap: Center for Global Islamic Studies Film Screening

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 […]

Recap: 2018 Carter Conference

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, […]

Recap: SCAD with Jackie Curnick

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 […]

Recap: Baraza

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, […]

Recap: NRM Africa with Sam Ferreira

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Peter Schmidt

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. […]

Recap: Sahel Research Group with Jean-Herve Jezequel and Vincent Foucher

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: […]

Recap: Baraza with Shobana Shankar

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Randall Cantrell

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 […]

Recap: Primatologists @ UF

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Elizabeth DeVos

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 […]

Recap: Mandela Celebration

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

Recap: Center for Global Islamic Studies Seminar with Hatsuki Aishima

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 […]

Recap: University of Ghana Partnership Lecture with Kodzo Gavua

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with Alula Pankhurst

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 […]

Recap: SASA with Jessica N. Casimir

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 […]

Recap: Baraza and Dance Performance with Elisabeth Efua Sutherland

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Rebecca Hardin

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with Natasha Sokolsky

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Christopher DeCorse

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 […]

Recap: SASA with Felicity Tackey-Otoo

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Jeffrey W. Paller

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with Max Gelber

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, […]

Recap: Lecture with Olivier Walther

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Jacob Dlamini

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 […]

Recap: SCAD Symposium “Revisiting Partnership for Development in Africa”

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Samuel Nyamuame

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 […]

Recap: SASA with Werede Hagos

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, […]

Recap: NRM in Africa with Pedro Sanchez

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 […]

Recap: NRM in Africa with Nyeema Harris

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. […]

Recap: Islam in Africa with Hassan Muhammed Kawo

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 […]

Recap: Lecture with Stig Jarle Hansen

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with Nancy Rose Hunt

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Noah Salomon

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with Chesney McOmber

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 […]

Recap: Baraza with Ch. Didier Gondola

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, […]

Recap: Baraza with Rudolf Gaudio

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 […]

Recap: SCAD with David Dillon

On Monday March 13th, David Dillon delivered a presentation to the Social Change & Development Working Group (co-authored with Alyson Young), titled, “The Socioecology of Household Toxin Exposure in Eastern Zambia”. David Dillon is a PhD student in the Department of Anthropology and Alyson Young is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at UF. The talk presented an analysis […]

Recap: Baraza with Delia Wendel

On Friday March 17th, Delia Wendel gave a Baraza presentation titled “Building Peace? Spatializing Reconciliation in Post-Genocide Rwanda”. Dr. Wendel is an interdisciplinary scholar and design practitioner, currently working as lecturer of urban planning and design at the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. The talk focused on the role spatial and structural, public and private, conceptions […]

Recap: SASA with Steven Robins

On Wednesday March 1st, Steven Robins gave a SASA lunch talk titled, “Shit Politics in the Post-Apartheid Postcolony: Sanitation Activism and Insurgent Citizenship in Cape Town.” Dr. Robins is Professor in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology at Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Dr. Robins previously worked for years on AIDS activism and relies […]

Recap: Baraza with Emily Burrill

On Friday March 3rd, Emily Burrill gave a Baraza presentation titled “There Are Always Laws That Are Not Practiced: The Limits and Possibilities of Marriage Laws in West Africa.” Dr. Burrill is the Director of the African Studies Center and Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies at the University of North Carolina- Chapel Hill. […]

Recap: Baraza with Daniel Mains

On Friday February 17th, Daniel Mains gave a Baraza presentation titled “Governing Three-Wheeled Motorcycle Taxis in Urban Ethiopia: States, Markets, and Moral Discourses of Infrastructure.” Dr. Mains is Assistant Professor of Anthropology and African Studies at the University of Oklahoma. The talk focused on the politics of governing baja (3-wheeled motorcycles) in Hawassa, Ethiopia as […]

Recap: SCAD with Goran Hyden

On Monday February 6th, Goran Hyden gave a Social Change and Development Working Group talk titled, “Who Owns What? Ownership in Partnership”. Dr. Goran Hyden is Emeritus Professor of Political Science at UF. His talk introduced a study of ownership, which promotes a reconceptualization of the international aid in terms of ownership, which has historically […]

Recap: Baraza with Kathleen Klaus

On Friday February 10th, Kathleen Klaus gave a Baraza presentation titled “Claiming Land: Institutions, Narratives, and Political Violence in Kenya.” Dr. Klaus received her PhD in Political Science from Wisconsin University in 2015 and is currently the Buffett Institute Postdoctoral Fellow at Northwestern University. The talk introduced Klaus’ book project which is focused on the […]

Recap: Film Screening of “The Uncondemned”

The Uncondemned On Tuesday January 31st, The Uncondemned was shown at the Hippodrome, with a Skype Q&A with the director after the film. Co-directed by Michele Mitchell and Nick Louvel, The Uncondemned is a 2016 documentary which examines the first trial to prosecute rape as both a war crime and act of genocide, in the aftermath of […]

Recap: Baraza with Nancy Rose Hunt

On Friday January 27th, Nancy Rose Hunt gave a Baraza presentation titled, “Harm: A Useful Concept for African Historical Studies?”. Dr. Hunt is Professor of History and African Studies at UF, coming here after many years at the University of Michigan. Her most recent book, A Nervous State: Violence, Remedies, and Reverie in Colonial Congo (Duke University Press), was […]

Recap: SCAD with Steven Brandt and Justin Dunnavant

On Monday, January 23rd, Steven Brandt and Justin Dunnavant gave a Social Change & Development Working Group talk titled, “Cultural Heritage as an Agent of African Social Change & Development.” Dr. Steve Brandt is Associate Professor of Anthropology at UF and Justin Dunnavant is a PhD candidate in Anthropology at UF. They both conduct fieldwork in Ethiopia, among other […]

Recap: Baraza with Susan Cooksey, Rebecca Nagy, and Alissa Jordan

Note: The summary of this Baraza was graciously written by Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim, a Doctoral Candidate in the Political Science Dept. at UF. On Friday January 20th 2017, Susan Cooksey, Rebecca Nagy, and Alissa Jordan presented their research on contemporary art scene in Accra and Kumasi. The presentation was based on a field research that the three […]

Recap: Baraza with Farooq A. Kperogi

On Friday January 13th, Farooq A. Kperogi gave a Baraza presentation titled, “Citizen Journalism and Nigeria’s Digital Diaspora.” Kperogi is Associate Professor of Journalism & Emerging Media in the School of Communication & Media at Kennesaw State University. He also writes two columns a week for the Daily Trust, a prominent newspaper in Nigeria, as well […]

Recap: SCAD with Netty Carey

On Monday January 9th, Netty Carey (MA student, Anthropology) gave a presentation to the Social Change and Development in Africa Working Group. Her talk, titled, “‘We are in the air’. Land Claims and Liminal Space on Ghana’s Volta Delta”, discussed the interactions between an Italian-Ghanaian company, Trasacco, and the local community as plans are underway to construct […]

Recap: Harn Exhibit Opening with Fati Abubakar

On December 8th, Fati Abubakar gave a talk about her photograph exhibition at the Harn (November 29th, 2016 – February 26, 2017). The exhibit is titled, “Bits of Borno – Bruised but not Broken, Surviving Boko Haram.” CAS News Bulletin: Week of January 16th, 2017

Recap: Baraza with Bernard Dubbeld

On Friday December 9th, Dr. Bernard Dubbeld gave a Baraza talk titled, “PostApartheid Predicaments of Youth: A View from the Countryside.” Dr. Dubbeld is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology in Stellenbosch University. Currently he is also a Visiting Scholar at the Interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Global Change at the […]

Recap: SASA with Elise Morton

On Wednesday December 7th, Dr. Elise Morton gave a SASA lunch talk titled, “Avian Diversity and Conservation in Nyungwe National Park.” Morton is a doctoral student in Wildlife Ecology & Conservation at UF, co-advised by Madan Oli and Scott Robinson. She also holds a PhD in Microbiology & Genetics from Indiana University. The talk focused on avian […]

Recap: Baraza with Joshua Grace

On Friday November 18th, Dr. Joshua Grace gave a Baraza presentation titled “African Motors: Garages, Oil, and Austerity in Tanzania.” Dr. Grace is Assistant Professor of History at the University of South Carolina. The talk, derived from a near-complete book manuscript, focused on the history of the auto repair industry in pre-colonial, colonial, and post-colonial Tanzania using […]

Recap: SCAD with Amanda B. Edgell

On Friday November 18th, Amanda B. Edgell gave a presentation for the Social Change & Development in Africa Working Group titled, “Vying for a Man Seat: Constituency Magnitude and Mainstream Female Candidature in Uganda and Kenya.” The talk assessed the effects of gender quotas on female representation in the legislatures in Uganda and Kenya, finding that these […]

Recap: Islam in Africa Roundtable “Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) as a Dilemma for African Muslims”

On Monday November 14th, Dr. Terje Ostebo (Religion), Ibrahim Yahaya Ibrahim(Political Science), and Dr. Sue O’Brien (History) participated in a roundtable titled, “Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) as a Dilemma for African Muslims”. The roundtable was moderated by Dr. Leonardo Villalon (Dean, Center for International Studies). Dr. Ostebo’s presentation covered CVE from a cross-national point of view, while Ibrahim and Dr. O’Brien discussed […]

Recap: Baraza with Carlton Jama Adams

On Friday November 4th, Carlton Jama Adams gave a Baraza talk titled, “Adaptive Ambivalence: African Workers in China and the Struggle for Recognition and Agency.” Dr. Adams is Chair and Associate Professor of the John Jay College of Criminal Justice at The City University of New York (CUNY). He is trained in Psychology and the […]

Recap: SCAD with Riley Ravary

On Friday November 4th, Riley Ravary gave a talk titled, “Impacts of Transboundary Protected Areas Governance on Gender at Mount Elgon National Park” for the Social Change and Development in Africa Working Group. Ravary is a graduate student in the Department of Anthropology at UF. Her talk focused on the experiences of residents within or […]

Recap: Baraza with John McCauley

On Friday October 28th, John McCauley gave a Baraza presentation titled “Ethnicity and Religion as Sources of Political Division in Africa.” Dr. McCauley is Assistant Professor of Government & Politics at the University of Maryland – College Park. The talk presented an experimental design to test whether ethnicity or religion create greater social and political divisions in […]

Recap: NRM in Africa with Sadie Ryan

On Thursday October 27th, Sadie Ryan gave a NRM in Africa talk titled, “Implications of Climate Change for Zoonotic Disease Risk in Africa.” Dr. Sadie Ryan is Assistant Professor of Medical Geography in the Geography Department, as well as the Emerging Pathogens Institute (EPI), at the University of Florida. The talk focused on Ryan’s research […]

Recap: Lecture on East African Archaeology with Chapurukha M. Kusimba

On Monday October 24th, Chapurukha M. Kusimba gave a presentation titled “The History and Archaeology of Slavery in East Africa.” Dr. Kusimba is now Professor of Anthropology at American University, after 19 years at the University of Illinois, Chicago. The talk focused on the international slave trade as it affected East Africa and the types of artifacts […]

Recap: African Migrations with Ferdinand de Jong

On Monday, October 17th, Ferdinand de Jong gave an African Migrations talk titled “Cultural Festivals: Archives of Tradition for Global Migrants.” Dr. de Jong is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Art, Media and American Studies at the University of East Anglia, UK. The talk presented de Jong’s chapter (available here) from a recently […]

Recap: Baraza with Anita Hannig

On Friday October 21st, Anita Hannig gave a Baraza presentation titled “Mistaken for Strangers: Injury, Kinship, and Belonging Among Fistula Patients in Ethiopia.” Dr. Hannig is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Brandeis University. The talk focused on obstetric fistula, a condition which develops as the result of an obstructed delivery, as it affects Amhara women […]

Recap: NRM in Africa with Annie Loggins and Rich Stanton

On Thursday October 13th, Annie Loggins (above) and Rich Stanton (below) presented at a NRM Roundtable held in Grinter 471. At the roundtable, research was generally presented on the effects of climate change and resource management policies within national parks on animal life and community structure. Loggins (MS, SNRE) works on rodent communities in southern Africa, particularly comparing the […]

Recap: NRM in Africa with Patrick Milligan

On Monday October 10th, Patrick Milligan gave a NRM presentation titled “Invasive ‘big-headed ants’ in the Laikipia Plateau”. A video recording of that presentation is available (with a UF login) here. CAS News Bulletin: Week of October 17th, 2016

Recap: NRM in Africa with Nick Dowhaniuk

On Thursday October 6th, Nick Dowhaniuk gave a NRM in Africa presentation titled “Industrial Oil Development, Human Population Growth, and Post-Conflict Regrowth in Conservation Landscapes.” Dowhaniuk is new to UF, pursuing a joint PhD in Medical Geography and Master of Health Science (MHS) in Environmental and Global Health: One Health. On Thursday he presented on research conducted […]

Recap: SASA with Justin Hoyle

On Wednesday, September 28th, Justin Hoyle gave a SASA lunch talk titled “An Army of the People? The Politics of the Egyptian Military, 2011-2014”. Justin Hoyle is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at UF. The talk focused on Justin’s recent fieldwork in Egypt as part of his larger dissertation project on military behavior during transitions. Justin is […]

Recap: HESCAH Lecture at the Harn with Christopher Roy

On Thursday September 29th, Christopher Roy gave a HESCAH Lecture at The Harn titled “Fifty Years of Tradition and Change in the Art of Burkina Faso.” Dr. Roy is Professor and Elizabeth M. Stanley Faculty Fellow of African Art History at the University of Iowa. The talk focused on stability and change within the art traditions, and particularly […]

Recap: Baraza with Lisa Cliggett

On Friday September 30th, Lisa Cliggett gave a Baraza presentation titled, “Chronic Liability: Living on the edge in a Zambian park buffer zone.” Dr. Cliggett is Professor and Chair of Anthropology at the University of Kentucky. The talk focused on the cycles of access and alienation experienced by the Gwembe Tonga populations living along the lakeshore of Lake […]

Recap: Baraza with Abe Goldman

On Friday September 16th, Abe Goldman gave a Baraza presentation titled “Tropical Africa as Perpetrator & Victim of Global Climate Change: Africa and the Political Economy of Carbon.” Dr. Goldman is Associate Professor of Geography, and former Director of the Center for African Studies, at UF. The talk focused on Tropical Africa (i.e., sub-Saharan Africa with the exception […]

Recap: Distinguished Lecture in African Archaeology with Peter Mitchell

On Friday September 23rd, Dr. Peter Mitchell gave a Distinguished Lecture in African Archaeology presentation titled, “Climate Change and Archaeology in Late Pleistocene southern Africa: Implications for People Then and Now.” Dr. Mitchell is Professor of African Archaeology at the University of Oxford. The talk analyzed central questions about the nature of climate change affecting […]

Recap: NRM in Africa with Laurence Kruger

On Thursday September 15th, Laurence Kruger gave a Natural Resource Management (NRM) talk titled “Elephant Impacts on the Demography of Rare Tree Species in Kruger Park.” Dr. Kruger is a Professor within the Organization for Tropical Studies (OTS)- South Africa, a nonprofit consortium of over 50 universities and research institutions around the globe. The talk introduced the experiential […]

Recap: Baraza with Awewura Kwara

On Friday September 9th, Awewura Kwara gave a Baraza presentation entitled, “Building Academic Partnership for HIV/AIDS Care and Research in Ghana.” Dr. Kwara is an Associate Professor of Medicine within the Division of Infectious Diseases and Global Medicine in the College of Medicine at UF. Dr. Kwara recently joined the UF community this year from his previous […]

Recap: SASA with Renata Serra, Charlotte Talham, and Emily Rowland

On Wednesday September 7th, Renata Serra, Charlotte Talham, and Emily Rowland gave a SASA lunch presentation entitled, “The Political Economy of Food Production in Senegal: Findings from the 2016 Africa Multidisciplinary Food Program.” Dr. Serra is a faculty member in economics and development in the Center for African Studies at UF, Charlotte Talham is a second year […]