Visiting Scholars are in residence at the African Studies Center for a semester or academic year. They are expected to fully participate in Center events; engage in a scholarly research project; give at least one formal lecture as a part of the African Studies Center Lecture Series; and informally work with and advise undergraduate and graduate African Studies students.
Recent Scholars
Dr. Joyce T. Mathangwane [2009-2010] is Associate Professor of Language and Linguistics in the Department of English in the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Botswana, Gaborone, Botswana. She teaches courses on the Phonology and Morphology of the English language in addition to doing research on the Bantu languages. In the recent years, her research interests have expanded to include social aspects of HIV/AIDS. During her stay here at Penn, she developed a course titled 'Discourses on HIV/AIDS in Africa', which she is currently teaching this Spring semester to a class of 33 students. In the Fall, she presented a paper titled 'People's perceptions of HIV/AIDS as portrayed by their labels of the disease: the case of Botswana'. She is also scheduled to give public presentations on her research findings at the Byrn Mawr College and the University of West Virginia in March and April, respectively.
Dr. Clara Momanyi [ Fall 2006] is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of Kiswahili and Other African Languages, in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Kenyatta University, Nairobi, Kenya. She is the chairperson of Kiswahili Curriculum Development. In addition to teaching courses on Kiswahili literature and gender, her research expertise include Kiswahili teaching methodologies and sociolinguistics. While based at Penn, Dr. Momanyi worked on a research titled "Enhancing Collaboration in the Teaching of Kiswahili through Second Language Classroom Research." She also gave public presentations at the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Florida.
Dr. Paul N. Mbatia [Spring 2005] is the Chair of the Department of Sociology at the University of Nairobi. His areas of research expertise include research methods and the sociology of development. While based at Penn, Dr. Mbatia conducted research on the development industry in Africa, and he gave public presentations at Illinois Wesleyan University, Louisiana State University, Bryn Mawr College and Arcadia University.
Dr. Peter Rogers [Spring 2005] is an Assistant Professor in the Program on Environmental Studies at Bates College. In addition to teaching courses on the social and political dimensions of environmental issues, his areas of research expertise include the politics of wildlife conservation and protected area management in sub-Saharan Africa and the role of international governmental and non-governmental organizations in these processes. While based at Penn, Dr. Rogers worked on a comparative study of the Serengeti-Mara protected area complex in East Africa and the Great Limpopo protected area complex in Southern Africa. He also taught a seminar on "The Social Dimensions of African Wildlife Conservation."
Dr. Francis Matambirofa [2001-02] is currently a Lecturer and Chair of the Department of African Languages at the University of Zimbabwe. A trained linguist, his areas of research expertise include language standardization and policy, comparative Bantu linguistics, and lexicography. While based at Penn, he conducted research on the languages of Zimbabwe while teaching a Shona language tutorial and "Language and Culture of Zimbabwe."
Research Associates
Research Associates are not in residence at the African Studies Center, but they do occasionally participate in Center events, informally work with and advise undergraduate and graduate African Studies students, and engage in scholarly research projects.
Current Research Associates:
Dr. Harvey Glickman [2011- Present] is Professor Emeritus of Political Science at Haverford College in Pennsylvania, where he has served as Acting Provost, Chair of the Political Science Department, Director of African Studies and Co-ordinator of Peace and Conflict Studies for Haverford and Bryn Mawr Colleges. He has degrees from Princeton and Harvard; he has also studied at Oxford University and London School of Economics; and he has taught at Harvard, Princeton, Hebrew University-Jerusalem, Dar es Salaam University, University of Cape Town, University of Pennsylvania, University of California-Berkeley, and Lincoln University, Pennsylvania. He has written numerous articles, essays, reviews and parts of books on African politics; he has consulted on elements of foreign policy for the RAND Corporation, the American Friends Service Committee, U.S. Department of State, USAID, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Intelligence College.
Dr. Cymone Fourshey [2005-Present] is an Assistant Professor of History at Susquehana University. Her areas of research expertise include East African history before the 18th century, with a particular interest in the social and cultural history of East Africa, African gender systems, political and environmental history, and Indian Ocean cross-cultural intersections. She is currently working on a manuscript, entitled "Distant Narratives from Southwestern Tanzania: Ecology, Kinship, and Gender 500 BCE to 1900 CE."
Dr. Clare Ignatowski [2003-Present] is a Senior Technical Advisor at the United States Agency for International Development in Washington, DC., focusing on programs and policy related to youth and workforce development globally in USAID’s Office of Education. Dr. Ignatowski recently completed a book entitled Journey of Song: Public Life and Morality in Cameroon that was published by Indiana University Press’ African Expressive Cultures Series.
Dr. Rose Kadende–Kaiser [2001-Present] is currently working at Geneva Global, Inc. as a Team Leader for Southern Africa region. From 2001-2002 Dr. Kadende-Kaiser was also a Visiting Scholar at Penn’s Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict and an Instructor in the Women’s Studies Program. In addition to teaching courses on "Conflict Resolution in Deeply-Divided Societies" and "Women, War, and Peace", Dr. Kadende–Kaiser’s areas of research expertise include gender and conflict resolution in Africa.
Dr. Al-Hassan Conteh [2000-Present] is currently the President of the University of Liberia. From 2000-2004, Dr. Conteh was also a Visiting Scholar at Penn’s Solomon Asch Center for Study of Ethnopolitical Conflict. During this time, he conducted extensive research on conflict, with a particular focus on West Africa. Dr. Conteh taught an undergraduate seminar on "Understanding African Conflicts", and he served as President of the Liberian Studies Association from 2002-2003.
Dr. Pamela Blakely [1988-Present] is a Professor of Social Sciences at Reading Area Community College. In 1988-89, Dr. Blakely was a Research Associate with the University Museum’s Africa section while writing her dissertation on women’s performances in Hemba funerals (Shaba, Democratic Republic of the Congo). She has taught Swahili, "African Folklore Performance", "Women and Ritual in Africa", "African Art and Culture", and "Interpreting African Women's Lives".
Visiting Scholar/Research Associate Application Procedures
If you are interested in affiliating with the African Studies Center as a Research Associate or Visiting Scholar, please submit the following application materials no later than February 1st for consideration for the following Fall and/or Spring semester. Preference will be given to applicants who have already identified a faculty contact at Penn.
- detailed description of proposed research project (no longer than five pages)
- curriculum vitae
- contact information for three references (one from a Penn faculty member)
- at least two course proposals with sample syllabi and, if possible, course evaluations (if you are interested in teaching)
- sources of financial support (if applying for a Visiting Scholar position)*
Please send all application materials to:
Director
African Studies Center
University of Pennsylvania
647 Williams Hall
Philadelphia, PA 19104
Tel: 215-898-6971
Fax: 215-573-7379
Email
*Please note that Visiting Scholars will need to provide evidence of financial support and authorization to work in the United States before the African Studies Center can review applications since the Center does not have funds available for this purpose. There are occasional opportunities to teach Africa-content courses through Penn’s College of General Studies.
For inquiries please contact:
Dr.Ali B. Ali-Dinar,
Ph.D, aadinar@sas.upenn.edu
(215) 898-6610
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