Visiting
Scholars & Research Associates |
Visiting Scholars 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. 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 [http://www.ku.ac.ke/schools/departments.asp?Dcode=AKS]
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 [http://www.uonbi.ac.ke/faculties/arts/sociology_academic_staff.html]. 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 [http://abacus.bates.edu/acad/depts/environ/otherfaculty/PeterRogers/homepage.htm]
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 [http://www.uz.ac.zw/arts/African_Languages/staff.html].
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.
Cymone Fourshey’s [2005-Present] is an Assistant Professor of History at Susquehana University
[http://www.susqu.edu/history/faculty/fourshey/]. 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[http://www.iupress.indiana.edu/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=22583]. Dr.
Rose Kadende-Kaiser [2001-Present] is currently working at Geneva Global,
Inc.[http://www.genevaglobal.com/our_leadership]
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
[http://www.tlcafrica.com/lu/lu_president.htm]. 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 2002-003. Dr.
Pamela Blakely [1988-Present] is a Professor of Social Sciences at Reading Area
Community College [http://www.racc.edu/Academic/divisions_sshs.aspx].
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: africa@sas.upenn.edu *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. | 
