| UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER |
THE TUESDAY BULLETIN
Issue No. 2, Summer 2000
July 18, 2000
Weekly News from the AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY 100 INTERNATIONAL CENTER EAST LANSING MI 48824-1035
For back issues, see archive <http://www.isp.msu.edu/AfricanStudies>
MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
CONFERENCES
FELLOWSHIPS
JOBS
MSU ANNOUNCEMENTS
Swahili Intensive Summer Language Program
The Center welcomes 14 participants to the MSU Swahili Intensive Summer Program which began on June 19, 2000. Attending the program are David Baker
(Sociology/Anthropology, Univ. of Nebraska); Tramayne Butler (Ethnology, University of Michigan); Sabrina Cohen (Comparative Cultural Studies, Univ. of Vermont); Candis Driver (English, Indiana Univ.- Bloomington); David Finnegan (Comparative Politics, Univ. of Michigan); Carolyn Foster (Psychology, Michigan State University); Valerie Foster (Anthropology, St. Lawrence Univ); Robert Kent (English, Kalamazoo College); Angeline Gin Lee (Nature and Conservation, Texas Univ); Kelly Lewis (Psychology/Urban Studies,Michigan State Univ.); Katherine Luongo (History, Univ. of Iowa); Zachariah Cherian Mampilly (International Relations, Tufts Univ.); Joy Patton ( Univ. Of Illinois); Dan Vos (Going to Washington & Lee Univ.).
Among the attendants, the following are Foreign Language and Area Studies (FLAS) fellows funded by the U.S. Department of Education Title VI program: David Baker, Sabrina Cohen, David Finnegan, Valerie Foster, Robert Kent, Katherine Luongo, ZachariahMampilly, and Joy Patton.
Candis Driver and Kelly Lewis are recipients of the MSU- Ford Foundation Minority fellowship (see below).
MSU-Ford Foundation Fellowships
With the support of the Ford Foundation, MSU announces the creation of competitive fellowships for beginning graduate students in African studies interested for completing an M.A. and Ph.D. in an MSU academic department.
The Fellowship offers support for a 12-month African studies immersion program beginning with a summer study of an African country or region, consisting of -
five-weeks of intensive African language and country studies at MSU in the summer.
one semester at MSU in the Fall for a full load in African language and area studies, enrolled in a graduate department of one's choice and mentored by a Visiting Scholar from a university in Africa.
seven-months of immersion in language and area studies at an African university January-August.
A program for the study of Southern Africa will be announced for graduate study beginning in summer 2001.
The MSU African Studies Center extends congratulations to the recipients of the 2000-2001 awards for the study of Swahili and East Africa. They are:
Candis Driver received her MA in Applied Linguistics from Indiana University-Bloomington, and holds two BA degrees in Spanish and Chemistry. She was an English Teaching Fellow with the U.S. Information Agency at the University of Namibia.
Upon completion of her graduate training she plans to either teach in a research university, work with an educational exchange program between the U.S. and Africa, or work for an international development firm. Regardless of where she works, she still plans to continue her research in Africa.
Kelly Lewis received her BA in Psychology from DePaul University. She is currently a doctoral student in Clinical Psychology here at MSU and is expected to receive her MA in Urban Studies by 2001.
As an undergraduate student, she had the opportunity to study at the University of Zimbabwe for four months which attributed to the formation of her research interests in emancipatory education and social change action in the United States and Africa. She hopes to find social change strategies that would facilitate the psychological liberation of global African communities.
MSU Faculty News
Professor Grover Hudson of the Department of Linguistics and Germanic Slavic, Asian & African Languages has received a Fulbright-Hayes grant from the International Education and Graduate Programs Services division of the Dept. of Education, which will take him to Ethiopia for the fall term. The project is to study changes in current Amharic. He'll mainly be in Addis Ababa, presumably associated with the Institute of Ethiopian Studies, and is expected to be away from mid-September to mid-December 2000.
Professor Okechukwu Iheduru, Associate Professor in the MSU James Madison College, has been awarded a Fulbright- Hays Faculty Research Abroad Fellowship for one year, July 2000 to June 2001. He will conduct his research in South Africa on "Economic Empowerment in South Africa: The Role of the Nonprofit Sector, the State and Corporations." This empirical study will compare the relative effectiveness of the development interventions targeting the poor that have been developed in these three sectors. Prof. Iheduru may affiliate with the Department of Political Studies, the International Studies Unit, and the Institute for Social and Economic Research at Rhodes University, in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa.
Haddish Melakeberhan has been elected to the Executive Board of the Society of Nematology. Two former MSU Nematology graduate students, Ann MacGuidwin and Ed Caswell are also on the Executive Board. This is the primary managing board for the society. It is very unusual for an assistant professor to be elected to this position.
MSU Student News
Dawne Curry has received a Summer Acceleration Fellowship to conduct research at Yale University and Hampton University. She has also received Special College Research Abroad Moneys for research in South Africa. This summer she is also a participant in the Summer Institute on Methodological Alternatives for Incorporating Africa's Oral Heritage and Indigenous Knowledge into a changing world at Indiana University in Bloomington.
Elizabeth Ransom, Ph.D. Candidate in Sociology has been awarded a Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grant by the National Science Foundation Program Division of Societal Dimensions of Engineering, Science and Technology: Ethics and Values Studies, Research on Science and Technology. Her research in South Africa is entitled, "Setting the Standard-Competing Values in the South African Red Meat Commodity Chain," to be conducted in South Africa beginning in the Fall, 2000.
MSU Visiting Scholars
Professor Brenda F. McGadney-Douglass faculty at Wayne State University - School of Social Work is a Visiting Scholar in the African Studies Center. She is conducting library research on kwashiorkor in Ghana.
Professor Fathi Naski from the Faculty of Letters and Humanities, University of the Center, Sousse, Tunisia is a Visiting Scholar in the African Studies Center and will also be interacting with Profs. Folke Lindahl from James Madison College and Salih Hassen of the Department of English. He is conducting library research.
Professor Keith Snedegar, Department of History, Utah Valley State College is a Visiting Scholar in the African Studies Center and will also be interacting with African Studies Core Faculty members in the Department of History and History of Arts.
African Rural and Urban Studies (ARUS) Journal
An invitation is extended to advanced graduate students to submit articles for consideration for a special non-thematic issue of African Rural and Urban Studies (ARUS).
ARUS is a multidisciplinary, refereed journal published three times each year by the MSU African Studies Center and the MSU Press. The journal combines the themes previously covered in our Rural Africana and African Urban Studies journals. It focuses on contemporary rural and urban Africa, including rural society and economy, agriculture, urban society, urbanization, migration, and urban and regional planning.
Submissions for this special issue should be sent, by 15 July 2000, to:Dr. David Wiley, Editor, African Rural and Urban Studies, Michigan State University, African Studies Center; 100 Center for International Programs, East Lansing, MI 48824-1035, or Tim Carmichael, Assistant Editor, African Rural and Urban Studies; tel: (517) 353-1700; fax: (517) 432-1209.
OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS
Refugeeism in West Africa
A research report based on on-going investigations into Refugeeism in West Africa has been published. The report entitled "Reluctant Refugees: Liberians in Ghana" appears in The Journal of the International Institute; The University of Michigan, Spring/Summer 2000, Vol 7, No. 3; 2-3; 16. Copies of this issue are available from the International Institute, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109- 1106. Further inquiries may be directed to Professor Maxwell Owusu, University of Michigan, Dept. of Anthropology, 1020 LSA Building, 500 South State St, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-1382; tel: (734) 764-7274; fax: (734) 763-6077.
Hausa Language Reference Guide
The Hausa Language: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide This book is a comprehensive grammar of Hausa, one of the most important and largest languages of Africa. Paul Newman, a world authority on the Hausa language, draws on two centuries of Hausa linguistic scholarship to provide the most authoritative and detailed grammar of the language. He is a professor in the department of linguistics at Indiana University.
Unlike other grammars, this book is organized alphabetically. The grammar covers such topics as tonology, noun plurals, and verbal tense/aspect as well as often neglected topics, including verbal idioms, proper names and language games. For information on receiving a copy write: Special Projects Department, Yale University Press, PO Box 209040, New Haven, CT 06520-9040; fax: (203) 432-5455; Email: specproj.press@yale.edu.
Women's International Net (WIN)
Women's International Net (WIN) Magazine, is an Internet publication by and about women worldwide. You can view WIN at http://www.winmagazine.org. To receive WIN free each month on email write "subscribe" to editor@winmagazine.org. WIN is also interested in articles about women and women's issues throughout Africa. Payment is given for pieces published. Ifinterested write to: editor@winmagazine.org.
CONFERENCES
Call for Papers
"Pathways to Africa's Past" is the title of a two-day conference to be held in Austin, Texas beginning March 30 to April 1, 2001. The title is centered on the theme of using diverse methods and sources to recreate and narrate African history and society from different perspectives. The participants will be drawn mostly from the southwestern U.S., but all interested scholars are welcome. Graduate students are also invited, both to present papers and participate in the workshop. The conference is designed to provide a space for Africanist to teach each other about their diverse interests, and to find common ground on which to pose questions for future research and writing. As a featured event, a distinguished professor will lead a "master workshop" open to all conference participants.
Paper presentations should address issues of methods and sources from each scholar's area of expertise. The deadline for submitting papers is September 1, 2000. Proposals should include author's name and institutional affiliation, along with the paper title and a 250-word abstract. Send all submissions and inquiries via email to:
toyin.falola@mail.utexas.edu or xianjen@mail.utexas.edu.
MAAAS 2000 - Call for Proposals
The Mid-America Alliance for African Studies (MAAAS) will meet September 29-30, 2000 at Kansas State University in Manhattan, KS. The MAAAS promotes African studies in mid-America and is open to all with an interest in scholarship and teaching about Africa. The conference theme is: "Africa and its Environment."The theme can be discussed from a variety of perspectives in the humanities, social sciences, and sciences. The deadline for proposals is July 1st and registration is due by September 7th. All entries or inquiries about proposals may be directed to: Claire L. Dehon, Department of Modern Languages, Eisenhower Hall, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS 66506; Email: dehoncl@ksu.edu; tel: (785) 532-1929; fax: (785) 532-7004. Or visit the MAAAS conference web site at: http://www.ukans.edu/asrc/MAAAS2000.htm
FELLOWSHIPS
WARA Announces the 2001 Fellowship Competitions
1. 2001 WARA/WARC Collaborative Scholars-in- Residence Fellowship Program
The West African Research Center in Dakar, Senegal, is offering fellowships, each of which will support a pair of researchers (one researcher based in a West African institution and one based in a North American institution). The two pairs of researchers will spend 2-3 months at the Center as scholars-in-residence in order to collaborate on their joint project. Priority will be given to scholars who have already initiated collaborative projects and who require work time together in order to finish a manuscript such as a book, book chapter, or journal article.
Joint proposals, of no more than ten (10) pages in length, written by each pair of applicants, should be submitted to the WARA office in Madison, Wisconsin or the WARC/CROA office in Dakar, Senegal by December 15, 2000. Proposals should, in concrete terms, describe the history of the collaboration between the two scholars on the project at hand, summarize the significance of the research, the planned methodology, and the resulting publications. Curriculum vita and three (3) letters of recommendation for each applicant should be submitted to:WARC/CROA, B.P. 5456 (Fann- Residence), Rue E x L=E9on G. Damas Dakar, Senegal; Telephone: 9-011-221-8-24-20-62; Fax: 9-011-221-8-24-20- 58; email: atoure@mail.ucad.sn; or WARA, 1414 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706; Telephone: 608-262-2487; Fax: 608- 265-4151; email: emakward@facstaff.wisc.edu; website: http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/afrst/wara.html; For further details, write to either address indicated.
2. West African Research Association Fellowship Two (2) research fellowships are being offered for Summer of 2001 in West Africa with funding from the U.S. Department of Education.
These fellowships are open to both pre-doctoral and post- doctoral candidates who wish to conduct research for a 10-12 week period in order: 1) to prepare a doctoral research proposal; 2) complete or elaborate upon earlier research; 3) enhance their understanding of a particular topic in order to improve teaching effectiveness or broaden course offerings. The competition is open to U.S. citizens who teach or are enrolled in graduate programs at institutions of higher education in the United States.
Candidates must submit an essay of no more than eight (8) pages describing the concept, methodology and significance of their research project to their academic field or teaching profession. Supporting materials must include three (3) letters of recommendation by professors (for pre-doctoral candidates) or established scholars in their field (for post- doctoral candidates); a curriculum vitae; and college transcripts (for pre-doctoral candidates).
Please direct inquiries and submit all relevant materials (one original and three copies) to: WARA, 1414 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706; Telephone: 608-262-2487; Fax: 608- 265-4151; email: emakward@facstaff.wisc.edu; website: http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/afrst/wara.html. The application deadline is December 15, 2000.
3. West African Research Association Minority Student Internship Competition
Three (3) Summer 2001 Minority Student Internships are being offered in West Africa in an effort to increase the active participation of minorities in international affairs (African-Americans, Eskimo or Aleut, Native American Indians, Mexican Americans, Native Pacific Islanders, Puerto Ricans).
Funded by a grant from the U.S. Department of Education, the competition is open to U.S. citizens who are enrolled in the M.A. program of an accredited college or university in the United States. Students from HBCU's and those without previous foreign travel experience are strongly encouraged to apply.
Applicants should submit a 4-6-page statement describing 1) the kind of internship they would like to carry out, including the field of activity (e.g., education, rural development, health, etc.); 2) the country they wish to work in; 3) the contribution such an experience would make to their academic and later professional career; 4) the academic, linguistic and/or other background they possess that prepares and qualifies them for this work; and 5) any previous international experience. In addition to this personal statement, each applicant must submit three (3) letters of recommendation from professors, a resume, and college transcript(s) with his/her application. Upon completion of their internship, interns are required to submit a detailed report of their work experience. This report will be subsequently published in the WARA/WARC newsletters. Direct inquiries and submit all relevant materials (one original and three copies) to:WARA, 1414 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive, University of Wisconsin-Madison Madison, WI 53706, Telephone: 608-262-2487, Fax: 608- 265-4151; email: emakward@facstaff.wisc.edu website: http://polyglot.lss.wisc.edu/afrst/wara.html. The application deadline is December 15, 2000.
4. WARC Travel Grant
The West African Research Center is now offering travel bursaries of up to $2000 to West African scholars and graduate students. These funds may be used to:1) Attend and read papers at academic conferences relevant to the applicant's field of research; 2) Visit libraries or archives that contain resources necessary to the applicant's current academic work. For further details on application requirements contact:WARC/CROA; B.P. 5456 (Fann- Residence), Rue E x L=E9on G. Damas, Dakar, Senegal; Telephone: 9-011-221-8-24-20-62; Fax: 9-011-221-8-24-20- 58; email: assist@mail.ucad.sn or Edris Makward, 1414 Van Hise Hall, 1220 Linden Drive, Madison, Wisconsin; Telephone: (608) 262-2487; Fax: (608) 265-4151. Travel funds will become available October 1, 2000. Applications should reach the West African Research Center at least 3 months before the travel date.
International Dissertation Field Research Fellowship (IDRF) Program 2001 Competition
IDRF provides support for social scientist and humanists to conduct dissertation field research in all areas and regions of the world. Funds are provided by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation. The fellowship will enable doctoral candidates of proven achievement and outstanding potential to use their knowledge of distinctive areas, cultures, languages, economies, polities, and historical experiences, in combination with their disciplinary training, to address issues that transcend their disciplines or area specializations.
The program is open to full-time graduate students in the social sciences and humanities (regardless of citizenship), enrolled in doctoral programs in the United States. Applicants must have completed all PhD requirements except the fieldwork component by the time the fellowship begins or by December 2001. The application deadline is November 13, 2000. For inquiries and application request write to: International Dissertation Field Research Fellowship Program, SSRC, 810 Seventh Avenue, New York, NY 10019; Telephone: 212-377-2700; Fax: 212-377- 2727; Web: http://www.ssrc.org; Email: idrf@ssrc.org.
Institute for Advanced Study - Visiting Member Awards
The Institute for Advanced Study announces visiting member awards for 2001-2002 in the School of Social Science. A completed doctorate or equivalent is required by the application deadline, and memberships are awarded at the junior and senior levels. For information and application materials, write to the Administrative Officer, School of Social Science, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, NJ 08540; email: ssapps@ias.edu; or download, in PDF format at: http://www2.admin.ias.edu/ss/home/applications.html. Completed applications must be postmarked by November 15, 2000.
JOBS
African History - Sarah Lawrence College
Sarah Lawrence College, a small Liberal Arts College close to New York City, invites applications for a tenure track position in African History, beginning in August 2001.We seek an innovative teacher-scholar whose teaching will complement our current offerings in Anthropology, Art History, Literature andPolitical Science. The successful candidate will teach survey courses in African History, as well as more specialized courses in his or her own areas of interest. The topic and region of specialization are open, but we welcome comparative approaches that might include attention to migration and African diaspora, to histories of space and place, and to questions of gender. Teaching experience, and a PhD in hand by August 2001 are highly desirable.
Applicants should submit a letter addressing their approach to teaching and their scholarly interests; a curriculum vitae; three letters of recommendation; a writing sample; and two course descriptions (one for a survey course, and one for an advanced undergraduate seminar on a topic of their choice) by October 15th, 2000 to Ms. Barbara Hickey, Sarah Lawrence College, 1 Mead Way, Bronxville, NY 10708.
Some interviews will be conducted at the African Studies Association meetings in Nashville, November 16th-19th, 2000. An Equal Opportunity Employer, Sarah Lawrence College encourages applications from minorities and women. For more information about Sarah Lawrence College's distinctive approach to teaching, which stresses small seminars and individual tutorials, please go to http://www.slc.edu.
Scholarships Coordinator - Evanston, Il
Chicago (Evanston)-based, non-profit Rotary Foundation of Rotary International is accepting job applications for the position of Scholarships Coordinator for its Ambassadorial Scholarships Program. The Ambassadorial Scholarships Program is currently the world's largest, privately-funded international scholarships program Primary Job Responsibilities Include:
Working with U.S. students abroad (particularly in Africa), international students in the U.S., and non-U.S. exchanges.
Advising scholars and Rotarians on ambassadorial responsibilities, study country specific information (university admission, visa requirements, etc.), and pre- departure requirements.
Maintaining written, telephone, and electronic communication with scholars, Rotarians, and study institutions worldwide.
Responsibility for disbursement of approximately $2.5 million in scholarships, monitoring award budget in detail.
Qualified Candidates Will Possess:
Bachelor's Degree
Excellent written and verbal communication skills. In addition to fluency in English, candidates should have proficiency in a second language through formal language coursework and previous study abroad experience (preferably in Africa).
Familiarity with Microsoft Word 6.0, Excel 5.0, databases, or comparable software.
Knowledge of PeopleSoft 5.12 or 7.52 is a plus. Enthusiasm for working as part of a team of 10 coordinators, yet has the ability to also manage projects independently.
Supervisory and leadership potential.
Former Rotary Ambassadorial Scholars and
or/Rotaract members encouraged to apply.
Desired start date: 26 June 2000, or as soon as possible thereafter.
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Message-Id: <4.3.1.2.20000713164145.00a89630@pilot.msu.edu> Date: Thu, 13 Jul 2000 16:42:01 -0400
From: MSU African Studies Center <beckum@msu.edu> Subject: Summer Bulletin No. 2