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 Visiting
Instructor in History and African and African American
Studies,2007-08
Interview by Lisa Ding ’08
What classes are you teaching at Dartmouth?
I'm teaching the two-course Africa survey (HIST 5.1 in fall and 66 in
winter), a first-year seminar in AAAS on Pan-Africanism in winter, and the
History of South Africa (HIST 67) in the spring.
Where are you from, originally?
Originally I'm from the edge of Detroit, Michigan—a suburb called
Southfield, but we were within a stone's throw of the famous Eight Mile
Road.
Where did you attend college and graduate school?
I was an undergrad at Eastern Michigan University and have attended Michigan
State (M.A.) and Rutgers Universities (Ph.D. forthcoming) for graduate
school.
What did you major in?
As an undergraduate, I was a history/biochem dual major until I realized
that, by taking the chemistry as a minor, I could get out on time. So I
took it as a minor.
What made you interested in teaching?
My family is full of educators; I'm part of the fifth known
generation. My sister teaches 8th grade back in Michigan. So
teaching is part of the family business. But I chose to teach college
because I like dealing with adults.
How did you discover your interest in African Studies?
The interest in African Studies came about because of my parents' residence
in southern Africa before I was born and a few gifted teachers in college and
graduate school. I didn't make the full switch to African history until
graduate school!
What are your specific areas of research?
My work concerns the creation of boundaries and spaces out of rural land on
the South African “frontier.” I look at surveying, cartography, and
dispossession, which are very relevant for setting the terms of today's debate
over land restitution.
What have you liked about working at Dartmouth?
Being at Dartmouth means being connected to colleagues who are engaged in
first-rate research and who share my free-associating interest in absorbing
knowledge. The Department is everything I've been told to hope a
department can be: supportive, friendly, and responsive. I'm also
delighted at the facilities and the proximity of everything I need. I've
also liked that we have Alistair (in fact that's the first thing I told my
sister about after I visited campus the first time).
What’s your favorite thing about teaching a class?
My favorite part of teaching a class is when we veer off the “plan” during a
lecture or discussion segment because students have comments and questions
about something else that's related. It's times like that when I get to
learn, too, and when we all get to interact not as professor and students, but
as discussants. Students here learn to think independently, and that's
led to some great exchanges in my class.
What do you think of Alistair? :)
I adore Alistair. He's an essential part of my weekdays, and sometimes
I come down to the third floor just to visit. In return for daily
scratching he gives me warm, fuzzy, tail-wagging greetings, so we all win!
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