African Studies hosts a regular brown bag series at the University of Illinois campus every Wednesday from noon to 1 pm in the International Studies Building. It is open to the public and all are welcome to bring their lunch and attend these sessions.

It is an opportunity for students, faculty, staff, and community members to learn about the research and work that other Africanists are undertaking.

For scholars working on new material or preparing a publication, dissertation, or thesis, the venue provides an environment to present your material amongst colleagues and friends and get supportive feedback.

For attendees, the series is a means to learn about other people's research and work. It is also an opportunity to expand your African studies networks within the UIUC community and beyond.

Current Brown Bags (Fall 2009)
(All attachments will open in a new window )

AUGUST 26
"African American Identity: Pan-Africanist Perspectives"
Shawn uThandi
Educational Psychology/Center for African Studies

SEPTEMBER 9
"Sao Tome and the One Laptop Per Child Program"
Paul T. Adams
Director, Community Networking, GSLIS
IPS, Political Science and Urban and Regional Studies Students
Powerpoint materials from the presentation

SEPTEMBER 16
"Illinois and South African Engineering Students: Working Together to Solve Local Problems in South Africa"
Prof. Alan Hansen
Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering

SEPTEMBER 23
"Unnatural Borders: Kenya's Human-Wildlife Conflict"
Prof. Nancy Benson
Department of Journalism
Alison Wood
Intercollegiate Athletics

SEPTEMBER 30
"Making Meaning with Conceptual Mashups"
Keith and Mendi Obadike
Visiting Artists
Moderator-Tumelo Mosaka
Curator of Contemporary Art, Krannert Art Museum

OCTOBER 14
"Garveyism in the U.S. Midwest: Pan-African Agendas in the American Heartland, 1920-1965"
Prof. Erik S. McDuffie
Gender and Women's Studies/Department of African American Studies

OCTOBER 21
"EWB Community Water Supply Project in Nigeria"
Engineers Without Borders Students

OCTOBER 28
"Reflections of Black Girlhood"
Prof. Ruth Nicole Brown
Gender and Women's Studies/Educational Policy Studies
Claudine Taaffe
Educational Policy Studies

For information on past brown bags please go to: Archive of Past Events: Brown Bag Lectures and Events