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ASA NEWS African Studies Association Volume XLII No.1 January 2009

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ASA NEWS African Studies Association Volume XLII No.1 January 2009 V V V V ASA NEWS African Studies Association Volume XLII no.1 January 2009 ASA News, Vol. XLII, No. 1, African In This Issue January 2009 V ISSN 1942-4949 VVV Studies Editor: Association From the Executive Director..................2 Carol L. Martin, PhD From the President..............................3 Associate Editor, Designer and Typesetter: New Members.....................................4 Kristina L. Carle Member News.....................................4 Membership Rates...............................4 Published online three times a year by the In Memoriam......................................5 African Studies Association. Submissions and advertisements for the ASA News should be sent Join the ASA.......................................7 to [email protected] as a PDF fi le. Contributors to the Endowment.............8 Deadlines for submissions and advertisements are 50 Year Anniversaries Campaign............8 December 1, March 1, and June 1. 2008 Awards and Prizes.....................12 Coordinate Organization Corner...........14 OFFICERS 2008 ASA Election Results...................17 President: Paul Tiyambe Zeleza (U of Illinois-Chicago) Vice President: Charles Ambler (U of Texas at El Paso) Annual Meeting Key Information..........18 Past President: Aliko Songolo (U of Wisconsin-Madison) Call for Proposals...............................22 Executive Director: Carol L. Martin (Rutgers U) Treasurer: Scott Taylor (Georgetown U) Annual Meeting Theme.......................26 Style Guide.......................................30 DIRECTORS Call for Applications............................31 Serving Until 2009 Jane Guyer (Johns Hopkins U) Call for Nominations...........................32 Babatunde Lawal (Virginia Commonwealth U) Call for Submissions...........................33 Elizabeth Schmidt (Loyola College) Grants and Fellowships.......................34 Serving Until 2010 Recent Doctoral Dissertations..............36 Kelly M. Askew (U of Michigan) Advertisements................................57 Gretchen Bauer (U of Delaware) Ad Rates...........................................59 Joyce Lewinger Moock (International Development Consultant) ASA Press Order Form........................60 Serving Until 2011 Membership Form..............................62 Emmanuel Akyeampong (Harvard University) Mary Johnson Osirim (Bryn Mawr College) Deadlines........................................64 M. Anne Pitcher (Colgate University) © 2008 African Studies Association. All Rights Reserved. organized by the Association’s coordinate Letter From The organizations. The launch is scheduled for Executive Director early January. Watch www.africanstudies. org for the exciting details. The triumphs of 2008 would not have been The year past has been marked by possible without the deep partnership milestones, achieved within the context of a between the ASA community and the national US election year with path breaking Board’s elected and appointed leadership nominees, and an economic downturn and the tireless efforts of the ASA that deepened to profound international Secretariat staff to implement Board proportions. Chicago, still vibrant with hope policy and to manage the Association’s because resident Barack Obama will become many relationships and activities. America’s next president, was a welcoming Signifi cantly, the Association’s fi nancial venue for the ASA’s second 50th celebration: health continues to be carefully monitored the 50th anniversary of the fi rst Annual and the Board voted a 2009 budget Meeting. It was a pleasure to work with the that was balanced without investment Program Chair Patrick Manning and Local income - a remarkable feat in this volatile Arrangements Co-Chairs Fassil Demissie and economy that was accomplished by Lynette Jackson and their Committees. Their making diffi cult decisions to stay within enthusiastic dedication for advancing and the ASA’s means, i.e., by controlling AV enhancing the program theme, “Knowledge expenses at the Annual Meeting. Coupled of Africa: The Next Fifty Years,” culminated with this good news is that the ASA in wonderful success. Their exceptional remains certifi ed for participation in the efforts, along with the contributions of ASA Combined Federal Campaign through the members who volunteer their service on Aid for Africa Federation, and the 50 Year award and prize committees, as journal Anniversaries Fundraising Campaign, set editors, and on the nominating and election to end on December 31, has received committees, is key to the Association’s nearly $100,000 in contributions. Even ability to recognize excellence in the fi eld, better news, however, would be that to disseminate knowledge through outreach the Association could restore programs and publications, and, through the Annual that have been reduced due to fi nancial Meeting, to provide a face-to-face venue for realities, such as the International bringing together people with a scholarly Visitor Award, and fund new activities, and professional interest in Africa. for example, through the Memorandum of Understanding that has just been The inaugural Annual Report, which is signed with the Association of African posted on the ASA website, summarizes Universities. Once the 50 Years Campaign some of the highlights of calendar year has ended, the general endowment will 2007. The report hints at opportunities for be an increasingly important vehicle for greater engagement with Africa. The ASA ensuring that the Association will have is in an increasingly advantageous position the resources that it needs to enhance to leverage its greatest resource – its information exchange about Africa and members – to transform these opportunities to provide key support services to the into reality. As reported during the Business Africanist community. Meeting, the ASA achieved a surplus in 2007. This surplus has enabled the The future depends on the resolve of Association to invest in developing a more each one of us to make the ASA a priority robust website that will facilitate greater for giving. We are counting on your transparency, allowing Board decisions to continued support. Let’s face 2009 with be disseminated more readily. The new a strengthened commitment to the ASA’s website will also foster greater participation, mission of promoting African Studies! for example, through online communities 2 ASA NEWS ~ January 2009 Letter From The ASA President Friends and Members of the ASA: counterparts on the continent. We expect to sign similar agreements with other I am writing to brief you on recent scholarly organizations based on the developments within our beloved continent. association. Our 50th Annual Meeting held in Chicago last November was, by As most of you know, over the past few all accounts, a great success. Besides years the Association has been trying the excellent facilities and layout of the to improve its fi nancial position through hotel that facilitated conversation and careful budgeting and fundraising. This conviviality, Chicago was abuzz with the has borne some fruit. The ASA’s budget excitement of the election of Senator has been balanced for the past two Barack Obama, who lives on Chicago’s years and is balanced for the coming South Side, as the next President of year. Also, through prudent investment the United States. For members of our and management, the Association has Association there was special cause for incurred much lower losses than other celebration given President-elect Obama’s academic associations in the current strong personal African connections. fi nancial crisis. The fundraising drive is making some progress, but membership Altogether, approximately 1700 registrants donations could be higher. The more attended 208 panels and roundtables and money we can raise internally, the easier a poster session during the conference, it will be to convince external donors to including board sponsored roundtables contribute and build the Association’s and the Current Issues plenary. The endowment. So I appeal to all of you to Program Committee received 862 proposals continue making donations. and approved 95%, a much higher acceptance rate than last year. Among I am delighted to report that the ASA will the highlights of the Annual Meeting was be launching a new and more effi cient the keynote address by the President of platform for its website in the New Year, the Chicago-based John D. and Catherine which will provide faster and easier T. MacArthur Foundation, Dr. Jonathan communication between members and Fanton, who expressed the Foundation’s the secretariat and the board, as well as commitment to Africa and African studies. facilitate networking among members, The invitation to Dr. Fanton is part of the and enable the Association to provide new Association’s efforts to build relations with services that will allow us to become a the philanthropic community and other more robust community of scholars and constituencies working on Africa. advocates for Africa. I am also happy to report that during I thank you for your continued active the Annual Meeting a memorandum of membership and support and look understanding was signed between the ASA forward to a successful year for the ASA. and the Association of African Universities. This will enable the two associations to Paul Tiyambe Zeleza work on joint programs of mutual interest President and strengthen our engagements with our 3 ASA NEWS ~ January 2009 New ASA Members June 2 - December 12, 2008 Edmund Abaka Paula Girshick Michael Laramee Wilma Randle David
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