News

Marissa Moorman, professor of African Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, traveled to Luanda, Angola, in June to launch the Portuguese edition of her latest book, Powerful Frequencies (Frequências Poderosas). During her visit, Moorman …

Jacqueline-Bethel Tchouta Mougoué, Associate Professor of African Cultural Studies, recently published a new article in the Journal of Women’s History examining the life and legacy of Cameroonian journalist, filmmaker, and pilot Thérèse Sita-Bella. Titled “‘Wonders …

Harry Kiiru, a 2026 African Cultural Studies Ph.D. graduate, has been appointed as a Lecturer in African American Studies within the Race and Ethnic Studies Program at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater. Kiiru initially joined UW–Whitewater …

Andrew Bartsch, Academic Advising Manager for Classical and Ancient Near Eastern Studies (CANES) and African Cultural Studies (ACS), has been named a recipient of the 2026 Region 5 Advising Excellence Award by NACADA: The Global …

Nneoma Onwuegbuchi successfully passed her dissertation defense in early June, earning the title Dr. Onwuegbuchi. Her committee included Professors Ainehi Edoro, Matthew Brown, Finn Enke (Gender & Women’s Studies/History at UW–Madison), James Yékú (Kansas State …

Dear alumni and friends of the African Cultural Studies Department, As I was beginning to compose this newsletter, I received the devastating news that Conceição Lima (1961-2026) had died. Lima, who has been called one …

The Department of African Cultural Studies is pleased to announce that Abubakar Muhammad and Samira Wu have been awarded the Ebrahim Hussein Fellowship, which supports graduate student research in African literature. Through interdisciplinary approaches that …

The Department of African Cultural Studies is pleased to announce that Ernesta Cole and Tobi Idowu have been awarded the Aliko Songolo Summer Research Award, which supports outstanding graduate research in African and diasporic cultural, …

After decades of dedicated teaching, mentorship, and service to the Department of African Cultural Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Arabic Instructor Mustafa Mustafa is retiring, leaving behind a lasting impact on generations of students …

Jacqueline-Bethel Tchouta Mougoué continues to build an impressive body of scholarship in African history, marked by new publications, translations, and a major forthcoming book. Her second book, tentatively titled Pan-African Pioneers and Religious Activism in …