This project builds on the successful efforts initiated in Fall 2023, where Dr. Kurze and his team began laying the groundwork for enhancing women’s participation in Guinea’s political sphere. Over the summer Dr. Kurze carried out a series of online seminars in preparation for the fall visit. The 2024 program will expand on these efforts, offering a series of comprehensive workshops designed to equip a cohort of 80-100 women with essential skills in negotiation, conflict resolution, resource management, and fundraising strategies.

Participants will also receive training in basic macroeconomic concepts, digital technology skills, and social media literacy. These skills are critical for newly elected representatives and public servants as they navigate the complexities of governance and public administration. The workshops will initially take place in the capital, Conakry, with subsequent sessions planned for various regions, including Maritime Guinea, Middle Guinea, Upper Guinea, and Forest Guinea.

A central element of the program is the “coach the coaches” initiative, where previously trained women leaders will mentor and train other members of their communities. This approach aims to ensure that the benefits of the program are widely disseminated across the country, promoting sustainable capacity building at different administrative levels.

The program addresses the persistent underrepresentation of women in political leadership in Guinea. Despite their proven leadership abilities, Guinean women face significant structural barriers, including discriminatory institutions and limited access to resources. By providing targeted training and resources, the program seeks to overcome these challenges and support women in their development as effective leaders.

La Guin茅enne en Politique (LGP), a non-profit organization uniting female party members from across the political spectrum, will play a pivotal role in this initiative. LGP’s involvement ensures that the program is deeply rooted in Guinea’s political structures and that it contributes meaningfully to the ongoing efforts to promote participatory democracy in the country.

The $25,000 grant will be instrumental in expanding and deepening the initial efforts, allowing the program to reach and inspire more women as they pursue their political careers. This initiative represents a significant step toward achieving greater gender parity in Guinea’s political landscape and empowering women to become influential agents of change.

For more information about this program and to support this initiative reach out to Dr. Kurze’s at kurzea@montclair.edu.

In the vein of their previous collaboration, the New York Times bestseller Mobituaries, is a collection of entertaining and unexpected profiles of these unretired titans鈥攕ome long gone (a cancer-stricken Henri Matisse, who began work on his celebrated cut-outs when he could no longer paint), some very much still living (Mel Brooks, yukking it up at close to one hundred). The amazing cast of characters also includes Mary Church Terrell, who at eighty-six helped lead sit-ins at segregated Washington, DC, lunch counters in the 1950s, and Carol Channing, who married the love of her life at eighty-two. Then there鈥檚 Peter Mark Roget, who began working on his thesaurus in his twenties and completed it at seventy-three (because sometimes finding the right word takes time.)

Roctogenarians, Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs debuted at .

Read More

Mobituaries: Great Lives Worth Reliving

The NSP digitally registers, maps and analyzes the monuments erected during Sicily’s Norman period (ca. 1061-1194), arguably the most auspicious years in its long history. In so doing, the project provides new interpretations of the complex society that produced them, understandings made possible by a collaboration between history and STEM and made broadly accessible by digital technologies. With this grant, the team, which includes Dr. Casey Allen, Lecturer in Environmental/Earth Science at The University of The West Indies, Barbados, and Cultural Stone Stability Index Specialist for the Stone Heritage Research Alliance, Dr. Craig MacDonald, Associate Professor and Director of Pratt Institute’s Center for Digital Experiences, Mr. Joseph Hayes, Senior Software Engineer in the private sector, and Dr. Deepak Bal, Associate Professor in MSU’s Department of Mathematics, will be able to produce a fully functioning web app optimized for user experience and the public engagement of multiple audiences that clearly guides visitors while offering additional classes of monuments beyond the monasteries it currently contains (including stability triage for a subset of each), an integrated kinship network of associated people, and interpretation of the site’s data. Flexible and adaptable, the NSP presents a new model for digital conservation of cultural heritage.

She will be delivering the keynote address for the in Bangkok, Thailand on May 10th, 2023. During her sabbatical year, she was also named as Contributing Editor of (circulation .5-1 million readers per week), where her recent essay on her travels and research has been published; two other essays were published earlier in Counterpunch, one on her travels through Karachi and the other about Shahzia Sikander’s public art in NYC which has been written about extensively in the New York Times, Hyperallergic etc.

Recent Articles by Fawzia Afzal-Khan:

In addition to his research for the academic audience, Dr. Williams is involved in many public research and information forums enabling him to contribute to public criminology and scholarship. He has worked alongside the NJ Institute for Social Justice, helping to mobilize the community and legislative support for the eventual passage of NJ’s Restorative and Transformative Justice for Youths and Communities Pilot Program bill. Dr. Williams is a frequent contributor as a faculty expert to local and national news media outlets.

Tell us about your current research.

My research focuses on racialized and gendered social control. Some of my current work unpacks the daily realities of those cycling home from prison to their communities. In this work, I examine the racial, gendered and environmental impacts of mass incarceration. Moreover, I am also studying the impact of racialized policing, trying to understand marginalized communities’ experiences and perceptions of policing.

Talk about the importance of your work from your perspective as a humanities scholar or social scientist – Why does it matter for society? What makes it valuable to our students?

鈥嬧�婽his research matters because it foregrounds lived experiences which is at the heart of the intersection that brings together the humanities and social sciences. Social sciences provides us the empirical framework through which to understand social phenomena, but the methodological implication from the humanities reminds us that the work we do have real-world impact. So my work is valuable to society and students because it pulls at one’s heartstrings, and forces them to imagine themselves as someone else. My work helps to build empathy which is a powerful and transformative emotion.

What makes your approach to teaching and research unique or innovative?

My work is innovative because I deploy methods that are nontraditional. Particularly in criminology, quantitative work dominates the field. However, my approach is the opposite. I prefer to use humanistic methodologies and frameworks in my work, such that the lived experiences of those whom I study are elevated and recognized as viable sources of knowledge. Also my teaching and research is deeply critical and mind bending, as I see it my purpose to challenge conventional ways of thinking and knowing.

Do you have a favorite course to teach?

I love teaching criminology. I like it because it is in the general education curriculum which also brings together students from various disciplines. It’s a complete joy teaching and learning with such a diverse array of students. In this course, students get to see just how infectious criminology is to our lives, and they leave with an understanding and appreciation for the discipline.

What’s your favorite thing about Montclair State?

I like the spirit of community and collaboration at MSU. I also like that diversity of opinion is valued on campus.

What are your hopes/goals for your students as they become the next generation of professional and engaged citizens of the world?

I hope my students will graduate with an extensive understanding of how to transform society’s institutions in ways that bring about equal and social justice for all.

Tell us about your current research.

I am working with Research on Interdisciplinary Global Studies (RIGS) on a joint initiative between departments in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the College of the Arts, including Political Science and Law, Justice Studies, Religion, and Theatre and Dance Programs. The objective of the collaboration is to explore ethical ramifications of artificial intelligence (AI) in an increasingly interconnected world in which technology and humanity have become deeply intertwined.

Talk about the importance of your work from your perspective as a humanities scholar or social scientist – Why does it matter for society? What makes it valuable to our students?

From my perspective, humanities and social sciences’ value comes from its ability to open students to new ideas and to provide them with the tools to critically analyze their environments from multiple perspectives and theories, while becoming aware of the inherent biases and assumptions present in our daily lives.

What makes your approach to teaching and research unique or innovative?

My teaching style builds upon my ten years of experience negotiating and facilitating treaties and resolutions at the United Nations on topics that ranged from peacekeeping and peace-building, to nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament, and the prevention of terrorism, with colleagues from 193 countries.

Through a blend of real and fictional case studies, personal anecdotes, role playing and simulations, discussions and debates, readings of primary UN sources and selected secondary texts, documentaries, films and podcasts, I have attempted to create a series of courses that promote critical thinking, problem-solving, integration of knowledge, an awareness of biases and assumptions in concepts, models, and theories of international relations, and above all, a curiosity and a desire to continue to learn about world affairs.

Do you have a favorite course to teach?

Teaching to students from a diversity of majors that span from math and computer science to filmmaking, religion, and child advocacy, as well as justice studies, jurisprudence, and political science, has been both a challenge and a blessing. For more than four years now, I have been working on designing the perfect course that can combine a series of transferable skills, a solid foundational knowledge in world politics and conflict resolution, and a keen awareness of the biases and assumptions that underlie our understanding of the Global South.

One of my POLS 104 students in the Fall of 2019, wrote: 鈥渢his class challenged everything that I thought I knew about Politics and what was going on around the world.鈥� This comment, above all others, captures the essence of my pedagogical approach: to always challenge students to develop an openness to new ideas and to critically analyze international and global challenges from multiple perspectives and theories, while becoming aware of the inherent biases and assumptions present in our daily lines of reasoning.

What’s your favorite thing about Montclair State?

The students. In my experience, the students at Montclair State are very respectful and professional. I am always amazed at how well they manage their studies, work and family loads. Many of them have shown tremendous enthusiasm for the United Nations and multiculturalism. Two of the most recent clubs to gain SGA approval at MSU -the “Model United Nations Club” and “Global”- are the result of many months of hard work by a highly motivated group of students from Political Science, Justice Studies, Russian Studies, Sociology, and more. My part has been to connect students who over time have come to me expressing a common interest in creating clubs around the United Nations and Multiculturalism, and to provide motivation and support. Now that the two clubs have come into existence, I will continue to work with them as their adviser.

What are your hopes/goals for your students as they become the next generation of professional and engaged citizens of the world?

My greatest aspiration is that our students leave 糖心vlog with a better understanding of the complexities of global politics and are prepared to play a leading role in forging a world that is more peaceful and just.

Tell us about your current research.

Right now I’m working on using immersive technologies to create interactive virtual reality experiences of religious rituals. Sponsored by a National Endowment of the Humanities grant, I hosted a workshop last year that brought together immersive media creators, digital humanists, and scholars from several disciplines to lay the groundwork for how to use 360-degree filming and 3D sound technology to capture live rituals. Incorporating interviews with scholars, religious professionals, and practitioners alongside informational overlays and 3D renderings of ritual implements, the project promises to bring users into spaces while providing reliable information about the procedure, symbolism, and meanings.

Recently I launched a partnership with the Martin Marty Center for the Public Understanding of Religion at the University of Chicago, and together we intend to create a set of resources over the next 2 years. In addition, I’m working with Montclair State faculty colleagues in the School of Communication and Media to outline pilot experiential learning classes where students would take the lead in the research, planning, and recording of these experiences, including developing skills in highly prized digital media skills.

Talk about the importance of your work from your perspective as a humanities scholar or social scientist – Why does it matter for society? What makes it valuable to our students?

Religion is an issue of perpetual interest, but too often students don’t know what we do in the study of religion. Allowing students to witness ‘first-hand’ the religious practices of others can help radically increase intercultural understanding and empathy. Recording rituals would require partnering with local religious communities and collaboratively determining how to represent their practices in a balance between insider knowledge and outsider analysis. Using VR in humanities classrooms has been shown to increase retention, advance learning outcomes, and engage students in deep and long-lasting ways. Virtually entering into the religious spaces that are unfamiliar–as well as getting perspectives on spaces that are familiar–can advance our appreciation of diversity and demystify practices students have never encountered. If all of this can be delivered in classes where students take the lead in production from start to finish, it can be an educational opportunity with an impact that extends far beyond the university.

What makes your approach to teaching and research unique or innovative?

First, by integrating new media into teaching about religion we can harness new technologies towards activating students’ interest and imagination. By integrating interactivity into these resources, students are given agency over learning experiences that transport them to the spaces wherein religious life takes place. Second, the ability to approximate presence at sacred spaces without leaving the campus can capitalize on the benefits from popular “site visit” activities with much greater flexibility and fewer resources. Lastly, guiding students through the creation stages of VR experiences will not only give them skills highly attractive for numerous careers, but also show them what is possible in this new world of immersive media.

Do you have a favorite course to teach?

I routinely teach a course a few times a semester and I absolutely love it. Exposing students to the logics of religion and the varieties of practice is extremely rewarding. We spend time looking at how understanding religion and religious behavior is a necessity in modern law, politics, and society at large. The course offers an opportunity not merely to introduce new information, but to change ways of thinking about a subject as ubiquitous as it is misunderstood.

What’s your favorite thing about Montclair State?

Without a doubt the people. The students are kind and thoughtful, the members of my department are phenomenal people and scholars, and CHSS and Montclair as a whole I鈥檝e found to be a really collaborative place.

What are your hopes/goals for your students as they become the next generation of professional and engaged citizens of the world?

Open-mindedness paired with an ability to critically reflect upon information is something our world desperately needs. I hope our students take the lead in promoting diversity and equality in whatever field they enter, and developing civic competencies that will enhance our national and global belonging.

Tell us about your current research.
I’m a biological anthropologist who studies the amazing connections between primates and people. Specifically, I work to disentangle the complex forces that affect the decision to hunt endangered lemurs (and other wildlife) and then translate our interdisciplinary findings into applied integrated public health and lemur conservation action in Madagascar.

Talk about the importance of your work from your perspective as a social scientist – Why does it matter for society? What makes it valuable to our students?
Effective wildlife conservation depends on understanding the choice people make. That means if you care about wildlife, you get to work with people too! Win-win! Madagascar is one of the most biodiverse places on earth, but it’s also one of the least food secure. I study the connections between lemurs (the world’s most threatened group of mammals) and food insecurity (the primary driver of hunting in Madagascar). Forests provide valuable foods and nutrients, yet many forests are protected and many hunted mammals are threatened with extinction. We work with local communities to understand this connection and use traditional knowledge to improve both child nutrition and lemur conservation.

What makes your approach to teaching and research unique or innovative?
Once you know something, what can you do about it? More than learning how to do science, I make sure we DO science in each of my classes. All of my courses are extremely hands-on and focus on solving real human problems. We engage with unsolved challenges, work with real community partners to solve problems, and get our hands dirty (sometimes literally) to make a difference.

Do you have a favorite course to teach?
Every course I teach is my favorite. I love teaching, whether that’s a introductory Gen Ed course like where we get to ‘play’ with bones every day or an upper level course like or where we spend every class at the Turtle Back Zoo doing first hand research. It’s all FUN.

What’s your favorite thing about Montclair State?
The community. Every single person here cares about making the lives of their students, colleagues, and communities better. It’s an incredible place to make a difference.

What are your hopes/goals for your students as they become the next generation of professional and engaged citizens of the world?
I believe that even if my students don鈥檛 follow a path to a career in biological anthropology, they will feel confident tackling tough problems in their future chosen passions with creativity, critical insight, and an understanding of, and respect for, multiple stakeholders in the real world. I want each and every student here to not only know what they excites them, but also know how they can use those interests to achieve their goals and do amazing things. Then I hope they can start doing those amazing things, right here, right now at Montclair State.

Read more about Cortni Borgerson’s research:

Eating Insects to Fight the Climate Crisis
Borgerson Featured on “People Fixing the World” Podcast
This Class is a Zoo!
Professor Receives Research and Exploration Grant
Bugs! They’re What’s For Dinner