Diversity and Inclusion Statement

I started teaching at the university level 12 years ago. From August 2007 to August 2010, I taught at American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. From January 2011 to June 2016, I taught at the University of Ghana in Legon. Finally, from August 2016 to August 2019, I taught at American University of Sulaimani, Iraq in Kurdistan. I have thus taught thousands of students from Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.

In Kyrgyzstan, I instructed and mentored students from all over Central Asia including not only the Kyrgyz Republic, but also Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Afghanistan. Regarding ethnicity, my students were even more diverse including not only Kyrgyz, Turkmen, Tajiks, Uzbeks, Pashtuns, Koreans, but also Chechens, Tatars, and Russians. In my classes, I sought to promote historical understanding between these different ethnic groups. In particular I attempted to foster constructive dialogue regarding Kyrgyz discrimination and chauvinism against ethnic minorities. I supervised three senior honors papers while there, all of them written by women including two from minority backgrounds (one was Azeri and the other Tatar from Kyrgyzstan). The other one was from Turkmenistan.

In Ghana, I taught students from all over the country as well as a few students from other parts of Africa, Europe, the U.S., and Australia. My Ghanaian students represented all of the major ethnic groups in the country including Asante, Ewe, Ga, Dagomba, and others. I participate in the department discussions on creating a zero tolerance environment regarding statements of ethnic prejudice. I helped supervise 15 B.A. Long Essays, six M.Phil., and six Ph.D. theses at the University of Ghana. Two of these six M.Phil. students including one woman went on to Ph.D. programs in the U.S. At the University of Ghana, I actively participated in efforts to increase the number of women graduate students in the department including the offering of targeted scholarships. We set aside two scholarships specifically for women. We also encouraged individual women undergraduates with an aptitude towards history to apply for these scholarships.

In Kurdistan, I taught mostly Kurdish students from Iraq. But, I did have a sizeable minority of Iraqi Arab students and a few Kurdish students from Iran and Syria. Like in Kyrgyzstan, I attempted to promote historical understanding between the two ethnic groups. In particular I sought to foster a dialogue among Kurds and Arabs regarding issues of historical conflict with an eye to promoting tolerance today.  I supervised two B.A. honors theses, one of which was by a woman while there.

In the last dozen years I have met a diverse array of students from a wide range of races, nationalities, and ethnicities. I have attempted to actively promote historical understanding among these groups. I have done this by dealing honestly in my lectures with historical subjects that still effect inter-ethnic relations in the places I have taught today. I have stressed the need for a full embrace of the truth of the past without rancor towards any ethnic group in the future.  I have also sought to promote the scholarship of women in societies where they have traditionally been underrepresented. I hope to be able to continue working toward these goals in the future at your university.