Stephen Volz
Department of History, Kenyon College
volzs@kenyon.edu
(740) 427-5836
EDUCATION
Ph.D. History – Africa
dissertation: “’From the mouths of our countrymen’: the careers and communities
of Tswana evangelists in the nineteenth century”
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
2006
M.A. History – Africa
University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI
1999
M.A.T. Secondary Education – Social Studies
Washington University
St. Louis, MO
1989
B.A. History major, Philosophy and German minors
Valparaiso University
PUBLICATIONS
Valparaiso, IN 1985
“Written on our hearts: Tswana Christians and the ‘word of God’ in the
mid-nineteenth century” Journal of Religion in Africa [forthcoming 2008]
“Words of Batswana: Letters to the editor of Mahoko a Becwana, 1883-1896”
History in Africa 34 (2007) 349-366
Words of Batswana: Letters to Mahoko a Becwana, 1883-1896
editor and translator, with Part T. Mgadla
Cape Town: Van Riebeeck Society, 2006
“European missionaries and the development of Tswana identity”
Le Fait Missionnaire: Social Sciences and Missions 15 (2004) 97-128
“European missionaries and Tswana identity in the 19th century”
Pula: Botswana Journal of African Studies 17 (2003) 3-19
“British missionaries and the development of Tswana identity”
The Clarion 1, 4 (2002) 7-8
“Chief of a Heathen Town: Kgosi Sechele and the arrival of Christianity
among the Tswana” University of Wisconsin, African Studies 2001
“Africa Focus: Sights and Sounds of a Continent”
photographs on website, http://africafocus.library.wisc.edu 2000
EMPLOYMENT
Kenyon College
Assistant Professor, Department of History
Instructor, Department of History
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Teaching Assistant
Grader
Martin Luther High School
Teacher, Social Studies Department
Thamaga Junior Secondary School
Teacher (U.S. Peace Corps Volunteer)
PRESENTATIONS
Gambier, OH
2006-present
2004-2005
Madison, WI
2000-2001, 2003
2000-2001, 2003
Maspeth, NY
1991-1998
Botswana, Africa
1985-1987
Southern African Historical Society
Johannesburg
“The life and times of Paulo Molehane, the first Tswana missionary”
Jul 2007
African Studies Association
Washington, DC
“Written on our hearts: Tswana Christians and the ‘word of God’ in the
mid-nineteenth century”
Nov 2005
African Literature Association
Madison, WI
“Teaching African history with African stories” Teacher’s Workshop
Apr 2004
National Council for the Social Studies
Mar 2004
“Democracy in Botswana”
Middleton, WI
Great Lakes Regional Conference
African Studies Association
Boston, MA
Nov 2003
“Native brethren and their feudal ties: family and community in the careers of the
first Tswana evangelists”
University of Botswana
Gaborone, Botswana
“European missionaries and Tswana identity” Sociology Seminar
Oct 2002
Kgolagano College
Oct 2002
Gaborone, Botswana
“Early Batswana missionaries” seminar
University of Wisconsin – Madison
Madison, WI
“Bringing the African Village into the American Classroom”
“Isaac Schapera and the invention of Tswana tradition”
African Studies Outreach Program, various talks, area grade schools
Nov 2000
Jul 2000
1999-2001
Madison Area Technical College
Feb 2001
Madison, WI
“Social Change in Botswana” Global Horizons Series
Indiana University
Bloomington, IN
Apr 2000
“Kgosi Sechele and Tswana Christianity” Graduate Students Conference
Concordia College
Bronxville, NY
“Development in Africa” A.D.P. Program
Apr 1996,
Sep 1997
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN
“Images of Africa in the U.S. media” Christ College Symposium
Oct 1990
AWARDS
HONORS
Paul Hair Prize – honorable mention
for Words of Batswana
African Studies Association
2007
Kenyon College
2007
University of Wisconsin
2004
Botswana
2001-2002
Labalme Faculty Development Grant
for overseas research
Milton R. Gutsch History Fellowship
for dissertation writing
Fulbright-IIE grant
for dissertation research
Fulbright-Hays grant
for dissertation research
(declined, accepted Fulbright-IIE instead)
Ph.D. examinations
passed with distinction
University of Wisconsin
2001
University of Wisconsin
1999-2000
A.C. Jordan Prize
for best essay in African studies
FLAS Fellowships
for study of Swahili, Setswana
University of Wisconsin
1998-99, 1999-00, 2000
Scott Kloeck-Jenson Grant
pre-dissertation travel grant
University of Wisconsin
2000
Fulbright-Hays seminar
summer seminar for teachers; “India and Her Ethos”
India
1995
Christ College Scholar
honors program; interdisciplinary Humanities
COURSES TAUGHT
Valparaiso University
Kenyon College
Early African History
Modern Africa
History of Southern Africa
Race and Politics in South Africa
Health and Healing in Africa
African Christianity
History of the Indian Ocean
African Women in Fiction and Film
History of the U.S. in Africa
Senior Seminar: Open Topics
Individual Study: Modern Uganda
University of Wisconsin – Madison (as teaching assistant)
Africa: An Introductory Survey
History of Africa, 1500 to 1870
Martin Luther High School
Global Studies
U.S. History
U.S. Government
Philosophy
History of War and Peace
1981-1985
COLLEGIATE
CITIZENSHIP
Kenyon College
Student Fellowships and Scholarships Committee
International Studies Committee
Faculty Advisor for STAND (Darfur activism and support group)
History Dept. Curriculum Committee
History Dept. Admin. Assist. Search Committee
ACM Botswana Program, Advisory Committee
Crossroads Faculty Seminar
GLCA Global Partners East Africa Conference
South African guest lecturers and performance
History Dept. Latin America Search
GLCA Africana Studies Workshop
Kenyon Community Choir
2006-07
2006-07
2006-07
2005-07
Sep 2006
2006
May 2005, 2006
Apr 2006
Feb 2006
2005-06
Nov 2005
2004-06
Martin Luther High School
Faculty Chairperson
Social Studies Department Chairperson
Soccer Coach
PROFESSIONAL
MEMBERSHIPS
LANGUAGES
1996-98
1995-98
1991-98
African Studies Association
American Historical Association
Africa Network
Southern African Historical Society
Botswana Society
proficient in Setswana, German and Kiswahili; reading knowledge of French