My research explores the religious imagination and social initiatives of Muslims in western Africa. My most recent book, The Ahmadiyya in the Gold Coast: Muslim Cosmopolitans in the British Empire (Indiana University Press, 2017), concerns the Ahmadiyya Muslim community, a trans-national Islamic movement with origins in South Asia that gained a significant following in twentieth century Ghana. I also reflect on historical methods and am co-editor of History in Africa: A Journal of Debates, Methods and Source Analysis. My teaching concerns the full range of transformations associated with Africa during the last six hundred years. I also am interested in Middle Eastern history and hold an adjunct appointment in the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Cultures.
Honors and Awards
Gerda Henkel Foundation Research Scholarship, 2013-14
John W. Ryan Award for Distinguished Contributions to International Studies, IU, 2011
Fellow, National Humanities Center, 2009-10
Fulbright-Hays Faculty Research Abroad fellowship, 2005
Rockefeller Humanities fellowship, 2004
Trustee's Teaching Award, IU, 2001
Center for the Study of Global Change social media channels