Faculty Directory

Eric Kesse

Assistant Professor, History

EKesse@clarku.edu

I am a historian of Africa who specializes in African environmental history, specifically focusing on water systems and bodies of water. My research examines how Africans interacted with waterbodies throughout history and how this relationship shaped the continent's past. My ongoing project, "Living with Water," investigates the intricate livelihoods of the people of Nzulezo, who lived in stilt houses in the middle of the Amanzule River in southwestern Ghana from the mid-18th century to the early 2000s. I have received support for my research through various competitive grants and fellowships, including the Woodrow Wilson Fellowship, Fulbright-Hays Fellowship, and Otumfuo Educational Fellowship (an educational fund of the King of the Asante Kingdom).
Degrees
- Ph.D. in African History, Michigan State University, 2023
- M.A. in African Studies, Ohio University, 2016
- B.A. in African Studies, University of Cape Coast, 2012
Affiliated Department(s)
- History Department