"The Fate of empire depends upon the education of its youth." I teach solely to empower students with knowledge of the Environmental and Cultural History of Africa and how that knowledge applies or connects to their specific cultures, nations, and community situations.
Dr. Jeremiah Kitunda earned his Ph.D in History from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, an M.A. from Miami University (Ohio), and a B.A. in History and Sociology from the University of Nairobi (Kenya). He primarily teaches courses detailing the History of Africa with a specific focus on Environmental History and Cultural History. Dr. Kitunda is a self-described "public laugher" and enjoys participating in marathons when time allows.
Education
Ph.D. University of Wisconsin-Madison
Areas of Study
African History, Environmental History, African Environmental History
Selected Courses
HIS 3338 African Environmental History from Antiquity to 1500
HIS 3339 African Environmental History since 1500
HIS 2150 Animals, People, and History
HIS 3545 History of Modern Africa Since 1945
HIS 1501 Revolution and Social Change
Selected Publications
“Environmental History of Africa since prehistoric times.” In: A Companion to Global Environmental History, Second Edition edited by John R McNeill and Erin Stewart Mauldin. New York: Wiley-Blackwell, 2025. Chapter in edited Book.
Kamba Proverbs from Eastern Kenya: Sources, Origins, and History. London: James Currey & Nairobi: British Institute in Eastern Africa, 2021. BOOK.
A History of the Water Hyacinth in Africa: The Flower of Life and Death from 1800to the Present. Lanham: Lexington Books - Rowman & Littlefield Press, 2018. BOOK.
Jeremiah Kitunda and Miriam B. Mandel. “Knowing What Hemingway Knew: Hemingway’s Readings in Natural History, Hunting, Fishing, and Africa.” In: Hemingway and Africa edited by Miriam B. Mandel, Camden House Press, 2011. Chapter in edited Book.
“Love is a Dunghill and I’m the Cock that gets on it to Crow: Ernest Hemingway’s Farcical Adoration of Africa.” In: Hemingway and Africa edited by Miriam B. Mandel, Camden House Press, 2011. Chapter in edited Book.
Jeremiah Kitunda, Jerry Fox, Joel Gazier, and Emily Smith. “The Effect of Child Labor in Africa on the Cell Phone Industry.” In: International Journal of Information Systems and Change Management, Volume 6 Issue 2 (December 2012): 147-159. Research Article. This article was co-published with one my Graduate students Emily Smith who was inspired by a conference paper I presented on the impact of Cellphone industry and coltan mining in Africa.
Ongoing Research Projects
“The History of the Kamba Diaspora in East Africa, C. 500-2000 CE.” Book Project.
Funded by I. G. Greer Distinguished Professor and Department of History, Appalachian State University.
“History of Salvinia Molesta in Lake Naivasha, Kenya since 1900.” Book Project.
“Environmental History of Africa since prehistoric times.”Book Project.
“Folklore and Proverbs as source material for East African History.” Book Project.
Title: Distinguished Professor
Department: Department of History
Email address: Email me
Phone: (828) 262-6087
Fax: (828) 262-4976