Phyllis Ressler

Adjunct Faculty

EMU at Lancaster
Leadership & Org Management, Harrisonburg

LocationN/A

PhoneN/A

E-Mailphyllis.ressler@emu.edu

Education

MA, School of Oriental and African Studies (Anthropology and Sociology)
BS, Eastern Mennonite College (Home Economics Education)

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Biography

Research, writing, and teaching in the field of Cultural Anthropology with a focus on cross-cultural perspectives, migration/immigration/refugees, and foods and culture. Additional areas of study and work include: textiles as a window onto cultural understanding, Anthropology of Food, and cultural diversity in the media.

Mission Statement

Publications

	Citation	Pub. Date	Month	Day
1081	Penn State, Harrisburg campus, International Education Week
1082	Kanga- The Cloth that Reveals – November 2017, Smithsonian Folklife Festival 2014 – Kenya Mambo Poa Program – Washington DC, USA
1083	Research and publication of, Kanga Stories, a book on the Kanga textile in East Africa and the Indian Ocean region, Prepared for the Smithsonian Folklife Festival/2014.
1084	Kanga Stories Exhibition and presentations – Produced for, Mambo Poa, Kenya, Folklife Festival 2014, Smithsonian, Washington DC, USA.
1085	Presenter: Kanga Stories and Foods of the Swahili Coast and Western Kenya
1086	Library of Congress, Washington DC, USA. October 30, 2014. Kanga Stories, lecture
1087	Textile Society of America Accepted paper, Textile Society of America, 13th Biennial Symposium, September 2012 Washington DC.
1088	Mambo Poa, Kenya, Folk Life Festival 2014, Smithsonian, Washington DC, USA. The Kanga, A Cloth that Reveals – Co-production of Culture in the Indian Ocean Region published in Textiles and Politics: Textile Society of America 13th Biennial Symposium Proceedings, Washington, DC, September 18- September 22, 2012. http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/tsaconf/736/

Church, Community and Professional Service

National Museums of Kenya – Nairobi, Kenya 1999-2000, 2013-2014
Research and exhibition- Kanga Stories

As a member of the management team, planned and implemented an education and communication project on arts and culture of Kenya for use by the National Museums. (1999-2000)

Researched, designed and produced an exhibition – The World of the Khanga, exhibited at the National Museum, Nairobi, and traveled through the museum systems in Kenya. (1999-2000)

Worked with a team of anthropologists to document traditional conflict resolution through the study of material culture among pastoralists in Kenya. Outcomes included production of a book on traditional peace making and an exhibition, which traveled in the US. (1995-1997)

Organized and facilitated a research project and a major exhibition, fall 2011 Nairobi, Kenya, on the Kanga textile with the Department of Cultural Heritage. Project was carried out in collaboration with the British Museum and the Aga Khan Trust for Culture and was supported by Webster University. ( 2009-2012)

RENEWAL – Geneva, Switzerland, Washington DC, USA

Implemented a research project which explored the social networks of HIV vulnerable families in Kenya through their food practices. The Social Impact of Cash Transfers: A Kenyan Case Study. (2008)

THE SECRETARY GENERAL’S STUDY ON VIOLENCE AGAINST CHILDREN – Geneva, Switzerland

Support for the development of the communications strategy. (2006)

OFFICE OF the HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR HUMAN RIGHTS – Geneva, Switzerland

Managed the research, writing, editing, and design of a book on the International Decade of Indigenous Peoples. (2005)

For the first United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues exhibition, coordinated communications strategy, media and launch events, fund-raising, preparation and installation of an advocacy exhibition to convey the draft declaration of indigenous rights, New York. (2001-2002)

For the UN World Conference Against racism, collaborated in the production of advocacy materials, assisted in the writing and editing of a newsletter for the Secretariat and prepared and installed an exhibition at the Conference in Durban SA. (2000-2001)

WORLD YWCA – Geneva, Switzerland

Worked with UNAIDS and the Global Coalition on Women and AIDS to write a proposal for the World YWCA’s role as a convening agency on leadership of community women and young women on HIV and AIDS. (August 2004-September 2004)

ECUMENICAL ADVOCACY ALLIANCE – Geneva, Switzerland

Project Manager for a global advocacy project on HIV and AIDS-related stigma and discrimination for the Ecumenical Advocacy Alliance, Geneva.