Jennifer Ziemke

Jen Ziemke is a PhD Candidate in the department of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Jen spent time conducting informal interviews about daily life in southern, eastern, and central Africa in 1995. This life-changing experience led her to volunteer as a teacher in a rural Namibian school from 1997-1999. During this time she lived one mile from the Angolan border and became interested in studying the dynamics of the then-ongoing civil war, having met people affected by the conflict. To better understand the violent patterns of the conflict, Jen will conduct an investigation of both events in the Angolan war and individual attitudes towards the conflict. The Scott Kloeck-Jenson award will provide her with the opportunity to travel to Luanda where she will investigate archival material, develop contacts, conduct interviews, and pilot-test a survey.