Washington and Lee University
Newcomb Hall 316Research Interests: History of science in Africa, history of marine science, history of African pastoralists, global historiography
Current Research: Profssor Jennings' current research focuses on the history of natural knowledge about the East African coast and the development of marine science in East Africa. The East African coast has been of continuous interest to human societies since our species first began exploring and making use of marine resources. Natural knowledge about the East African coast was collected not only by the people who lived there but also by geographers, navigators, and naturalists from Europe, the Middle East, and East Asia. Mr. Jennings' research compares this long history of natural knowledge with the development of marine science in East Africa during the past century, paying special attention to the ways in which “modern” science and African “traditional” knowledge have become intertwined.
African history, history of science, world history