Nesha Z. Haniff

EDUCATION

1984                 Ph.D. Social Foundations of Education     University of Michigan                                      

1979                 M.P.H. Health Education                         University of Hawaii                                                                 

1974                 B.A. Sociology                                    University of Michigan                                                              

 

CURRENT POSITIONS

1999-Present      University of Michigan – Ann Arbor        Senior Lecturer, Dept. of Afro-American and African Studies

                         University of Michigan – Ann Arbor        Senior Lecturer Dept. of Women’s Studies

 

2000-Present      The Pedagogy of Action                      Director

                         University of Michigan – Ann Arbor        Attempting to transform ourselves and our world through the

                                                                                  process of teaching a simple HIV module Afro-American and African                                                                                         Studies

                          http://sites.lsa.umich.edu/nzh/the-module-on-hiv-prevention-through-education/

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CURRENT PROJECTS

2015 – Pres.       Education and praxis with chronically poor women moving into sustainable jobs in Jamaica

(In Progress)      Proceedings of the 2015 Pedagogy of Action Symposium in Johannesburg

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PREVIOUS POSITIONS

2003 – 2012       Jamaica Aids Support for Life                   Senior Program Advisor

1995 – 1998       Women’s Reproductive Health Project        Director: WAND, Barbados

1997 – 1999       Govt. of The British Virgin Islands               National Survey of Domestic Violence

1990 – 1997       Georgetown, Guyana                                Red Thread Women’s Collective: Developed Low Literate

                                                                                     Education Modules for Women’s Health

1988 – 1994       The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor        Lecturer – Women’s Studies

1988 – 1994       The University of Michigan, Ann Arbor        Lecturer – Center for Afro-American and African Studies

 

                            

CURRENT PROJECTS

2015 – Pres.        Education and praxis with chronically poor women moving into sustainable jobs in Jamaica

(In Progress)       Proceedings of the 2015 Pedagogy of Action Symposium in Johannesburg

 

AWARDS RECEIVED

Funding awards for the Pedagogy of Action

2009-2015         University of Michigan, Office of the Vice Provost for the Pedagogy of Action

2015                 Vice Provost for Global and Engaged Education

2015                 African Studies Center: For the Pedagogy of Action Symposium

2014                 Center for World Performance Residency award for choreography of the Pedagogy of Action

2014                 OAMI, Cornerstone award (2014)

2012                 University of Michigan – LSA Excellence in Education Award

2008 & 2009      Community Educator Award, one of 33 awards given internationally for the International Retroviral Infections (CROI)

2008                 Experiential Learning Fund Award for the Pedagogy of Action

2008                 Lecturer’s development Fund award – University of Michigan.

2008                 John Shaw Memorial Scholarship (Ten scholarships awarded internationally to attend the International                                          Conference On Microbicides, Delhi, India)

2008                 Full Scholarship Award received from The International Conference on Microbicides

2007                 H.E.A.D.S. award:  Recipient of the Third Annual celebration of Professional women of Color

2006                 Ginsberg Award: Outstanding Faculty for Service and Social Action

2004                 Social Justice Careers Alumni Making the Difference, Arts of citizen project 2004 - Arts Of Citizenship Award

2003                 Ginsberg Award: Outstanding Community Service Program

                       

POA Symposium

Symposium honoring Ten years of Activism

2000-2010          The Pedagogy of Action   - A  Symposium of 10 years of  the Pedagogy of Action Methodology of HIV Activism in                            South  Africa , the Caribbean and the US, December 3 and 4; Dept. of Afro-American and African                                                  Studies                                                    

 

As part of the Pedagogy of Action Symposium of 10 years of HIV Activism in South Africa, the Caribbean and the US, to be held December 3 and 4, the Women’s Studies Department hosted a panel on feminist practice.

Teaching Feminist Practice:  Education as a Tool for Social Change

 

Conference on fifteen years of the Pedagogy of Action

2015                 located in Johannesburg and Durban in South Africa – University of Michigan students and alumni along with                                South African partners presented papers on the theory praxis and impact of the pedagogy of action. Papers were                           presented on topics such as:

• Challenging Empowerment, Challenging POA

• POA Consciousness

• Who is the recipient?

• The Performance Culture of POA

• Experiential Learning and Service Learning

 

EMPOWERMENT PEDAGOGIES AND INTERVENTIONS

Using new teaching methodologies, innovative education modules are developed to empower marginalized populations in the areas of HIV/AIDS, violence and reproductive health; modules are currently being used by CBOs in Jamaica, University of Zululand, Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Soweto - South Africa and the USA. Recent quantitative research shows that over 70,000 people have been reached by this pedagogy.

 

Transformational pedagogies in Michigan; Students have taught the HIV module to African American populations in Detroit and to gay Muslim groups in Dearborn and church groups in Ypsilanti.

 

PEDAGOGIES FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS

Through the class activism in race and gender and health, students are taught the module to teach their own communities at home, the HIV module and then teach the module in South Africa. This process challenges their construct of the world and provides a moment for them to see how they make a difference in people’s lives through the module. The personal and political transformation that they undergo radically changes their view of themselves and they become conscientized about social injustice in their professions and their lives.  Over 100 students have been radicalized this way.

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