Master of Fine Arts, The Ohio State University, 2012, Industrial, Interior Visual Communication Design

Oral traditions and expressions in African cultures include a variety of forms: short stories, tales, riddles, proverbs, legends, myths, traditional songs and poems, prayers, theatrical performances and many more. African cultures use these avenues to pass on the knowledge of their society, values and the collective history of their tribes, which keeps their cultural identity alive. This study explores how oral culture can be leveraged in the digital environment. To do this, all the forms mentioned above will be assessed on how they translate into the digital realm. Almost all the methods above involve some form of interaction, whether it is touch, question and answers, dances, acting or just clapping. There is also the important area of sound inflection, with which a good storyteller can bring the story to life in the minds of the listeners. The challenge that I anticipate and will try to resolve is how these delivery methods that rely on the surroundings and settings can be simulated in the digital environment. This project is based on the hypothesis that the interactive environment will be more favorable for storytelling over the traditional book among the Diaspora communities. I will be testing a sample digital book created using the Apple iBooks Author software on the iPad environment to gather data to prove or disprove my hypothesis. I will then use the data to inform a future version of the digital book that will be used as a self-standing educational tool on any mobile device. I hope that this approach could be used as a template for documenting appropriate cultural heritages around the world. I strongly believe that the more cultures are documented, the more we can all gain an understanding of one another which could lead to better communication and fewer wars and conflicts. I see this project as a step in that direction.

Committee: Paul Nini Prof. (Advisor); Noel Mayo Dr. (Committee Member); Brian Stone Prof. (Committee Member) Subjects: African History; African Literature; African Studies; Black History; Design; Fine Arts; Folklore; Minority and Ethnic Groups

Ph.D., Antioch University, 2021, Leadership and Change

In its most benign form, tourism is able to protect the cultural and ecological integrity of a region and to promote economic development in line with sustainability principles. Additionally, sustainable forms of tourism have the potential to improve the quality of life within the host community by promoting intergenerational equity. However, sustainable models of tourism are extremely challenging to design, implement, and manage at the community level because of competing stakeholder interests. There are significant power dynamics associated with sustainable tourism planning and management that often fail to incorporate all citizens' voices, particularly those belonging to underprivileged backgrounds. Due to the growth of international tourism (prior to the COVID-19 pandemic) and its related impacts, multinational organizations such as the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) continue to collaborate with member states and affiliates to identify methods to improve existing sustainable tourism strategies, discover new ones, and to address the social impacts of tourism globally. This study examines the social impacts of tourism in UNESCO's Champlain-Adirondack Biosphere Reserve and the stakeholders' dynamics that influence tourism planning in the region. Through an exploratory case study, this research uses media analyses, document review, focus groups, and semi-structured interviews to gain a deeper understanding of the social impacts of tourism and the stakeholders' dynamics related to tourism management. Stakeholder theory, responsible leadership, and ecosystem services are used as a theoretical framework to ground the inquiry and to provide insight into how the social impacts of tourism are related to tourism planning dynamics. The findings revealed significant new knowledge about social impacts of tourism in the Adirondack High Peaks Wilderness and a mapping of complex c (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Lize (A.E.) Booysen DBL (Committee Chair); Donna Ladkin PhD (Committee Member); Marina Novelli PhD (Committee Member) Subjects: Communication; International Relations; Recreation; Regional Studies; Social Research; Sustainability

MCP, University of Cincinnati, 2017, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Community Planning

The imminent effects of climate change pose a great threat to the livelihood of social, ecological, and built environments. An important aspect of those environments is tangible cultural heritage. Cultural heritage is not a relic of the past. It has historic and aesthetic value for contemporary and future societies; however, it is currently threatened by the changing climate. This research explores how heritage sites can build resilience in the face of climate change threats using green infrastructure, while preserving their authenticity and integrity. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Ile de Saint-Louis, Senegal, is examined as a case study. The Ile de Saint-Louis is remarkable for its architecture, town plan, and unique landscape in a river delta. Its location in the middle of the Senegal River, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and dense urban fabric make it vulnerable to climate change. The very future of the heritage site is contingent upon building climate change resilience, requiring a preservation approach that extends beyond the restoration of individual buildings. This research uses mixed methodologies to answer its research question: “In light of the climate change threats facing heritage sites, how can climate change planning in heritage sites use green infrastructure?” The case study methodology includes an in-depth study of site components and current and future climate risks faced by the site. Following this study, a vulnerability analysis is conducted for each block on the island using composite variables of sensitivity and exposure to climate. The results of the vulnerability analysis are combined with opportunity for green infrastructure variables to create a weighted suitability for green infrastructure intervention analysis. This analysis identifies blocks on the island most suitable for green infrastructure intervention. Informant interviews are used to illuminate threats to and characteristics of the heritage site. Finally, a SWOT (Strengt (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Leah Hollstein Ph.D. (Committee Chair); Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

MSARCH, University of Cincinnati, 2014, Design, Architecture, Art and Planning: Architecture

As cities struggle to accommodate new uses without loss of identity, discussions of historic districts and preservation have been dramatically reinvigorated by the latest UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) normative text of 2011. The “Recommendation on Historic Urban Landscapes” recognizes the value of urban settings and lays out criteria for a systemic urban approach integrating sustainable development and socio-economic aspects into urban heritage management. This research aims to provide insight into the best practices concerning the process of revitalizing historic districts and urban fabrics, exploring the city of Bordeaux, France. The city has helped established a historic new preservation paradigm and criteria, while combining old and new into the urban landscape. Bordeaux went through a renovation process of its historic district, from 1996 to 2007, which helped it shape a new approach to urban management, closely coordinated by the local government. The Urban Project of 1996 culminated in Bordeaux's inscription in the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2007, while also contributing to more inclusive and sustainable practices. Through the analysis of the best practices of Bordeaux, between 1996 and 2012, in particular the recognition of both the economic value of architectural heritage and the promotion of diversity in the use and population, this study helps to advance the discussion on historic preservation of urban landscapes, especially in the context of mid-sized cities dealing with formerly-neglected historic districts while accommodating new infrastructure.

Committee: John Eliot Hancock M.Arch. (Committee Chair); Edson Cabalfin Ph.D. (Committee Member); Elizabeth Riorden M.Arch. (Committee Member) Subjects: Urban Planning

Doctor of Philosophy, The Ohio State University, 2014, Music

Is one of the most common approaches to intervention in the realm of culture in recent years – the safeguarding of tradition – the right path to take? In this dissertation, I argue that it is not, and that a different formulation of goals and methods is necessary. Using a case study of Jemaa el Fnaa Square in Marrakech, Morocco, I discuss the flawed concepts contained within the idea of safeguarding, outline their consequences, and put forth an alternative possibility for how things might be done differently. As a focus for criticism of the safeguarding approach, I will discuss UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage program, arguably the most internationally powerful institutional voice in the area of the conserving cultural practices. Since the Declarations of Masterpieces in 2001, 2003, and 2005 and the highly successful 2003 ICH Convention, the UNESCO paradigms of Intangible Cultural Heritage and "safeguarding" have become influential concepts in international, national, and local cultural policy. However, this concept of safeguarding attempts to impose onto the flow of human activity a way of thinking better suited to physical sites: culture as a static edifice with clear boundaries that is under threat of erosion, with safeguarding as a process of "shoring up." This results in an awkward fit of both theory and practice that leads to projects with unattainable goals, poorly-directed resources, and limited benefits for their intended recipients. As an alternative framework for intervention, I will discuss the Capability Approach, initially developed by economist Amartya Sen. The capabilities approach seeks ways of enhancing the possible range of choices and abilities of individuals and communities, privileging it over the prescribing of particular activities as a goal and evaluative space. This approach is well-suited to projects relating to culture, which is a fluid and dynamic process resistant to static, prescriptive notions. I will discuss ways in whi (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Udo Will (Advisor); Danielle Fosler-Lussier (Committee Member); Dorothy Noyes (Committee Member) Subjects: African Studies; Cultural Resources Management; Folklore; Middle Eastern Studies; Music; North African Studies