Cheryl Ragar
Education
Ph.D., American Studies, The University of Kansas, May 2008; M.A., American Studies,
The University of Kansas, May 1999; B.S., Journalism, The University of Kansas, May
1991
Research Interests
African American Cultural Production; 20th Century American Art and Visual Culture;
Comparative Race and Ethnicity
Courses Taught
AMETH 160 Introduction to American Ethnic Studies; AMETH 449 Comparative Ethnic Studies;
AMETH 450 Comparative Ethnic Studies; AMETH 560 Black Kansas Artists.
Service Activities
American Ethnic Studies Governance Board, Kansas State University; Kansas Humanities
Council Speaker, 2009; Humanities Scholar for the Kansas Center for the Book, 2010.
Personal Statement
One of my favorite things about teaching at Kansas State University is the opportunity
to learn about the students who come through my classes. I have learned that each
of us has our own history and outlook on life. One of the fascinating things to me
(as someone who has spent nearly my entire life in this state) is the amazing diversity
of Kansas--which is not what many think about when you mention Kansas. Kansas was
built by Native Americans and African Americans, and by immigrants from Germany, Sweden,
Ireland, Mexico, Russia, England, Korea, Vietnam, by Mennonites, Catholics, Jews,
and Methodists (just to name a few), who were all drawn here by the promise of opportunity
to live and prosper. I like to connect our local stories with the information we
learn from our scholarly texts to help bring to life those ideas.
