Chipo Dendere ’08 may have honed her political instincts as Linfield College‘s student-body president, but she took her initial steps toward becoming a noted expert on African politics far earlier.
Born and raised in Zimbabwe, Dendere moved to the United States in 2004 to attend Linfield. She majored in political science and psychology, and later went on to earn master’s and doctoral degrees from Georgia State University.
These days, she is an assistant professor of political science at Amherst College and a fellow on the consortium for faculty diversity. As the political climate in Zimbabwe shifts after the recent resignation of President Robert Mugabe, who had ruled for 37 years, Dendere’s area of expertise is in demand.
“It feels like citizens are out of the trance,” says Dendere, who believes the nation is at a historic crossroads as it emerges from dictatorship.
Dendere attributes much of her career development to her Linfield experience. She said Linfield professors taught her to see the world differently, to think on her feet and to be analytical.
– Natalie Kelley ’18
