Blog #7 Meet Jessica Vinson

Bio: Jessica Vinson is pursuing a Ph.D. in Applied Anthropology at the University of South Florida. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL and received her Master of Sciences in Cultural Anthropology from Illinois State University in Normal, IL. She studied Central Eurasian Studies at Indiana University and will be receiving a Master of Arts from the Hamilton Lugar School of International Studies this year. Her scholarly interests focus on issues of ethnic identity in relation to natural spaces and places, and her research examines the convergence of food, culture, and the natural environment. During her service work as a Peace Corps volunteer in Mongolia and teaching in Dalian, China, Jessica learned intimately the ways place and space are tied to a sense of self, and how food and the natural environment are powerful analytics used to examine a range of contemporary issues related to individual and collective sociocultural identities. She is interested in the way landscapes throughout the world are shaped by the production and consumption of food, and how local food cultures evolve from the interactions between people and the food that is grown as a result of particular environmental conditions that are constantly in flux.

Pre-departure thoughts:

As an environmental anthropologist I have spent the majority of my time and training in Central Eurasia and China, so this will be the first time I have been to Africa and interacted with Arab speakers. I am hoping that my French will be useful as I travel and converse with local peoples, and I am excited to start learning Moroccan Arabic. As I write this post, I have been in-country for approximately 15 hours. The jet lag is setting in and I am somewhat delirious from the travel. Today we traversed the avenues of Casablanca for a few hours by foot. We attempted to visit Mosquée Hassan II but they were closed to visitors, so we enjoyed lunch at a Le Gatsby with a picturesque view of the mosque and the Atlantic. I enjoyed Moroccan mint tea with my risotto and basked in the gentle sea breeze. Tomorrow we will travel to Rabat, and I am very much looking forward to what this program and this beautiful country have to offer!

Pictured Above: Moroccan mint tea; Mosquée Hassan II