Cherry Leonardi

Professor Cherry Leonardi is a faculty member in the Department of History at Durham University. She specializes in African history, with a focus on South Sudan and Northern Uganda, exploring themes such as human-wildlife relations, colonial governance, and borderland dynamics. Her current research examines the historical role of elephants in South Sudan, supported by a Carson Fellowship (2020).

• Research Interests: African history, wildlife/environmental history, colonial and post-colonial governance, borderlands, land rights, and customary justice.
• Publications: Her work spans journals like Environmental History and Political Geography, books on land governance, and policy reports for institutions such as the Rift Valley Institute.

Scientific Awards:

• Carson Fellowship (2020)
• Leverhulme Research Fellowship (2010)

Grants: Funded by AHRC, ESRC, Leverhulme Trust, and British Academy.
Supervision: Mentors students studying African history, including Amira Al Harthi (Zanzibar textiles trade).
Labs/Teams: Collaborates with the Durham Sudan Archive and international organizations focused on eastern Africa.