Hildi Hendrickson

Dr. Hildi Hendrickson is an Associate Professor of Anthropology and Chair of the Department of Sociology/Anthropology at Long Island University’s Brooklyn Campus. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University (1992) and has conducted extensive ethnographic and archaeological fieldwork across diverse regions, including southern Africa, France, and Manhattan. Her research interests span small-scale societies, African cultures, material culture, ritual/spirituality, and global clothing practices. She currently leads the University’s Internationalization Laboratory and teaches courses like 'African Cultures' and a meditation workshop integrating practice and academic study.

Education:

• B.A., New York University
• M.A., New York University
• M.Phil., New York University
• Ph.D., New York University

Her research explores clothing as a global identity marker, with a focus on colonial/postcolonial contexts in Africa. Recent work includes Tibetan culture and spirituality. Publications include her edited book *Clothing and Difference: Embodied Identities in Colonial and Post-Colonial Africa* (Duke UP) and articles on Herero identity, Namibian colonialism, and global dress history. Her work bridges material culture analysis with sociocultural dynamics.

Publications Trends: Her articles (e.g., *Nomadic Felts*, *Fashioning Africa*) highlight clothing’s role in power dynamics, identity formation, and historical memory. Key themes include postcolonial identity, material embodiment, and cross-cultural comparisons.

Awards:

• Zora Neale Hurston Fellowship
• National Science Foundation Grant
• Wenner-Gren Foundation Grant
• Social Science Research Council Grant
• Phi Beta Kappa Member

Dr. Hendrickson has chaired her department for nine years and oversees LIU’s internationalization initiatives. She integrates fieldwork insights into teaching, emphasizing hands-on learning and interdisciplinary approaches.