Kenneth Martens Friesen, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Political Science
McDonald Hall, Room 253
559-453-7126
ken.friesen@fresno.edu
What programs do you teach in?
Political science, history, leadership and organizational studies (LEAD), and intercultural studies
Education
Ph.D., International Relations, American University, 1999
M.A., International Studies, American University, 1992
B.A., Fresno Pacific College, 1984
Share why you teach at FPU
I teach at Fresno Pacific University because I believe in the Fresno Pacific Idea. I believe that we as an institution are called to be a prophetic Christian liberal arts school in the Anabaptist/ Mennonite tradition. I have a passion to help students catch a vision for serving in God's Kingdom and to better understand God's world. I enjoy exploring the world and interacting with other cultures, learning from and appreciating the variety of experiences and ideas around us, and I wish to share this enjoyment with others.
Scholarly Interests
The impact of globalization on other cultures, Asian studies and global history
Professional and Service Experience
- Visited India in February 2008 to explore possible connections between FPU and the Mennonite Brethren Centenary Bible College in Shamshabad
- Chair, Peace and Social Concerns Committee, Mennonite Community Church, Fresno, CA
Professional Affiliations
International Studies Association
Publications and Presentations
- A History of 50 Years of Mennonite Central Committee Service in Vietnam: 1954 - 2004, published in English and Vietnamese by Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) Vietnam publication for 50th anniversary celebration of MCC Vietnam, August 2004
- "Working with the 'Ascending Dragon': MCC and the Role of Civil Society in Vietnam Today," in MCC Peace Office Newsletter, January-March 2003
- "Civil Society in the Land of the Ascending Dragon," in Local Ownership, Global Change: Will Civil Society Save the World, edited by Roland Hoksbergen and Lowell M. Ewert, published by World Vision International, 2002
- "Damming the Mekong: Plans and Paradigms for Developing the River from 1951-1995," unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, American University, 1999
