Kenneth Martens Friesen, Ph.D.
McDonald Hall, Room 253
Telephone: 559-453-7126
Fax: 559-453-5558
Email: ken.friesen@fresno.edu
What programs do you teach in?
- Political science, history, leadership and organizational studies (LEAD), and intercultural studies
Education
- B.A., Fresno Pacific College, 1984
- M.A., international studies, American University, 1992
- Ph.D., international relations, American University, 1999
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
Publications
- 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- “Damming the Mekong: Plans and Paradigms for Developing the River from 1951-1995,” unpublished Ph.D. dissertation, American University, 1999
Current professional and service experiences
- Chair, Peace and Social Concerns Committee, Mennonite Community Church, Fresno, CA
Professional affiliations
- International Studies Association
