Betty S. Anderson

Betty S. Anderson is a Professor of History at Boston University, specializing in Middle Eastern and Arab world history. Her research focuses on the social and intellectual history of the Arab world, the history of education, and modern world history. She holds a B.A. from Trinity College and an M.A. and Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).

Her major publications include Nationalist Voices in Jordan: The Street and the State (2005), The American University of Beirut: Arab Nationalism and Liberal Education (2011), and A History of the Modern Middle East: Rulers, Rebels and Rogues (2016). She has also co-authored The History Handbook (2003/2011) and contributed to edited volumes and journals like Civil Wars and Comparative Studies of South Asia, Africa and the Middle East.

Anderson’s research explores themes such as the politicization of education in the Middle East, the evolution of liberal education systems at institutions like the American University of Beirut, and mobilities in Amman, Jordan. She currently serves on the Board of Trustees for the American Center for Oriental Research (ACOR).