Laila Shereen Sakr

Laila Shereen Sakr is an Assistant Professor of Film & Media Studies and Faculty Affiliate in Feminist Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. She co-founded Wireframe, a digital media studio focusing on critical game design, data visualization, VR/AR, and digital activism. Her research explores algorithmic culture, media theory/practice, and feminist Middle East studies through creative coding, data visualization, and immersive worldbuilding. Key projects include the VJ Um Amel data-body and R-Shief software system.

Education: PhD in Media Arts + Practice (USC), M.F.A. in Digital Arts (UC Santa Cruz), M.A. in Arab Studies (Georgetown).

Research interests span technocultural intersections, digital humanities, and global human rights. Her work examines social media's role in shaping virtual political identities and has been exhibited globally (e.g., SF MoMA, Jordan National Gallery of Art). She co-edits Media Theory and After Video, and collaborates with MIT's Global Media Technologies & Cultures Lab.

Publications analyze Arab Spring media dynamics, digital dissidence in MENA, and feminist digital praxis. Her work has been featured in The Wall Street Journal, Science, and The Guardian.

Her creative research bridges art and activism, emphasizing open-source Arabic localization. Current projects explore the ethical implications of data-driven narratives in post-revolutionary contexts.