Michael Rapoport

Dr. Michael Rapoport is an Associate Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies at Florida Atlantic University (FAU) in the College of Arts and Humanities. He serves as Provost's Fellow for Academic Affairs, Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Languages, Linguistics, and Comparative Literature, and holds the Chastain-Johnston Middle Eastern Studies Distinguished Professor in Peace Studies (2022-2024). His research focuses on pre-modern Arabic and Islamic intellectual history, spanning philosophy, science, theology, and medicine, with particular expertise in Avicenna (Ibn Sīnā). He is actively involved in academic leadership through co-developing a new Health Humanities minor and publishing critical editions of Islamic philosophical texts.

Education:

• PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Yale University (2018)
• MA in Islamic and Near Eastern Studies, Washington University in St. Louis (2012)
• BA in Political Science and Spanish, Marist College (2007)
• Arabic studies at Qalam wa Lawh Center (Rabat, Morocco) and Qasid Arabic Institute (Amman, Jordan)

Dr. Rapoport's research bridges medieval Islamic philosophy and modern interdisciplinary applications. His work examines Avicenna's Pointers and Reminders, analyzing intersections of cognition, prophecy, and mysticism. He is currently preparing a scholarly edition and translation of Fakhr al-Din al-Razi's Compendium of Logic and Philosophy, supported by grants from the American Philosophical Society and the National Endowment for the Humanities. His scholarship appears in journals like Oriens and Nazariyat.

Scientific Awards and Grants:

• Chastain-Johnston Middle Eastern Studies Distinguished Professor in Peace Studies (2022-2024)
• Franklin Research Grant, American Philosophical Society
• NEH Humanities Connections Grant (2023-24) for Health Humanities minor development

As Principal Investigator for the NEH-funded Health Humanities minor, he integrates historical medical perspectives with contemporary interdisciplinary frameworks. His teaching spans Arabic language, Islamic literature, and cross-cultural analyses of gender/sexuality. He is affiliated with FAU's Center for Peace, Justice and Human Rights and Center for Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies.