NATHAN DEVIR

Nathan Devir is a Professor at the University of Utah’s Department of World Languages and Cultures, specializing in interdisciplinary research at the intersection of religion, culture, and social sciences. He has directed the university's Middle East Center and Middle East Studies Program (2015-2020) and served as Interim Director of the Religious Studies Program (2017-2018). His work bridges humanistic and applied sciences, with fieldwork in Benin, France, Germany, India, Israel, Morocco, the UK, Gabon, Ghana, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Madagascar, and Senegal.

• Degrees: Ph.D. in Religious Studies from Pennsylvania State University
• Languages: Proficient in French and Hebrew (reading, writing, speaking, understanding, peer review)

Devir’s research focuses on Jewish communities in Sub-Saharan Africa, exploring themes of religious belonging, ethnic identity, gender roles, and the globalization of Judaism through digital media. His ethnographic studies examine how communities in the Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Madagascar, and other regions negotiate halachic principles, familial responsibilities, and cultural hybridity.

His publications address topics such as genetic testing in Israeli immigration policies, psychospiritual healing in West African Vodoun-Christian contexts, and the digital propagation of Judaism in Central Africa. These works reflect a broader engagement with cultural anthropology, religious studies, and postcolonial identity theories.

Scientific Awards and Grants:

• Faculty Fellow Award (University Research Committee, 2014)
• Aziz Atiya Comparative Religion Research Award
• Association for the Study of the Middle East and Africa Research Grants
• Earhart Foundation Grant
• National Endowment for the Humanities Funding
• Lucius N. Littauer Foundation Grant

Devir has taught courses including Intro Research/Writing, Special Topics, and Topics in Lang, Lit, & Bus. His teaching emphasizes cross-cultural analysis and qualitative methodologies.