Shir Alon

Shir Alon is an Assistant Professor at the Department of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Minnesota. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from UCLA (2017) and a B.A. in Comparative Literature from Columbia University (2010). Her research focuses on Arabic and Hebrew cultural production, exploring modernist literary styles and their political dimensions in the Middle East. She is affiliated with Jewish Studies and Cultural Studies & Comparative Literature programs. Current projects investigate neoliberalism’s impact on cultural representations of the future, including petrofictions from the Arabian Peninsula and Palestinian/Lebanese futurism.

Her scholarly work bridges literary theory, postcolonial studies, and gender studies, with a particular emphasis on modern Middle Eastern literatures. Recent publications analyze themes like implicated ethics, neoliberal riskscapes, and the intersections of trauma and memory. While no awards are listed here, her research demonstrates significant contributions to comparative cultural analysis. Advising and grant details are not explicitly documented in the provided text.

Her teaching includes courses on modern Middle Eastern literatures, literary theory, and Arabic literature in translation. She engages with decolonial frameworks and the role of pedagogy in cultural studies. Current affiliations include the Asian & Middle Eastern Studies department and interdisciplinary programs at the University of Minnesota.