Waed Athamneh

Waed Athamneh is an Associate Professor of Arabic Studies in the Department of Classics, Arabic, and Jewish Studies at Connecticut College, where she has taught since 2011. She holds a Ph.D. from Indiana University and specializes in modern Arabic literature and 20th-century Arab politics.

• Education: B.A., M.A. from Yarmouk University, Jordan; Ph.D. from Indiana University

Professor Athamneh's research focuses on modern Arabic poetry, feminist perspectives in Arabic fiction, and political dimensions of 20th-century Arab literature. Her forthcoming book on literary movements in modern Arabic poetry will be published by University of Notre Dame Press. She has conducted significant research in Jordan, including time spent at the Zaatari refugee camp, examining cultural and political dimensions of contemporary Arab society.

Her scholarly contributions have been recognized through multiple Connecticut College research awards and funding opportunities that supported her international research initiatives. She maintains active membership in professional organizations including MESA (Middle East Studies Association), AAUW (American Association of University Women), and MLA (Modern Languages Association).

• Research Matters Award
• R.F. Johnson Research Award
• Engagement and Comparative Race and Ethnicity International Research Fund
• Fulbright Scholar (2006-2007)
• Best Arabic Instructor Award (2009-2010)

Professor Athamneh actively supervises student research projects and teaches a comprehensive range of courses from introductory Arabic language to specialized content courses including Modern Arabic Literature, Arab Women Writers, and Contemporary Arab Journalism. She founded and directed Connecticut College's Arabic immersion study abroad program in Jordan, where students engage with language and culture through intensive study and visits to historical sites. As chair of the Committee on the Status of Faculty Women and adviser for the Arabic Minor program, she plays a significant role in campus leadership and academic programming.

She has developed a robust learning community for Arabic Studies students through language tables, movie nights, cultural workshops, and community engagement activities including teaching Arabic to children at the Regional Multicultural Magnet School in New London.