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Ram Cnaan is a Professor of Social Work and Associate Dean for Research at the University of Pennsylvania, affiliated with The Weitzman School of Design. He chairs the Doctoral Program in Social Welfare and directs the Program for Religion and Social Policy Research. His work focuses on faith-based social services, congregational welfare provision, and nonprofit management. Cnaan has authored influential books like The Invisible Caring Hand and serves on seven academic journal editorial boards. His research explores volunteerism dynamics, including pandemic impacts on donor retention, cross-national civic participation, and episodic volunteering at religious events. He investigates social entrepreneurship in public sectors and evaluates faith-based organizations' roles in reentry programs for ex-prisoners. Cnaan's recent studies address CSR innovations, donor-advised funds strategies, and prosocial behavior in diverse cultural contexts. Notable contributions include pioneering national studies on congregational social service provision and analyzing Israeli-Palestinian Muslim collaboration in aid work. His work bridges academic research with practical policy solutions for urban quality-of-life challenges.

• Social Work
• Faith-Based Social Services
• Nonprofit Studies
• +4 more

Rebecca Dyer is a **Professor of English** at **Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology**, where she has been affiliated since 2002. Her academic career includes teaching Technical and Professional Communications, film, and literature courses, with a focus on transnational, postcolonial, and British studies. She holds a PhD in English from the University of Texas at Austin (2002), an MA from the University of Tulsa (1995), and a BS in Journalism from Oklahoma State University (1989). Her research explores class, power, and anticolonial dynamics in literature and film. Notable projects include analyses of works by Graham Greene, Harold Pinter, Mahmoud Darwish, and filmmakers like Jean-Luc Godard. She conducted Fulbright-funded research in Lebanon (2007–08), producing scholarship on servant narratives and Lebanese cultural studies. Her work frequently intersects with migration, displacement, and transnational identities. Dr. Dyer’s awards include the **Fulbright Traditional Scholars Award** (Lebanon) and **Rose-Hulman’s Scholar of the Year Award** (2007). Her teaching and research span global literatures, with a particular emphasis on British and Arabic texts. She has also taught at France’s Université d’Orléans (2015–16) and contributed to cultural studies courses abroad. Her publications address themes like servant-worker depictions, postcolonial cinema, and memorialization of conflicts. Current research includes forthcoming analyses of Bong Joon Ho’s *Parasite* and Steven Zaillian’s *Ripley* series, exploring parasitic power dynamics.

• British Literature
• Transnational Literature
• Postcolonial Studies
• +5 more

Stephen Spector is a Professor of English at Stony Brook University since 1972, with a PhD from Yale University (1973). His work bridges medieval literature, religious studies, and language history. He has held visiting positions at the Hebrew University (Jerusalem, 1996–97) and fellowships at the National Humanities Center and Wesleyan University. His research focuses on medieval English literature, particularly mystery plays and biblical texts, alongside modern topics like Christian Zionism and the Ethiopian Jewish rescue operation (Operation Solomon). He has authored influential books such as Evangelicals and Israel (2009), which won the London Book Festival Prize, and Operation Solomon (2005), honored with the JDC-Herbert Katzki Award. Education: B.A. in English and Psychology from Penn State University (1968), M.Phil. and Ph.D. from Yale University (1973). He has taught courses ranging from the history of the English language to medieval literature and the Bible as literature. Research highlights include pioneering studies on anti-Semitism in medieval mystery plays, textual editing of the N-Town Play, and modern analyses of religious-political intersections. His recent work explores biblical prophecy’s influence on US foreign policy and contemporary grammar usage guides. Awards include the Van Courtlandt Elliott Prize (1980) for medieval scholarship, National Endowment for the Humanities grants, and SUNY Research Foundation fellowships. He has also contributed op-eds on topics like Sarah Palin’s religious influences and Israel-Evangelical relations. Grants and fellowships span decades, including directing NEH summer seminars on Jewish presence in early English literature (1993, 1996). His work often integrates historical methodologies with contemporary cultural analysis. Labs/Teams: Not explicitly listed, but his research collaborations are evident in co-edited volumes like The Olde Daunce (1991) and contributions to interdisciplinary projects like the Early English Text Society.

• Medieval English Literature
• Religious Studies
• Biblical Literature
• +3 more

Serra Hakyemez is Assistant Professor of Anthropology and Global Studies at the University of Minnesota, currently on leave until January 2023. Her research examines the intersection of counterinsurgency warfare and judicial violence in Turkey's Kurdish regions, focusing on prison solidarity networks and decolonial resistance. She employs interdisciplinary methods combining political anthropology, legal studies, and ethnography to analyze state violence and resistance movements. Education includes: Ph.D. in Cultural Anthropology, Johns Hopkins University, 2016 M.A. in Sociology and Anthropology, Central European University, 2008 M.Sc. in Social Policy, London School of Economics, 2006 B.A. in Political Science & Business Administration, Bogazici University, 2005 Her research investigates the juridical and visual economies of counterinsurgent violence, with ongoing work on prison-based solidarity and insurgent justice frameworks in Kurdistan. Publications explore themes including feminist resistance in conflict zones, archival politics of state violence, and the anthropology of dissent. Awards include: ACLS Fellowship Wenner-Gren-Hunt Fellowship

• Political-Legal Anthropology
• Counterinsurgency Studies
• Decolonization
• +5 more

Shira Robinson is an Associate Professor of History and International Affairs at The George Washington University, where she has taught since 2007. Her research centers on the social and cultural history of the Modern Middle East, with a particular focus on colonialism, citizenship, nationalism, and cultures of militarism after World War I. She is affiliated with GW's Institute for Middle East Studies and has previously taught at the University of Iowa and served as a Visiting Fellow at Princeton University's Davis Center for Historical Studies. Education: Ph.D. in Middle Eastern History, Stanford University (2005) Research Interests: Robinson's work critically examines the imposition of military rule on Palestinian Arabs who remained within Israel's borders after 1948. Her award-winning book Citizen Strangers: Palestinians and the Birth of Israel's Liberal Settler State (2013) explores how Israel used legal and military mechanisms to marginalize Palestinian citizens, drawing parallels with colonial practices in Algeria, South Africa, and North America. Her research highlights the continuity of colonial legal frameworks from the British Mandate period into Israeli law, particularly in land confiscation and citizenship legislation. Scientific Awards: Outstanding Academic Title Award (2014) - Choice Magazine Top 25 Academic Books of the Year (2014) - Choice Magazine Research Funding: Fulbright Institute Social Science Research Council Mellon Foundation Palestinian American Research Center Editorial Contributions: Robinson has served on the editorial committee of Middle East Report and co-edited its blog, contributing to scholarly discourse on Middle Eastern history and politics.

• Social and cultural history of the Modern Middle East
• Colonialism
• Citizenship
• +7 more

Stephanie M. Pridgeon is an Associate Professor of Hispanic Studies and Department Chair at Bates College. Her research focuses on 20th- and 21st-century Latin American film and literature, with an emphasis on intersections of race, ethnicity, gender, religion, and politics. She holds a Ph.D. from Emory University. Her first book, *Revolutionary Visions: Jewish Life and Politics in Latin American Film* (University of Toronto Press), received Honorable Mention from the LASA Visual Culture Studies section. Her second book, *Absorption Narratives: Jewishness, Blackness, and Indigeneity in the Cultural Imaginary of the Americas*, was published in 2025. Current research includes analyzing visual imagery of the Mexican Revolution in literature. Pridgeon’s scholarship spans diverse topics such as Jewish-Indigenous literary interactions, queer ethnic rite narratives, and documentary film politics. She contributes to public discourse through opinion pieces like her 2024 analysis on Jewish political leadership in North America. Key Expertise: Latin American cinema, cultural hybridity, memory studies, feminist theory, and Marxist analysis. Recent Work: Leading projects on transnational Jewish narratives and post-revolutionary imagery.

• Latin American Literature
• Latin American Film Studies
• Cultural Studies
• +9 more

Ariella Aïsha Azoulay is a Professor of Comparative Literature and Modern Culture and Media at Brown University. Her work interrogates the intersections of photography, political philosophy, and decolonial praxis. She holds a PhD from Tel Aviv University (1997) and an MA from Université Paris VIII Saint Denis (1986). Her research focuses on photography’s political ontology, colonialism, and human rights discourses. Key works include Potential History: Unlearning Imperialism (2019), Civil Imagination: The Political Ontology of Photography (2012), and The Civil Contract of Photography (2008). She has curated exhibitions such as The Natural History of Rape (2022) and Enough! The Natural Violence of the New World Order (2016). Research Interests: Colonial archives, visual politics, decolonial methodologies, Palestinian liberation, and anti-imperial frameworks. Awards: Infinity Award (2002). Her teaching spans courses on colonialism, migration, and anti-colonial thought, including COLT 1815J: 1492 – Unlearning Single World Order and MCM 2100R: Potential History of Photography . She also directs film essays like Un-Documented: Undoing Imperial Plunder (2019) and The World Like a Jewel in the Hand (2022).

• Photography Studies
• Political Theory
• Colonialism and Decoloniality
• +5 more

Leonie Huddy is a SUNY Distinguished Professor and Department Chair in the Department of Political Science at Stony Brook University. She holds a PhD in Social Psychology from UCLA. Her research focuses on political behavior, intergroup relations, and gender/race dynamics, with recent work on partisan identities and polarization in the U.S. and Western Europe. Education: PhD in Social Psychology (University of California, Los Angeles). Roles: Co-editor of Political Psychology (2005–2010), Past-President of the International Society of Political Psychology (ISPP), and member of the American National Election Studies Board of Overseers. Research Interests: Explores nationalism, affective polarization, and the impact of emotions on political decisions. Recent work emphasizes the role of group identity in shaping political cohesion and policy preferences. Publications Trends: Recent articles address nationalism's effects on EU support, partisan polarization reduction strategies, and empathy's role in welfare policy advocacy. Her work bridges social psychology and political science, emphasizing identity-driven behavior. Awards: SUNY Distinguished Professor title and leadership roles in professional societies. Labs/Teams: Directs the Political Psychology Lab and collaborates with the Behavioral Political Economy Lab at Stony Brook.

• Political Behavior
• Intergroup Relations
• Gender and Politics
• +3 more

Tamara Fernando is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History at Stony Brook University, State University of New York (SUNY). She holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge (2022) and specializes in the environmental, labor, and scientific histories of the Indian Ocean world, with regional focus on Sri Lanka, the Persian Gulf, and South Asia during the 19th and 20th centuries. Her research interests include: Environmental History of the Indian Ocean Colonial Science and Knowledge Production Maritime Labor Systems Transregional and Global History History of Empire and Ecology Her current book projects are Shallow Blue Empire: Knowing the Littoral across the Indian Ocean , a transnational history of the pearling industry, and Submarine Futures: Science and Expertise in the Indian Ocean 1872–2004 , which explores shipwrecks, nuclear submarines, and deep-sea ports as sites of scientific and political engagement. Her work combines archival research with interdisciplinary methodologies from science and technology studies, environmental humanities, and postcolonial theory. Her recent publications in journals such as Past & Present , Comparative Studies in Society and History , and History of Science examine topics like the mapping of oyster beds, multispecies histories of pearl fisheries, and the entanglement of disease and labor under colonialism. She also engages in public scholarship through outlets like Hypocrite Reader , Himal Southasian , and Borderlines , where she writes on settler tourism, water governance, and colonial legacies in Sri Lanka. She has no listed scientific awards in the provided texts. She advises students, though no current advisees are named. Her collaborative work includes co-authored articles on mollusks and human difference, and evolution in South Asia. She is affiliated with: Stony Brook University, Department of History Personal website: tamarasfernando.com Twitter: @TamaraFernando3

• Indian Ocean World
• Histories of Science
• Environmental History
• +9 more

Lital Levy is an Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at Princeton University’s Humanities Council , specializing in Hebrew and Arabic literatures, Jewish studies, and Middle Eastern studies. Her work bridges comparative literature , cultural studies , critical theory , and intellectual history , with a focus on multilingualism, transnationalism, and the politics of revival movements like the Nahda (Arabic renaissance) and Haskalah (Jewish enlightenment). Education : B.A. and M.A. in Middle Eastern and International Affairs from Columbia University; Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from U.C. Berkeley; Junior Fellow at Harvard Society of Fellows. Levy’s research interrogates the interplay between language, identity, and modernity in the Middle East and Jewish diaspora contexts. She analyzes literary multilingualism , translation dynamics , and historical intercontact between Arabic and Hebrew traditions. Her current projects include studies of Esther Azhari Moyal (sole Jewish Nahda woman writer) and a reevaluation of the Global Haskalah through transnational Jewish linguistic exchanges. Her notable works include the award-winning Poetic Trespass (2014), which won the Jordan Schnitzer Book Award , Salo Baron Prize , and MLA First Book Prize . She was also an ACLS Frederick Burkhardt Fellow (2019-2020) at the Institute for Advanced Study. Levy advises graduate students in comparative frameworks and teaches courses on world literature , Arab-Jewish identity , and critical theory .

• Comparative Literature
• Cultural Studies
• Critical Theory
• +7 more

Sheera Talpaz is an Assistant Professor in Tenure Stream Faculty, specializing in modern Hebrew, Arabic, and English literature with a focus on Palestine/Israel. Her research explores literature's relationship with politics, history, and state repression, particularly in the Middle East and North Africa. She holds a PhD in Comparative Literature from Princeton University, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Michigan, and an AB in Comparative Literature from the University of Chicago. PhD (2018): Comparative Literature, Princeton University MFA (2009): Creative Writing (Poetry), University of Michigan AB (2007): Comparative Literature, University of Chicago Her research interests include Arabic Literature, Comparative Literature, Poetry and Poetics, Nationalism Studies, and Prison Literature. She investigates topics like literary representations of crisis, state repression of writers, and the public roles of writers. Her recent publications include contributions to The Routledge Companion to Cultural Text and the Nation and Prooftexts , exploring themes such as Zionist literature and dynamics of suspicion in Palestine/Israel. Awards: Fulbright U.S. Scholar Award (2023-2024), Alternate for AAUW American Postdoctoral Research Leave Fellowship (2023-2024) No grants or advising details are listed. Her office is located at Greenlaw 416.

• Comparative Literature
• Arabic Literature
• Poetry and Poetics
• +4 more

Leila Kawar is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan's Residential College , affiliated with the Social Theory and Practice Program , Arab and Muslim American Studies Program , and multiple other interdisciplinary initiatives. She holds a PhD in Law and Society from New York University (2009), an MSc in Social Anthropology from the London School of Economics (2000), and a BA in Economics from Harvard College (1998). Research Focus: Kawar examines the cultural dimensions of legal practice, particularly how law shapes migration, citizenship, and labor governance. Her work bridges legal anthropology, critical border studies, and international labor law. Awards: Co-winner of the Law and Society Association’s Herbert Jacob Book Prize (2016) Migration and Citizenship Section Book Award (2016) Vital Impact Project Award (2024) for a documentary on child labor in agriculture Publications: Her scholarship spans critical analyses of international labor law evolution, legal mobilization in migration governance, and the symbolic politics of immigration jurisprudence. Key works include the monograph Contesting Immigration Policy in Court (Cambridge, 2015) and articles in Global Social Policy , International Migration Review , and Citizenship Studies . Teaching: Kawar instructs courses like Law and Border (AMCULT 356/AMAS 356/RCSTP 350.007) and Contemporary Social and Cultural Theory (AMCULT 302/RCSTP 302/STS 302), emphasizing interdisciplinary frameworks and constructivist legal approaches.

• Law and Society
• Critical Border Studies
• Migration and Citizenship
• +4 more

Mohammed Abu-Nimer is a full professor in the International Peace and Conflict Resolution program at the School of International Service (SIS), American University. He serves as the Chair of the Said Abdul Aziz for Peace and Conflict Resolution and previously directed the Peacebuilding and Development Institute from 1999 to 2013. He is also the co-founder and co-editor of the Journal of Peacebuilding and Development. With over 35 years of teaching experience, Professor Abu-Nimer holds a PhD in Conflict Analysis and Resolution from George Mason University, complemented by MA and BA degrees from Hebrew University in Jerusalem. His academic credentials are matched by extensive field experience conducting interreligious conflict resolution training in Egypt, Northern Ireland, the Philippines, Israel, Palestine, Chad, Nigeria, and Sri Lanka. His research specializes in faith-based peacebuilding, interfaith dialogue in social cohesion, and peace education methodologies in Arab and Muslim contexts. Professor Abu-Nimer has developed courses including SIS-619 Special Studies in International Politics: Dialogue: Approaches & Applications (Spring 2025) and SIS-613 Reconciliation and Justice (Fall 2025), reflecting his focus on practical applications of peace theory. His scholarly output shows consistent thematic development toward evaluating interreligious peacebuilding frameworks and documenting religious diversity management in the Arab region, with recent publications demonstrating increasing methodological sophistication in measuring peacebuilding outcomes. His significant recognition includes: Niwano Peace Prize 41st Award (2024) Leverhulme Foundation International Scholar Fellowship (2023) SIS Outstanding Scholarship Award (2013-2014) George Mason University Alumni Association Award of Distinction (2009) Jennings Randolph Senior Peace Fellow (2008) Professor Abu-Nimer maintains active engagement with international organizations, having served as senior advisor for policy and research at the Center for Intercultural and Interreligious Dialogue in Vienna (2013-2021) and as founder of the Salam Institute for Peace and Justice, demonstrating his commitment to bridging academic theory with practical peacebuilding initiatives worldwide.

• faith-based peacebuilding
• interfaith dialogue
• peacebuilding and social cohesion
• +7 more

Rhoda Kanaaneh is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Anthropology at Columbia University. She specializes in Palestinian Studies, Gender and Sexuality, and the intersection of ethnicity, nationalism, and military service. Her work examines Palestinian citizens of Israel through lenses of reproductive rights, military participation, and ethnic identity. Dr. Kanaaneh has held academic positions at Columbia University, New York University, and the American University in Washington, DC. She has received fellowships from Harvard University, the European University Institute, and Columbia University. She serves on the editorial committee of the Journal of Palestine Studies . Her award-winning scholarship includes Birthing the Nation: Strategies of Palestinian Women in Israel (2002) and Surrounded: Palestinian Soldiers in the Israeli Military (2008). Her research explores themes such as gendered citizenship, queer perspectives on Palestinian identity, and the paradoxes of Palestinian military service in Israel. Recent work focuses on reproductive politics in the Galilee and queering Palestinian national narratives. Her publications consistently bridge ethnographic fieldwork with critical analysis of state policies and ethnic dynamics.

• Palestinian Studies
• Gender and Sexuality Studies
• Ethnicity and Nationalism
• +3 more

Doron Dorfman is a tenured Professor at Seton Hall University School of Law and an Affiliate at Harvard Medical School's Center for Bioethics. His expertise spans Torts, Health Law, Disability Law, Employment Law, Family Law, and Bioethics, with a focus on empirical legal studies. He holds advanced degrees from the University of Haifa (B.A., LL.B., LL.M.) and Stanford Law School (J.S.M., J.S.D.). His research explores disability rights, healthcare ethics, and legal responses to medical advancements. Notable contributions include analyzing genetic reproductive technologies, workplace accommodations, and pandemic-related legal challenges. His work has been cited by courts and featured in major newspapers like the New York Times. Key awards include the Michael J. Zimmer Memorial Award (2023) for rising scholars in employment law and recognition in Harvard's Junior Faculty Forum. Dorfman actively contributes to legal blogs and leads initiatives like the Disability Legal Studies Collaborative Research Network (CRN). Recent articles highlight themes such as disability metaphors in law, crisis standards of care, and preventive medicine stigma. His work bridges empirical research and legal policy, aiming to advance equity in health and workplace settings.

• Torts
• Health Law
• Disability Law
• +4 more