Find Academic Supervisors

Matt King is an Associate Professor and Graduate Director in the Department of History at the University of South Florida (USF), within the College of Arts and Sciences. He specializes in medieval Mediterranean history, digital humanities, and the Crusades era, particularly focusing on Norman-Sicily and Zirid-Ifriqiya relations. King holds a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota (2018) and teaches courses on medieval history, digital methods, and historical pedagogy. His research explores the interconnectedness of medieval Mediterranean polities, leveraging Arabic and Latin sources alongside digital tools like the Old World Drought Atlas. His first book, Dynasties Intertwined (2022), examines Zirid-Norman relations. He has co-authored translations of al-Idrisi’s geography and is currently researching the historical perception of goblins. Education: Ph.D., University of Minnesota (2018); M.A. (2014), B.A. (2012) in History and Latin. King’s teaching emphasizes active learning and digital humanities, including workshops for K-12 educators. He has received grants totaling over $40,000 for research and community projects. Awards include the Outstanding Graduate Instructor Award (UMN, 2018) and the Subvention Award (USF, 2022). His publications span peer-reviewed journals (e.g., Journal of North African Studies , The History Teacher ) and edited volumes, with a focus on medieval Mediterranean dynamics, digital pedagogy, and environmental history. King advises graduate students in medieval Mediterranean history, emphasizing research in Arabic, Latin, or Greek. He is involved in digital initiatives, including departmental websites and archaeological 3D modeling projects.

• Medieval History
• Crusades Studies
• Digital Humanities
• +3 more

Karsten Lambers is Professor of Digital and Computational Archaeology at the Faculty of Archaeology, Leiden University, where he leads research and teaching in the application of computational methods to archaeological data. His work integrates machine learning, remote sensing, text mining, and citizen science to advance archaeological prospection and heritage management. He is affiliated with the Department of Archaeological Sciences and plays key roles in research groups and university-wide initiatives such as SAILS and ARCHON. His research interests span Digital Archaeology , Machine Learning in Archaeology , Remote Sensing , Geoarchaeology , and Human-Environment Interaction . He investigates how computational tools can extract meaningful archaeological information from large datasets, including LiDAR imagery and excavation reports. His fieldwork spans Central Europe and Latin America, with a focus on prehistoric landscapes and cultural heritage. The analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward automated detection using deep learning (e.g., R-CNN, WODAN), named entity recognition in archaeological texts (e.g., ArcheoBERTje), and citizen science integration for data validation. His work bridges archaeology with computer science, geomatics, and environmental science, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration and methodological rigor. His scientific awards include: Best Thesis Award (University of Zurich, 2005) EUROPA NOSTRA Award (2020, 2022) Membership in the German Archaeological Institute (since 2022) Lambers actively supervises students and leads major research projects such as ABMA, EXALT, and Heritage Quest. He has secured substantial research funding and collaborates widely with computer scientists, geophysicists, and palaeoecologists. His teaching includes digital methods, modeling, and simulation, often linked to ongoing research. He has also contributed to open educational resources and digital textbooks in archaeology. He leads or participates in several research labs and teams, including the Digital Archaeology Research Group (which he chairs), the Heritage Quest citizen science project, and interdisciplinary teams focusing on alpine terraces and Iraqi prospection. His work emphasizes the integration of digital tools into practical archaeological workflows, advocating for complementary human-computer strategies.

• Digital Archaeology
• Computational Archaeology
• Machine Learning in Archaeology
• +13 more

Donald R. Davis, Jr. is Professor and Chair of the Department of Asian Studies at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts. With a PhD from the same institution, he has established himself as a leading scholar in Hindu law and Dharmaśāstra studies. His work bridges religious studies, legal history, and South Asian studies, making significant contributions to our understanding of law and religion in medieval India. Davis earned his PhD from the University of Texas at Austin, where he has built his academic career. His scholarly journey has been deeply rooted in the study of Sanskrit legal traditions and their intersection with religious practice. Professor Davis's primary research concerns the interaction of law and religion in medieval India. He examines both historical evidence for law and legal practice through inscriptions and regional language documents, as well as the Dharmaśāstra tradition as a system of religious law and jurisprudence. His work situates Sanskrit normative texts within historical contexts while exploring their conceptual frameworks. He maintains the Resource Library for Dharmaśāstra Studies and has published extensively on Hindu law, including books such as The Spirit of Hindu Law (2010) and The Dharma of Business (2017). Davis's recent publications demonstrate a continued focus on the intersection of law, religion, and ethics in Hindu tradition. His work explores caste, conservatism, marital ethics, and the historical development of legal thought in India. He frequently draws comparative connections between Hindu legal traditions and other religious legal systems, contributing to broader conversations in legal anthropology and comparative religious law. Professor Davis actively supervises graduate students interested in Dharmaśāstra traditions and their relevance to law, religion, history, politics, and economics in India. He encourages students with broader interests in comparative religious law (Jewish law, Islamic law, Roman law, etc.) and works with those studying various aspects of Hinduism and classical religions in India, particularly in normative and "mainstream" areas such as Vedānta, Pūrva-Mīmāṃsā, Epics, and Purāṇas.

• Sanskrit
• Dharmaśāstra
• Law and Religion
• +5 more

Frank Griffel is the Louis M. Rabinowitz Professor of Religious Studies at Yale University, where he has been teaching since 2000. His academic work is deeply rooted in Islamic intellectual history, focusing on theology, philosophy, and the interplay between reason and revelation. He holds a PhD from the Freie Universität Berlin and previously worked as a research fellow at the Orient Institute in Beirut. University: Yale University Department: Department of Religious Studies Academic Rank: Professor His research expertise lies in classical and post-classical Islamic philosophy, particularly the works of al-Ghazālī, Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī, Avicenna, and Averroes. He has made significant contributions to understanding how philosophical discourse evolved in the Islamic world after the so-called classical period, challenging the notion of decline and highlighting the emergence of new genres such as ḥikma . His scholarship bridges theology and philosophy, examining how Muslim thinkers reconciled Aristotelian and Neoplatonic ideas with Islamic doctrine. Griffel’s most recent major work, The Formation of Post-Classical Philosophy in Islam (2021), redefines the field by demonstrating the continuity and innovation in 12th-century Islamic thought. His earlier book, Al-Ghazali’s Philosophical Theology (2009), is widely regarded as a seminal study. He has also published extensively on topics such as apostasy, virtue ethics, and the reception of philosophical texts, with articles spanning from 2011 to 2025. His work often appears in major academic handbooks and journals, and he has edited and translated key texts into German, Arabic, and Turkish. Islamic Philosophy Islamic Theology (Kalām) Post-Classical Islamic Thought Al-Ghazālī Studies Fakhr al-Dīn al-Rāzī Avicenna and Averroes Griffel has contributed to collaborative volumes such as Shari’a: Islamic Law in the Contemporary Context and Islam and Rationality , and his research engages with both historical and contemporary debates in Islamic thought. He has no listed scientific awards or students in the provided texts, but his influence is evident through citations and scholarly engagement. He maintains an active research profile, with recent publications addressing ambiguity, contradiction, and the popularization of philosophy in medieval Islam. He has held affiliations with the University of Oxford as a Faculty Member in the Faculty of Theology and Religion, indicating a strong international academic presence. His work continues to shape the understanding of Islamic intellectual history, particularly in the West.

• Islamic Philosophy
• Islamic Theology
• Islamic Law
• +13 more

Asma Sayeed is an Associate Professor and Program Director of Islamic Studies at UCLA's Near Eastern Languages and Cultures department, part of the UCLA College. She holds a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from Princeton University (2005) and previously served as an Assistant Professor at Lafayette College. Her research focuses on early Muslim social history, Muslim education, gender studies, and hadith transmission by women. She has authored Women and the Transmission of Religious Knowledge in Islam (2013) and contributed to numerous journals and encyclopedias. Sayeed received a Fulbright Fellowship (2010) for archival research on Muslim women’s education in Syria. She teaches courses such as 'Introduction to Islam' and graduate seminars on research methodologies. Her current work examines textual practices in Muslim education across historical contexts. Education: PhD, Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University (2005) MA, History, Binghamton University (1994) BA, Politics, Princeton University (1991) Certificate in Near Eastern Studies, Princeton University (1991) Research Interests: Her scholarship emphasizes women’s roles in religious knowledge transmission, legal and social history intersections, and medieval Muslim educational systems. She frequently addresses how gender shaped access to religious authority and spaces. Awards: Fulbright Fellowship (2010) Teaching and Professional Engagement: Sayeed’s courses cover Quranic studies, Islam in the West, and methodological frameworks in Islamic studies. She actively participates in academic conferences and initiatives, including keynote lectures on women’s intellectual engagement in classical Islam and digital humanities projects mapping women’s educational histories.

• Early Muslim Social History
• History of Muslim Education
• Law and Social History
• +3 more

Stephan Conermann serves as Professor of Islamic Studies and Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Bonn, where he has held continuous academic appointments since 2003. His institutional leadership includes directorship of the Annemarie Schimmel Kolleg (2010-2022), Bonn Center for Transcultural Narratology, and significant administrative roles culminating in his current deanship since 2023. Academic Background: Doctorate in Oriental Philology/Islamic Studies (Kiel University, 1996, magna cum laude) Magisterstudium in Asian History, Oriental and Slavic Philology (Kiel University, 1992) Conermann's research examines pre-modern Islamic societies through narrative strategies in historiography, with specialized focus on Mamluk Sultanate governance (1250-1517), Delhi Sultanate/Mughal transitions, and Transottomanica mobility dynamics. His work uniquely connects asymmetrical dependencies (particularly slavery systems), power structures, and global entanglements across South Asia, Middle East, and Eastern Europe. His extensive publication portfolio shows consistent thematic evolution toward comparative frameworks analyzing slavery beyond Eurocentric models, narrative construction of power across cultures, and mobility as historical catalyst. Recent scholarship increasingly integrates transcultural methodology with digital humanities approaches. Academic Leadership: Supervised 290+ theses (59 PhD, 96 Magister, 47 Master, 88 Bachelor) Acquired ~9 million euros in third-party funding (DFG, BMBF, DAAD) Editor of 15+ publication series including Mamluk Studies and Dependency and Slavery Studies Conermann directs the Bonn Center for Transcultural Narratology and co-leads the EXC 2036 'Beyond Slavery and Freedom' cluster, fostering interdisciplinary research on pre-modern dependency systems through international collaborations across Europe, Asia, and the Americas.

• Islamic Studies
• Middle Eastern History
• Mamluk Sultanate
• +9 more

Walid A. Saleh is a Professor of Islamic Studies at the University of Toronto , holding appointments in both the Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations department and the Department for the Study of Religion . His scholarship focuses on the Qur’an , Quranic exegesis (Tafsir), Islamic apocalyptic literature , and Biblical reception in Islam . PhD from Yale University (2001) Recipient of Mellon New Directions Fellowship (2014) and Konrad Adenauer Fellow (2017) Editor of the Routledge Qur’an Series His research analyzes Quranic chronology , manuscript traditions , and Islamic intellectual history . Recent publications examine periodization in Sunni tafsir, late Ottoman book culture, and the reception of al-Bayḍāwī's Anwar al-tanzīl . Articles explore topics from Quranic death narratives to medieval Islamic cosmology . Key article themes: Quranic identity formation , Islamic manuscript studies , exegetical methodology He has edited critical texts like al-Biqa`i's Bible treatise and serves on editorial boards for the Journal of the American Academy of Religion and Journal of Qur'anic Studies . His teaching includes advanced courses in Arabic paleography and Quranic hermeneutics .

• Qur’ān
• History of Quranic Commentaries (Tafsir)
• Muslim-Jewish Interactions
• +8 more

Kazuyo Murata is a Senior Lecturer in Islamic Studies at King's College London, based in the Department of Theology & Religious Studies within the Faculty of Arts & Humanities. She specializes in pre-modern Islamic intellectual history with a focus on Sufism, falsafa (Islamic philosophy), and Persianate traditions. Her research bridges theological aesthetics, metaphysics, and comparative philosophy, particularly exploring themes of beauty, love, and human perfection in Sufi thought. Dr. Murata holds a PhD in Islamic Studies (with a joint MPhil in Medieval Studies) from Yale University and a BA (summa cum laude) in Philosophy and Religious Studies from SUNY Stony Brook. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a member of the Royal Asiatic Society. Her monograph *Beauty in Sufism: The Teachings of Ruzbihan Baqli* (SUNY Press, 2017) analyzes the role of beauty in the cosmology of the 13th-century Persian mystic Rūzbihān Baqlī. Recent work includes comparative studies of Plotinus and Sufi conceptions of beauty, and analyses of Rūmī's mystical poetry. She teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on Islamic thought, Sufism, and Islamic philosophy. Current research focuses on 'Sufi Recipes for a Life Lived Well,' a Leverhulme-funded project (2025–2026) exploring ethical and spiritual frameworks in classical Sufi literature. She has delivered invited lectures on topics such as Sufi conceptions of beauty and well-being in contemporary contexts.

• Pre-modern Islamic Intellectual History
• Sufism
• Theology
• +6 more

M. Rahim Shayegan is a prominent scholar in Iranian and Near Eastern studies, specializing in Old and Middle Iranian philology, Achaemenid-Sasanian history, and Greco-Roman-Iranian cultural interactions. He holds a PhD from Harvard University and has conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Göttingen and Sorbonne. His work bridges philology, epigraphy, and historical analysis to explore ancient political ideologies, religious traditions, and cross-cultural exchanges. Education: PhD, Iranian Philology & Ancient History, Harvard University MA, Iranian Philology, Sorbonne University BA, Philosophy & Comparative Philology, University of Cologne Research Interests: Iranian epigraphy and royal inscriptions Political dynamics of pre-Islamic Iranian empires Greco-Roman and Iranian cultural dialogues Zoroastrianism and ancient Near Eastern religions His publications include seminal works like Arsacids and Sasanians: Political Ideology in Post-Hellenistic Persia (2011) and Cyrus the Great: Life and Lore (2019). He has held prestigious fellowships at the Guggenheim Foundation and is a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences. Awards: Ehsan Yarshater Book Award (2012) Academia Europaea Membership (2019–) Courses Taught: Achaemenid Civilization Sasanian History Old Persian Cuneiform Zoroastrianism and Ancient Religions

• Ancient Iranian History
• Iranian Philology
• Cultural Exchange Studies
• +3 more

Prof. Dr. Asghar Seyed-Gohrab is a leading scholar in Persian and Iranian Studies at Utrecht University’s Department of Philosophy and Religious Studies. His academic career spans over two decades, including roles as Chairman of Persian Studies at Leiden University and Principal Investigator of the ERC-funded 'Beyond Sharia' project examining Sufism’s role in Islamic intellectual history. He holds a PhD from Leiden University and has authored over 50 monographs and edited volumes on Persian poetry, Sufism, and Iranian cultural history. Education: B.A. in English (Vrije Universiteit), M.A. in Persian Studies (Leiden University), PhD (Leiden University) Research Focus: Medieval Persian poetry’s modern political and cultural relevance, Sufi movements, and the interplay between mysticism and state power in Iran. Grants: ERC Advanced Grant (2021), NWO VIDI/VENI (2009-2014), KNAW Fellow (2023). His research highlights how classical Persian poetry shapes modern Iranian identity, including its use in the 1979 Revolution and Iran-Iraq War. He has supervised 43+ students and edited journals like Iranian Studies and Persica .

• Persian and Iranian Studies
• Islamic Mysticism (Sufism)
• Cultural History of Iran and the Persianate World
• +4 more

Wael B. Hallaq is the Avalon Foundation Professor in the Humanities at Columbia University’s Department of Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies. His work focuses on Islamic law, intellectual history, and the socio-political impacts of modernity. He critiques Orientalist paradigms and explores the interplay between moral theory and legal history in Islamic traditions. His research spans structural dynamics of legal change in pre-modern law, moral theory’s role in Islamic legal history, and the critique of modern state sovereignty. His influential books include *The Impossible State* (2013), which earned Columbia University Press’s Distinguished Book Award, and *Shari‘a: Theory, Practice, Transformations* (2009). Education: No explicit educational details provided in text. His writings bridge legal theory, history, and political thought, challenging Eurocentric frameworks in Islamic studies. His analyses of pre-modern legal systems and modernity’s moral dilemmas have been translated into multiple languages, including Arabic, Hebrew, and Persian. Awards: Columbia University Press Distinguished Book Award (2013–2015) No grants, labs, or advising details explicitly mentioned in the text.

• Islamic Law
• Islamic Intellectual History
• Modernity and Its Impact
• +4 more

Aydogan Kars is a Senior Lecturer in the Department of History at Monash University, affiliated with the Centre for Consciousness and Contemplative Studies. His research focuses on medieval and modern Islamic mysticism, Sufi theology, and interreligious dialogue. Kars has led or co-led seven major research projects, including studies on Sufi genealogies, religious literacy, and the intersection of AI with human selfhood. He holds prestigious awards such as the Monash Faculty of Arts Dean’s Research Award (2021) and a Doctoral Fellowship from the Orient-Institut (2015). Kars actively contributes to academic governance as an editorial board member for the Journal for the Academic Study of Religion and peer reviews for journals like Religions and Journal of Islamic Ethics . His research interests span Islamic philosophy, mystical texts, and comparative theology, with notable work on apophatic theology in medieval Islam. Kars supervises PhD students and collaborates internationally on projects exploring Sufi traditions across Iran, the Ottoman Empire, and modern contexts.

• Islamic Studies
• Sufism
• Medieval Intellectual Thought
• +5 more

Ruggero Vimercati Sanseverino is a Full Professor of Hadith Studies and Prophetic Tradition at the Center for Islamic Theology, University of Tübingen. His research spans Hadith transmission in Sunni and Shiite traditions Prophetic worship and Islamic imitation piety Dynamics of tradition and renewal in Islam Islamic spirituality and religious practices His academic journey includes a PhD from Aix-Marseille University (2012) and a Master’s from IREMAM/CNRS (2007). He has led projects like The Presence of the Prophet (DFG-ANR) and contributed to interdisciplinary dialogues on multireligious societies. The 15 most recent articles reflect his expertise in Hadith methodology Sufi spiritual traditions Prophetic hermeneutics Comparative Islamic studies Key collaborative works address interfaith dynamics and Islamic responses to secularization. He supervises PhD candidates and contributes to editorial boards, including the Theologie, Bildung, Ethik und Recht des Islam series at Nomos Verlag. His work bridges classical Islamic scholarship with contemporary theological challenges.

• Hadith Studies
• Prophetic Tradition in Islam
• Islamic Theology
• +5 more

Professor Alberto Rigolio is a scholar of Classics and Ancient History at Durham University, specializing in the Eastern Mediterranean during the Roman and Late Antique periods. He focuses on Syriac literature, Greco-Roman intellectual traditions, and the reception of classical texts in early Christian and Islamic contexts. Rigolio holds a D.Phil. from Oxford University and has held prestigious fellowships at Harvard, Princeton, and All Souls College, Oxford. He serves as Chair of the Board of Examiners at Durham and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. His research explores the transformation of classical dialogue forms in late antiquity, the transmission of Greek texts into Syriac and Arabic, and the cultural intersections between Greco-Roman, Christian, and Islamic traditions. Key works include Christians in Conversation (Oxford UP, 2019), which examines late antique dialogue literature, and a forthcoming book on the emergence of Syriac literature supported by British Academy and Princeton IAS fellowships. Education: BA/Milan, D.Phil./Oxford, Postdoctoral Fellowships at Harvard and Princeton Affiliations: Institute of Medieval and Early Modern Studies, Durham Rigolio's articles analyze Syriac translations of Aristotelian works, Plutarch, and Themistius, revealing how Greco-Roman thought was adapted to meet religious and cultural needs. His projects include studies on Syriac rhetoric, the Roman household in late antique conflicts, and para-biblical narratives. He supervises postdoctoral researchers and PhD students on topics ranging from Syriac literary culture to late antique religious identity. Awards: British Academy Mid-Career Fellowship (2024), All Souls College Visiting Fellowship (2024) Grants: Leverhulme Trust, British Academy, American Philosophical Society He directs research labs examining Syriac intellectual culture and co-ordinates interdisciplinary projects on late antique translation movements. Rigolio is actively involved in public outreach, offering talks on Roman religion, Palmyrene military identity, and the Graeco-Syro-Arabic textual tradition.

• Late Antiquity
• Syriac Studies
• Greco-Roman Near East
• +4 more

Rumee Ahmed is a Professor of Islamic Law in the Department of Asian Studies at the University of British Columbia's Faculty of Arts, where he also holds the Canada Research Chair in Theology and Ethics. He earned his PhD from the Institute for the Study of Institutional Studies at Bovine University and specializes in Islamic law, theology, ethics, and philosophy. His research explores: Islamic legal theory and theology through emic approaches Ethical frameworks in Quranic exegesis and interfaith dialogue Intersections of law, gender, and human rights in Muslim societies Ahmed's publications predominantly focus on Islamic jurisprudence, theological ethics, and scriptural hermeneutics, with recurring themes of justice, interreligious engagement, and the evolution of Islamic legal thought. His work frequently employs comparative analysis across historical and contemporary contexts. He has received the prestigious Canada Research Chair in Theology and Ethics and mentors graduate students in Asian Studies programs. Ahmed actively collaborates on interdisciplinary projects and seeks research partnerships.

• Islamic Law
• Theology
• Ethics
• +3 more