Carmen Gitre

Carmen Gitre serves as Associate Professor of Middle East History and Associate Chair of the Department of History at Virginia Tech's College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. She earned her Ph.D. from Rutgers University in 2011 and previously taught at Seattle University from 2011-2014 before joining Virginia Tech.

Dr. Gitre specializes in the cultural history of modern Egypt, with particular focus on the relationship between performance, identity, and political culture from the late 19th through mid-20th century. Her research examines how theatrical productions, comedy, and other cultural expressions served as sites for political discourse and identity formation during periods of significant social transformation. Her 2019 monograph Acting Egyptian: Theater, Identity, and Political Culture in Cairo, 1867-1930 (University of Texas Press) established her as a leading scholar in this field.

Her scholarly output reveals consistent thematic focus on how cultural production in Egypt functioned as political expression. Recent publications demonstrate evolving research into interwar art, performance, and truth-telling, examining how artistic expression documented historical experiences during Egypt's transition to modernity. Her work bridges theater studies, cultural history, and political analysis to illuminate the complex ways Egyptians navigated colonialism and emerging national identity through artistic expression.

As Associate Chair of History and former Director of Undergraduate Studies (2023-2024), Dr. Gitre has significantly contributed to departmental leadership. She has served on the Public History and Outreach Committee, College Curriculum Committee, and multiple faculty search committees. Her academic leadership extends to organizing significant events including the Israel-Palestine Crisis Series (2023-2024) featuring expert panels on international law, human rights, and media representation related to Gaza.

Dr. Gitre's teaching portfolio includes courses on the History of the Middle East, Arab-Israeli Conflict, Imperialism, and specialized topics like The Politics of Performance. She developed the course Critical Readings and Analysis in History and has been instrumental in shaping historical methodology curriculum for undergraduate students, emphasizing critical engagement with primary sources and understanding cultural production's role in political discourse.