Dana Sajdi

Dana Sajdi is an Associate Professor of History at Boston College, affiliated with the Morrissey College of Arts and Sciences. She holds a B.A. from the American University in Cairo and a Ph.D. from Columbia University. Her research focuses on premodern social and cultural history of the Arabic-speaking Eastern Mediterranean, with a current project, In Defense of Damascus, exploring the city’s history through local descriptions from the 12th to 20th centuries.

She pioneered the Podcasting the Ottomans course, establishing a History Department Pod Studio, enabling undergraduates to produce scholarly podcasts. This initiative has been featured on the Ottoman History Podcast. Her work bridges academia and public engagement, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to history.

Key publications include analyses of Syrian sacred landscapes (2022), responses to historical theory (2021), and studies on Ottoman Levant literacy and urban life (2020). Her scholarship integrates textual analysis, spatial history, and cultural critique, reflecting her commitment to innovative historical methodologies.