Eda Derhemi

Eda Derhemi is a Teaching Associate Professor in the French and Italian Department (Italian program) and an Adjunct Assistant Professor in Media and Cinema Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She also holds affiliations with the European Union Center and is a Research Associate in Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies. Her academic journey includes a PhD in Communications and a Master's in Linguistics from UIUC, and a Bachelor's in Linguistics and Literature from the University of Tirana, Albania.

Her research focuses on linguistic endangerment, diaspora communities, and post-socialist migration, with a particular emphasis on Albanian, Italian, Arbëresh, and Arvanitika languages. She has conducted postdoctoral research on linguistic representation in Kosovar media and served as a Fulbright Scholar in Albania (2014). Her work explores media's role in ethnic conflict and the sociopolitical dimensions of language preservation.

Publications include the 2023 book Endangered Languages in the 21st Century and a forthcoming volume on Language and Minorities in Europe. Her research has been featured in academic journals and international conferences. Notable awards include the Fulbright Scholar Award (2013).

Eda combines academic roles with professional experience as a journalist for Deutsche Welle and continues writing cultural/political commentary in Albanian media. She is actively engaged with communities in Albania, Kosovo, Italy, and beyond.