Houman Oliaei

Houman Oliaei is an Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Babson College's History & Society division. He holds a PhD in Anthropology from Brandeis University and an MA from the University of Tehran. His research focuses on migration, statelessness, and humanitarianism, particularly examining the experiences of Yazidis displaced by ISIS and Middle Eastern asylum seekers at the U.S.-Mexico border.

Education: PhD and MA in Anthropology (Brandeis University), MA and BA in Anthropology (University of Tehran).

Research interests include the anthropology of citizenship, humanitarian governance, and the politics of recognition. His first book project, Yazidis on the Margins of Humanity, analyzes displacement, humanitarian responses, and struggles for recognition among Yazidis in post-ISIS Iraq. His second project investigates legal and bureaucratic systems affecting Middle Eastern asylum seekers' mobility.

Recent presentations include discussions on Yazidi IDPs' citizenship challenges, humanitarian temporality, and sectarianism in the Middle East. He has moderated workshops on race and racism pedagogy.

Labs/Teams: Collaborates with Yazda Global Organization on genocide-related research and contributes to interdisciplinary projects on displacement and human rights.