Kara A. Peruccio

Kara A. Peruccio serves as Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, & Sexuality Studies and History at the University of Maine, holding a joint appointment between the Department of History and the Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program.

Her academic credentials include:

• PhD in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, University of Chicago (2020)
• MA in Middle Eastern Studies, University of Chicago Center for Middle Eastern Studies (2014)
• BA with Honors in History, Wake Forest University (2011), minoring in Italian and Women’s and Gender Studies

Specializing in the history of the modern Middle East and Mediterranean, Dr. Peruccio’s research critically examines women’s movements, cultural history, and the intersection of emotions with authoritarian gender politics. Her comparative work focuses on interwar Mediterranean societies, particularly analyzing Fascist Italy and Kemalist Turkey through women’s literary contributions to reveal how state power shaped gendered emotional experiences.

Her distinguished recognition includes:

• Fulbright English Teaching Assistantship in Uşak, Turkey (2011-2012)
• Humanities Teaching Fellowship at the University of Chicago (2020-2021)

Dr. Peruccio teaches foundational courses including History of the Mediterranean World (1789-present), The Global First World War, and Introduction to Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, though no current advising relationships or grant funding details are publicly documented.