Karen Culcasi

Karen Culcasi is an Associate Professor of Geography at West Virginia University specializing in political geography, critical cartography, and geopolitics with regional focus on Southwest Asia and North Africa (avoiding the problematic term 'Middle East'), the Arab world, and rural Appalachia. Her research examines contested places and identities through critical and feminist geopolitical frameworks, addressing pressing issues including refugee displacement, Islamophobia, and decolonial approaches to geographic knowledge production.

Her educational foundation includes advanced degrees from Syracuse University's Maxwell School:

• PhD, Maxwell School, Syracuse University
• M.A., Maxwell School, Syracuse University
• B.A., University of Vermont

Dr. Culcasi's scholarship centers on territorial politics, refugee studies, and the geopolitics of maps, with particular attention to Southwest Asia and North Africa and rural West Virginia contexts. Her current research includes a West Virginia Humanities Council-funded project on Islamophobia and Muslim daily life in West Virginia and a Franklin Philosophical Society Grant for archival analysis of historical maps published in Arab-majority states' textbooks since the early 20th century. She teaches courses including Global Sustainability, Geography of Southwest Asia and North Africa, and The Power of Maps.

Her recent publications (2023-2025) reveal a concentrated focus on refugee camp territories, state-territory dynamics, and decolonizing geographic knowledge, with strong emphasis on gendered displacement, critical Muslim geographies, and social media's role in shaping geopolitical narratives. This body of work demonstrates consistent engagement with territoriality, spatial justice, and the politics of representation across diverse contexts.

Dr. Culcasi's scholarly contributions have been recognized with prestigious honors:

• 2023 Meridian Book Prize for Outstanding Scholarship from the American Association of Geographers (for 'Displacing Territory: Syrian and Palestinian Refugees in Jordan')

She has secured significant research funding including a West Virginia Humanities Council grant for her Islamophobia project in West Virginia and a Franklin Philosophical Society Grant for her historical cartography research, demonstrating her ability to secure competitive funding for critical geopolitical inquiry. While specific student advising details are not provided, her extensive publication record and active research agenda indicate substantial mentorship within the discipline.

Dr. Culcasi collaborates across disciplinary boundaries on projects addressing geopolitical tensions in both international and Appalachian contexts, contributing to critical conversations about space, power, and representation through her research, teaching, and public scholarship.