Manal Hamzeh

Dr. Manal Hamzeh is a full Professor and co-founder (2022) of the Department of Borderlands and Ethnic Studies (BEST) at New Mexico State University, serving as director of the BEST Research Center. She pioneered the decolonial research and knowledge creation minor launched in 2024. Her work focuses on decolonial feminist methodologies, borderland solidarity practices, and intersections of gender, sport, and revolution.

Her research explores revolutionary movements (e.g., Egyptian Revolution), anti-colonial sport critiques, and marginalized women’s experiences. Key works include Women Resisting Sexual Violence and the Egyptian Revolution and Pedagogies of DeVeiling. She co-created the graphic documentary Three Women of Tahrir (2022).

Dr. Hamzeh’s scholarship bridges academic and activist spaces, emphasizing transnational solidarity through praxis. Recent articles (2023) address feminist academia under pandemic pressures and MALCS’ 40th anniversary. Her work spans multiple continents, connecting Palestinian solidarity to Mexico-US border struggles, and critiques FIFA’s policies targeting Muslim athletes.

Her pedagogical innovations include co-teaching frameworks between Arab and Mexican feminists, and developing curriculum around Muslim girls’ bodily autonomy. The BEST Research Center under her leadership focuses on decolonizing knowledge systems through art, testimonios, and participatory methods.