Mikhal Dekel

Mikhal Dekel is a prominent academic at the City University of New York system. Her current roles include:

• Distinguished Professor of English at the City College of New York
• Faculty member at the CUNY Graduate Center
• Director of the Rifkind Center for the Humanities and Arts

Her research focuses on Autobiography and Memoir, Class, Culture, and Politics, Refugees Global/Immigrant Literature, and Literary Theory. She examines how personal narratives intersect with historical and political forces, especially in the context of displacement and migration.

Dr. Dekel has received several honors, including:

• Shelby Cullom Davis Center Fellow (Fall 2025)
• Stuart Z. Katz Professor of Humanities (2021-2022)

She is the author of the book Tehran Children: A Holocaust Refugee Odyssey, which has garnered significant attention. As Director of the Rifkind Center, she promotes innovative humanities scholarship and public programs.