Nadia Guessous

Nadia Guessous is an Associate Professor and Chair in the departments of Arabic, Islamic, & Middle Eastern Studies and Feminist & Gender Studies at Colorado College. Her research focuses on transnational feminist theory, postcolonial/decolonial thought, and critical Muslim/MENA studies. She explores themes such as secular feminism in Morocco, affect and power, and the decolonization of knowledge. Her current book project, The Tragedy of Progress, examines the intersection of postcolonial secular feminism and the legacies of colonial modernity in Morocco.

Education:

• PhD in Anthropology, Columbia University (2011)
• MA in Anthropology, Columbia University (2001)
• BA in Media and Cultural Studies, University of Massachusetts Amherst (1996)

Research Interests:

• Transnational politics of gender/sexuality
• Religion and secularism
• Memory, embodiment, and affect
• Decolonial methodologies

Awards & Fellowships:

• Mellon Postdoctoral Fellow, Rutgers University (2012–2014)
• Recipient of multiple teaching awards at CC

Teaching & Mentorship:

• Known for interdisciplinary courses like Critical Feminist Methodologies and Gender & Sexuality in the Modern Middle East
• Former Visiting Lecturer at Amherst College, Columbia/Barnard, and Princeton