Ryan Szpiech

Ryan Szpiech is an Associate Professor at the University of Michigan, affiliated with the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures, Frankel Center for Judaic Studies, and Department of Middle East Studies. He holds a Ph.D. from Yale University (2006) and specializes in medieval Iberian literatures, focusing on cultural interaction between Jews, Christians, and Muslims. His research emphasizes translation, religious conversion, and polemics.

Key roles include Director of the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (2021–2024) and recipient of awards such as the LSA Michigan Humanities Award (2024) and the La Corónica Book Award (2015). His work includes monographs like *Conversion and Narrative* and edited volumes on medieval exegesis and astrolabes. He collaborates internationally, including with Spain’s research groups on transcultural studies and medieval polemics.

Research highlights include projects on 16th-century anti-Islamic polemics, medieval translation practices, and the documentary film *The Birth of Spanish* exploring Alfonso X’s legacy. Grants include leadership of Title VI NRC and FLAS programs for Middle Eastern studies.