Sherene Seikaly

Sherene Seikaly is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the University of California, Santa Barbara (UCSB), affiliated with the College of Letters and Science. Her research focuses on capitalism, consumption, and development in the modern Middle East, with particular attention to how economic concepts, material practices, and colonial legacies shape political, social, and bodily identities. She holds a Ph.D. from New York University (2007) and has authored works on Palestinian businessmen, colonial reform, and the intersections of class, gender, and state formation.

Her research projects include A History of Poverty in the Arab World (1900–1970) and A Protest of the Poor: On the Political Meaning of the People (1977 Egypt), exploring themes of economic scarcity, revolutionary movements, and marginalized voices. Her publications critically engage with colonial archives, political economy, and the historiography of the Middle East.

Seikaly teaches courses on Middle Eastern history, capitalism, and gender studies. Her recent work examines the interplay between infrastructure, environment, and health in Palestine, as well as the role of archives in shaping historical narratives. She actively critiques neoliberal academic policies and advocates for inclusive pedagogical practices.