معرفی
William Lafi Youmans is a Visiting Associate Professor in Residence at Northwestern University in Qatar, specializing in global media, transnationalism, and Middle East politics. His research bridges media industries, technology, and law, with a focus on Arab American communities and diaspora narratives. He holds a PhD and BA from the University of Michigan and a JD from UC Berkeley.
Key projects include the AATV Archive, digitizing ~4,000 videos of Arab American TV (1980s–2000s), and the documentary film Who Killed Alex Odeh?, investigating the unsolved 1985 assassination of Palestinian-American activist Alex Odeh. His book Unlikely Audience: Al Jazeera's Struggle in America (Oxford UP) analyzes Al Jazeera's failed entry into the U.S. news market.
Research awards include the ISA Best Paper Award for work on Arab Detroit's media landscape. He collaborates with institutions like George Washington University and the University of Maryland, supported by grants from the Institute for Middle East Studies and others.
