U.S. Faculty Development Seminar Participants

2023 brought two groups of U.S. professors to Palestine who had reflected thoughtfully on how they might contribute to Palestine and thus were well prepared to engage with Palestinian colleagues at universities and civil society organizations. Many productive collaborations have already sprung from this year’s programs and more are in the works. As always, the groups experienced the warmth and generosity of Palestinian hospitality and a sincere eagerness to connect. Though both groups witnessed the ever-increasing settler violence and military presence in Jerusalem and the West Bank, in contrast, the second group had the delight of attending three evenings of the well-known Palestine Festival of Literature.

2023 Faculty Development Seminar Participants – April

Nick Cuneo
Assistant Professor of Pediatrics
Bloomberg School of Public Health, Johns Hopkins University
Lilly Padia
Assistant Professor of Raciolinguistic Justice
Erikson Institute
Brock Cutler
Associate Professor of History
Radford University
Lisa Rofel
Professor Emeritus of Cultural Anthropology
University of California, Santa Cruz
Donald L. Donham
Professor Emeritus in Anthropology
University of California, Davis
Danya Al-Saleh
Assistant Professor of International Studies
University of Washington
Christabel Devadoss
Assistant Professor of Global Studies
Tennessee State University
Ramya Vijaya
Professor of Economics
Stockton University
Lila Kazemian
Professor in Sociology
John Jay College of Criminal Justice, CUNY
Melinda Zependa
Professor of English
Northwest Vista College
Stacy Kowtko
Professor of History
Spokane Community College
 

2023 Faculty Development Seminar Participants – May

Karen Barton
Professor of Geography, GIS, & Sustainability
University of Northern Colorado
Ramah McKay
Environmental and Ecological Economies
University of Pennsylvania
Cinder Cooper-Barnes
Professor of English & Global Humanities
Montgomery College
Kimberly Monroe
Associate Professor of Global Affairs
Trinity Washington University
Benjamin Davis
Post Doctoral Fellow in African American Studies
Saint Louis University
Ken Saldanha
Social Work
Eastern Michigan University
Erik DeLuca
Associate Professor of Art Education
Massachusetts College of Art and Design
Benjamin Schreier
Professor of English and Jewish Studies
Pennsylvania State University
Damla Isik
Professor of Anthropology
Regis University
Joshua Schreier
Professor of History
Vassar College
Kafia Haile
Assistant Professor of Film Production
Clayton State University
Molly Slavin
Assistant Professor of English
Clark Atlanta University

We were grateful to travel again after such a long pandemic hiatus. It was good to be back on the ground and bringing two groups of U.S. professors new to Palestine for our intensive, two-week program. We added one day to the program to explore more of Ramallah. Though our trips coincided with a good deal of upheaval, we were warmly welcomed by our Palestinian hosts at five universities and eight civil society organizations. Many of the professors on the program came well prepared to engage with their Palestinian colleagues to plan collaborative projects for the future. At the end of one of the trips, we asked the group how many of them thought they would return to Palestine. We were deeply gratified when every hand in the group went up!

2022 Faculty Development Seminar Participants – May

Siraj Ahmed
Professor of English
Lehman College and Graduate Center,
City University of New York
Michelle Pinto
Assistant Professor in the Intellectual Heritage Program
Temple University
Nouf Bazaz
Clinical Assistant Professor in Counseling
Loyola University Maryland
Martha Schoolman
Associate Professor of English
Florida International University
Michaelle Browers
Professor and Chair of Politics and International Affairs
Wake Forest University
Marika Snider
Assistant Professor of Architecture
University of Memphis
Hafsa Kanjwal
Assistant Professor of History
Lafayette College, PA
Patrick Stawski
Human Rights Archivist
Duke University
Robin Kirk
Co-Chair of the Duke Human Rights Center
Duke University
Marcela Vásquez-León
Associate Professor of Anthropology
University of Arizona
Jeffrey McCully
Associate Professor of Sociology
Moraine Valley Community College
Beverly Wagner
BSW Program Director, Assistant Professor of Social Work
University of Maine, Presque Isle
Ellen Olmstead
Chair of English Department
Montgomery College, MD

2022 Faculty Development Seminar Participants – June

Bidisha Biswas
Professor of Political Science
Western Washington University
Christine Farias
Environmental and Ecological Economies
Borough of Manhattan Community College,
City University of New York
Brian J. Bowe
Associate Professor of Journalism
Western Washington University
Gerard Farias
Associate Professor of Sustainability
Farleigh Dickinson University
Jordan Brasher
Assistant Professor of Geography
Columbus State University
Mindi McMann
English Literature
The College of New Jersey
Iyko Day
Professor of English
Mount Holyoke College
Stuart Parker
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Kingsborough Community College,
City University of New York
Sanket Desai
Professor of History
Montgomery County Community College, PA

This year witnessed PARC’s new commitment to offer two Faculty Seminars every summer: in even years we will have an FDS and a Media Seminar, and in odd years we will offer two FDS programs. 2019 saw 23 U.S. professors come with PARC to Palestine, one group in April and one in June. The April group had quite a special program since our dates coincided with Easter! The group witnessed a variety of celebrations and festivities, including the Holy Fire Parade (Sabt al-Nour) in Ramallah, and visited the Church of the Holy Sepulcher with throngs of pilgrims from around the world. It was a very different experience from most of our FDS groups. The June group made special stops near the Dead Sea to a Bedouin village and a Palestinian salt factory, and took a bus tour around the close environs of Jerusalem, a new addition to our program.

2019 Faculty Development Seminar Participants – April

Jenna Altomonte
Assistant Professor of Art History
Mississippi State University
Richard Stahler-Sholk
Professor of Political Science
Eastern Michigan University
David Embrick
Associate Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies
University of Connecticut
Bhoomi Thakore
Assistant Professor of Sociology
University of Central Florida
Brooke Lober
Adjunct Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies
Sonoma State University
Sandra Weissinger
Associate Professor of Sociology
Southern Illinois University
Mary Mullen
Assistant Professor of English and Irish Studies
Villanova University
Janet Winston
Associate Professor of English
Humboldt State University
Emily O’Dell
Resident Fellow of Law and Islamic Law and Civilization
Yale University
Stephen Wooten
Director of Food Studies
University of Oregon
Kent Schull
Associate Professor of History
Binghamton University,
State University of New York
Nunotte Zama
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice
Roxbury Community College

2019 Faculty Development Seminar Participants – June

Shanya Cordis
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Columbia University
Mahruq Khan
Associate Professor of Women, Gender, Sexuality Studies
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
Molly Doane
Associate Professor of Anthropology
University of Illinois at Chicago
Carina Ray
Associate Professor of African and African-American Studies
Brandeis University
Connie Etter
Assistant Professor of Honors and Justice Studies
Westminster College
Malini Schueller
Professor of English
University of Florida
Rodney Ferrao
Assistant Professor of English & Asian and Pacific Islander American Studies
College of William and Mary
Beverly Tsacoyianis
Assistant Professor of History
University of Memphis
Ellen Fitzpatrick
Associate Professor of Economics, Interdisciplinary Institute
Merrimack College
Christopher Wise
Professor of English and Comparative Literature
Western Washington University
Priya Kandaswamy
Department Head of Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Mills College

Our FDS group this year had 12 U.S. professors with strong representation from anthropology and English Literature. Fields of study also included sociology; political science; clinical psychology; and African American, Indigenous, Environmental, Asian, and Chicana/o Studies. These professors represented eight states and the District of Columbia. Our Palestinian colleagues especially appreciated the opportunity to interact with such a diverse group of U.S. scholars. In particular, U.S. and Palestinian scholars shared ideas on the themes of walls, prisons, and trauma, which spurred us all to think more deeply about how these topics intersect in the United States and Palestine.

2018 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Orisanmi Burton
Assistant Professor of Social Anthropology, Prisons, Race, Social Movements
American University
Mark Minch-de Leon
Assistant Professor of English and Indigenous and Native American Studies
University of California, Riverside
Maura Finkelstein
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Muhlenberg College
Daniel Segal
Professor of Anthropology and History
Pitzer College
Melanie Hernandez
Assistant Professor of English, Comparative Chicana/o and African American Studies
California State University, Fresno
Robert Soza
Faculty of English and Ethnic Studies
Chandler-Gilbert Community College
Matt Hooley
Assistant Professor in Native American and Indigenous Studies Department
Dartmouth College
Karen Suyemoto
Professor of Clinical Psychology, Ethnic Studies/Asian American Studies, Transnational Cultural and Community Studies
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Patrisia Macias-Rojas
Assistant Professor of Sociology, Latin American, and Latino Studies
University of Illinois, Chicago
Johnny E. Williams
Professor of Sociology
Trinity College
Tinaz Pavri
Division Chair for Social Sciences and Education, Chair of Asian Studies Program
Spelman College
Cynthia A. Young
Department Head of African American Studies
Pennsylvania State University

Eleven U.S. professors who represented a variety of disciplines including History; Geography; Anthropology; African American and African Diaspora Studies; Political Science; Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies; and Earth and the Environment joined PARC’s eighth annual Faculty Development Seminar (FDS). Our Palestinian colleagues were delighted to receive such a diverse group of U.S. scholars. This year we conducted our first outreach to U.S. community colleges, which we will be continuing for next year. Our FDS provides a unique opportunity to make connections with Palestine colleagues, an important feature of this program that we will continue to emphasize with future groups.

2017 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Charity Butcher
Assistant Professor of Political Science and International Affairs
Kennesaw State University
Dereka Rushbrook
Associate Professor of Geography and Development
University of Arizona
Anneeth Kaur Hundle
Assistant Professor of Socio-cultural Anthropology, Humanities and World Cultures
University of California, Merced
James Strick
Chair of Science, Technology, and Society Program and Associate Professor of Earth and the Environment
Franklin and Marshall College
Mary Jo Klinker
Assistant Professor of Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Winona State University
Melissa Weiner
Associate Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
College of the Holy Cross
Courtney Desiree Morris
Assistant Professor of African American and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies
Pennsylvania State University
Aubrey Westfall
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Wheaton College
Jasbir Puar
Associate Professor of Women’s and Gender Studies, American Studies, Disability Studies
Rutgers University
Jakobi Williams
Associate Professor of African American and African Diaspora Studies, History
Indiana University, Bloomington
Gregory Rabb
Professor of Political Science and Global Education
Jamestown Community College

Eleven U.S. professors who represented a variety of disciplines including Law, Religious Studies, Theatre, History, Sociology, Anthropology, Political Science, English and American Studies, joined PARC’s seventh annual Faculty Development Seminar (FDS). This year, we added to our established program in Jerusalem and the West Bank, an enriching trip to Haifa. Indeed, the day was so successful that going forward we plan to include Haifa as a regular part of our FDS program. With the many both varied and interesting outcomes from this program, enthusiasm remains strong for hosting a new group in 2017

2016 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Kevin Brown
Richard S. Melvin Professor of Law
Indiana University
Rachael Stryker
Associate Professor of Human Development and Women’s Studies
California State University, East Bay
Jennifer Carrera
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Michigan State University
Russell Vandenbroucke
Professor of Theatre Arts and Peace, Conflict, and Social Justice Studies
University of Louisville
King Downing
Adjunct Professor of Business and Human Rights Attorney
Essex Community College
Jennifer Veninga
Assistant Professor of Religious and Theological Studies
St. Edwards University
Stephen Hall
Assistant Professor of History
Alcorn State University
Beverly Voloshin
Professor of English and American Literature
San Francisco State University
Gina Hens-Piazza
Professor of Religious Studies and Theology
Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University
Dorothy Wang
Associate Professor of American Studies
Williams College
Joshua Stacher
Associate Professor of Political Science
Kent State University

PARC’s sixth annual Faculty Development Seminar was composed of eleven U.S. professors who represented a variety of disciplines with strong representation in American Studies, and our first group members in Economics, Law, Theatre and Religious Studies. Once again we had strong minority participation, as well as our first professor of Native American origins. Three minority serving institutions (MSIs) were also represented. With our sixth year of this program, our U.S. professors and their Palestinian colleagues were poised to forge strong connections in their work. Our program included meetings with faculty members and administrative personnel at five Palestinian university campuses, guided tours of four Old Cities in the West Bank, and visits to Palestinian research and cultural organizations. With enthusiasm strong for continuing this program, PARC looks forward to hosting a new group in 2016.

2015 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Radhika Balakrishnan
Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Women’s and Gender Studies
Rutgers University
Doug Kiel
Assistant Professor of History
Northwestern University
Karma Chavez
Associate Professor of Mexican American & Latina/o Studies
University of Texas
Barbara Lewis
Associate Professor of English and Director of William Monroe Trotter Institute for the Study of Black History and Culture
University of Massachusetts, Boston
Ira Dworkin
Associate Professor of English
Texas A&M University
Karla McKanders
Clinical Professor of Law
Vanderbilt University
James Heintz
Professor of Economics and Research Professor at the Political Economy Research Institute
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
Soraya Mekerta
Associate Professor of World Languages and Literature and Director of African Diaspora and the World Program
Spelman College
Erica Caple James
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Elizabeth Ursic
Professor of Religious Studies
Mesa Community College
J. Kehaulani Kauanui
Associate Professor of American Studies
and Anthropology
Wesleyan University

PARC’s fifth annual Faculty Development Seminar was composed of ten U.S. professors who represented a variety of disciplines from Anthropology, Art History, and Literature to Geography and Cultural Studies. This year’s group witnessed strong minority participation, as well as the first professor from an Hispanic-serving institution, and our second professor from an Asian American/Native American/Pacific Islander-serving institution. We look forward to our Palestinian colleagues forging working relationships with a diverse array of U.S. colleges and universities. The U.S. professors attended meetings with faculty members and administrative personnel at five Palestinian university campuses and toured historic sites in four West Bank cities. This year’s activities embraced a wide range of topics from culture to education and included a round table discussion and visits to several Palestinian NGOs and research institutions. Recognizing the enthusiasm for this program among all past participants, PARC looks forward to continuing the program in 2015.

2014 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Kerry Chance
Assistant Professor of Geography & Anthropology
University of Bergan
Sarah Roberts
Assistant Professor of Information & Media Studies
Western University, Canada
Erika Derkas
Associate Professor of Sociology & Women’s Studies
New Mexico Highlands University
Amy Ross
Associate Professor of Geography & Human Rights
University of Georgia
Nilda Flores-Gonzales
Associate Director and Professor of Sociology
Arizona State University
Greg Thomas
Associate Professor of English & African Studies
Tufts University
Elisabeth Friedman
Assistant Professor of Art History & Visual Culture
Illinois State University
Neha Vora
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Lafayette College
Maimuna Islam
Associate Professor of English in World Literatures, Postcolonial & Contemporary Fiction
The College of Idaho
Craig Willse
Assistant Professor of Cultural/Urban Studies
George Mason University

PARC’s fourth annual Faculty Development Seminar was composed of ten US professors including a variety of disciplines from Anthropology to Public Health. This year’s program witnessed strong representation from Historically Black Colleges and Universities, something PARC is committed to continuing in the coming years. The group attended meetings with faculty members and administrative personnel at five university campuses and toured historic sites in a number of cities. This year’s activities embraced a wide range of topics from culture to economics and included round table discussions and attendance at musical performances and a book launch. Recognizing the enthusiasm for this program among all past participants, PARC hopes to expand the program in 2014.

2013 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Christopher Daniels
Assistant Professor of Political Science
Florida A&M University
Starr Sage
Assistant Professor of Public Health
University of Minnesota, Rochester
Tiffany Davis
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Chicago State University
Susan Shepler
Assistant Professor of International Peace & Conflict Resolution
American University
Cynthia Franklin
Professor of English
University of Hawai’i
Diana Stover Tillinghast
Professor of Journalism & Mass Communications
San Jose State University
Byron D’Andra Orey
Department Chair and Professor of Political Science
Jackson State University
Kamala Visweswaran
Professor of Ethnic Studies
University of California, San Diego
Robert Ross
Assistant Professor of Global Cultural Studies
Point Park University
Erica Lorraine Williams
Assistant Professor of Sociology & Anthropology
Spelman College

For its third annual Faculty Development Seminar (FDS), PARC was delighted to bring to the West Bank nine U.S. faculty members, including, for the first time, three faculty members from Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Participants met with Palestinian colleagues at five academic institutions including Birzeit University, Bethlehem University, Hebron University, an-Najah University, and Al-Quds University. In addition the group visited several Palestinian NGOs, had an in depth tour of the Haram al-Sharif, and saw Palestine’s first Science Discovery Center at Al-Quds University. This faculty group looks particularly promising in terms of developing cooperative projects with Palestinian colleagues in various fields of study. As in previous years, these U.S. professors will bring their experiences back to their U.S. campuses, using what they have seen and learned to infuse existing courses with new material as well as develop new courses. Given the success of this and previous years, PARC looks forward to hosting another FDS program in 2013.

2012 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Lisa Adeli
Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Middle Eastern Studies
University of Arizona
Lanisa Kitchiner
Program Manager in International Affairs Center
Howard University
Nita Sue Currey
Professor of Communications
St. Edward’s University
Jack McTague
Professor of History
Saint Leo University
Adenike Davidson
Department Chair and Professor of English
Delaware State University
Kim Shively
Professor of Anthropology & Sociology
Kutztown University
Susan Hume
Professor of Geography
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
Pamela Waldron-Moore
Professor of Political Science & International Relations
Xavier University
Katie Kane
Associate Professor of English
University of Montana

In May 2011, PARC had the privilege of leading 10 U.S. faculty members, representing diverse fields of academia and an interesting cross-section of U.S. colleges and universities, on our second Faculty Development Seminar (FDS). This academic exploration of Jerusalem and the West Bank included in-depth site visits to five Palestinian universities and guided tours of the historic old cities of Jerusalem, Nablus, and Hebron. The group also participated in a roundtable discussion with Palestinian scholars and visited several Palestinian NGOs, ranging from a research center to a music school. The participants sustained their enthusiasm and motivation throughout the Seminar and particularly benefited from individual meetings with Palestinian colleagues in their respective fields. Outgrowths of the FDS include: published articles and blog posts about the FDS experiences (see below), new courses developed integrating the lessons learned on the FDS, lectures and talks to local U.S. communities, joint research projects, and visits by Palestinian colleagues to U.S. campuses. With these indicators of success, PARC plans to continue hosting the FDS program annually.

2011 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Afshan Bokhari
Assistant Professor of Art History
Suffolk University
Persis Karim
Associate Professor of English & Comparative Literature
San Fransisco State University
Craig Campbell
Associate Professor of Public Safety Management
St. Edward’s University
Elizabeth Kolsky
Associate Professor of History
Villanova University
Chris Corley
Honors Program Director and Associate Professor of History
Minnesota State University, Mankato
Christopher Lee
Associate Professor of History
Lafayette College
Denise DeGarmo
Department Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
Jess White
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Western Illinois University
John Ferré
Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Communication
University of Louisville
Charles Zerner
Professor of Environmental Studies
Sarah Lawrence College

PARC’s inaugural Faculty Development Seminar took place from May 22-May 31, 2010 in Jerusalem and the West Bank. This dynamic new program is designed to expose 10 U.S. professors from a variety of disciplines to Palestine and Palestinian studies. The group was composed of 10 U.S. scholars from a variety of disciplines, and was led by Executive Director Penelope Mitchell and PARC’s Palestine Director Hadeel Qazzaz. During the Seminar, the group toured and met with professors and administrators at five West Bank universities and had presentations and discussions at several Palestinian NGOs. They also visited some of the most significant points of interest in the area, thereby witnessing everyday life in Jerusalem and the West Bank. Through their experiences during the Seminar, these professors are excited about the possibility of working cooperatively with their Palestinian colleagues and incorporating lessons learned into their scholarship and teaching. Indeed, some of the professors plan to publish articles about their experiences, others plan to invite Palestinian colleagues to their campuses to speak, and significant joint research with Palestinian academics is already beginning. The reception to the Seminar was even better than we anticipated, and we are confident that we chose worthy scholars whose future teaching and scholarship will demonstrate the impact of this experience. In that vein, all of the participants highly encouraged PARC to repeat this project in coming years.

2010 Faculty Development Seminar Participants

Michael Daher
Director of Arab Cultural Studies Program and Professor of English
Henry Ford Community College
Gail Sahar
Associate Provost and Professor of Psychology
Wheaton College (MA)
Allen Fromherz
Assistant Professor of History
Georgia State University
Yasmin Saikia
Hardt-Nickachos Chair in Peace Studies at the Center for the Study of Religion & Conflict and Professor of History
Arizona State University
Jacqueline Guzda
Visiting Professor of Communication
Western Connecticut State University
Mahasin Saleh
Associate Professor of Social Work
University of North Texas
Amy Kaplan
Edward W. Kane Professor of English
University of Pennsylvania
Christopher Stone
Head of Arabic Program and Associate Professor of Classical & Oriental Studies Hunter College, City University of New York
Heidi Morrison
Assistant Professor of History
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
Lucian Stone
Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Religion
University of North Dakota