From the Interim Director's Desk 

Osamah F. Khalil, Associate Professor of History 

The Middle Eastern Studies Program had an active year. It sponsored or co-sponsored a range of activities that were timely and well-attended. These events supported the program’s goal of engaging the entire Syracuse campus and broader community. The program launched two major initiatives this year and both are profiled in this newsletter. In September 2017, the inaugural United States and the World Workshop Series was held. The workshop examined the past, present, and future of U.S.-Iranian and Sino-American relations. In March and April 2018, the program hosted a two-part Spring Symposium that explored the Politics of Gender, Islam, and Islamophobia. Prominent and emerging scholars from the United States and Canada participated in the symposium and presented on their recently published or forthcoming books. This year’s newsletter also has interviews with new and established faculty members as well as the editor of Syracuse University Press, Suzanne Guiod. As demonstrated by the student awards, the program continues to attract excellent undergraduate students to the Middle Eastern Studies major and minor. In addition, a growing number of graduate students across the Syracuse campus are conducting impressive research projects related to the Middle East. Moreover, the program’s affiliated faculty are active in the field and their respective disciplines. In short, the future of Middle Eastern Studies at Syracuse is very promising. A thriving Middle Eastern Studies program would not be possible without the generosity of alumni and friends. Please consider making a tax-deductible contribution at http:// www.maxwell.syr.edu/giving (Please designate “MESP” as the recipient in the comment box). Thank you again for your continuing support of Syracuse’s Middle Eastern Studies Program.