Filtered by: Middle Eastern Studies Program
Review - ‘On the Record: Papers, Immigration, and Legal Advocacy’
Part-time instructor of anthropology Fethi Keles's review of the book On the Record: Papers, Immigration, and Legal Advocacy, written by Susan Bibler Coutin, was published in the International Journal of Refugee Law.
See related: U.S. Immigration, United States
Khalil Explains a Potential Peace Deal Between the US and Iran on News4JAX
“I think this idea that the Iranians are going to turn uranium over is really posturing. They're not going to turn the uranium over. What they may be willing to do is actually downgrade the uranium to a certain level under UN or international auspices and the United States is going to have to agree to that,” says Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program.
Koch Featured in KJZZ Article on Camels Paving the Way for Route 66 in Arizona
“This is a story of how Arizona was colonized. It’s kind of cute, it’s funny. There’s a little pyramid with a camel on top. It seems innocuous, but that’s the violence of the colonial project,” says Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment and native of Tuscon, Arizona.
See related: Colonialism, Conflict, Government, Infrastructure, United States
Khalil Speaks With News4JAX About the War in Iran
“There is room for negotiation on the nuclear program. But one of the things Iran is looking for is the following: they want the United States to agree, or at least to recognize, its right—Iran's right—too enrich uranium under the nuclear non-proliferation agreement that Iran signed and other countries have signed,” says Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program.
Fethi Keles Receives Middle Eastern Studies Program 2026 Teaching Recognition Award
The award was established in 2016 to recognize excellence in teaching and to appreciate indispensable contributions of our faculty to enhancement of knowledge of the Middle East and North Africa region.
See related: Awards & Honors, Middle East & North Africa
Khalil Quoted in Clarín Article on the Middle East Ceasefire
Koch Talks to Washington Post About Saudi Arabia’s Record Donation to the Smithsonian National Zoo
“An easy way to show that you are waving the Saudi flag in an appropriate way and in a way that supports the country and its investments and its interests is by doing that in D.C. in particular,” says Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment.
See related: Government, International Affairs, Middle East & North Africa, Washington, D.C.
Herrold Cited in Boston Globe Article on Reviving In-Person Engagement Skills
Catherine Herrold, associate professor of public administration and international affairs, along with Khaldoun AbouAssi from American University, report that locally based supportive groups strengthen the civic skills that sustain free societies.
See related: Non-governmental Organizations, United States
Khalil Discusses the War in Iran and Trump’s Legacy With the National News Desk, Spectrum News
“Having been attacked twice in less than a year by the United States and Israel, including the assassinations of a significant number of political, military and religious leaders, Iran is determined to reestablish deterrence,” says Osamah Khali, professor of history.
Khalil Discusses the Tensions in the Middle East, Negotiations Between the US and Iran With CBS News
“The Iranians have indicated...that they are willing to have a deal. What they want are their rights to enrich uranium that are guaranteed under the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), that any country who signed on the the NPT has. But the Trump administration is insisting that there be no enrichment at all,” says Osamah Khalil, professor of history.
Robert Rubinstein Receives Distinguished Service Award
The Maxwell professor will receive the honor at the Society for Applied Anthropology’s annual meeting in March 2026.
See related: Awards & Honors
Gap Analysis in Therapeutic Services for Birthing Individuals with Perinatal Mental Health Disorders
Published in Social Work in Public Health, the article was co-authored by Robert Rubinstein, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology; Sanda Lane, professor emerita of public health; and Brittany Kmush, associate professor of public health.
See related: Education, Maternal and Child Health, Mental Health, New York State
Cultural Awareness for Peace Operations Personnel
Robert Rubinstein, Distinguished Professor of Anthropology and professor of international relations, has co-authored the textbook Cultural Awareness for Peace Operations Personnel to accompany a course of the same name offered by the Peace Operations Training Institute in Richmond, Virginia.
See related: International Affairs
Khalil Discusses Phase Two of the Gaza Peace Plan With CBS News
“We're still not very close to phase two coming into place. Hamas is unlikely to disarm willingly and Israel is not going to be able to disarm them,” says Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program.
Koch’s Insights Featured in Channel News Asia Story on Mongolia’s Plan to Move its Capital City
Mongolia’s leaders plan to move the nation’s capital from increasingly congested Ulaanbaatar to the culturally-significant yet undeveloped area called Kharkhorum. But Natalie Koch, professor of geography and the environment, says, “Buildings on a blank slate, it's a lovely image, but it doesn't solve any of those bigger structural issues in a state."
See related: Central Asia, Sustainability
Review: African Witchcraft and Global Asylum Seeking: Border-Crossing Beliefs
Part-time instructor of anthropology Fethi Keles's review of the book African Witchcraft and Global Asylum Seeking: Border-Crossing Beliefs, written by Katherine Angela Luongo, was published in the International Journal of Refugee Law.
Khalil Quoted in PolitiFact Article on President Trump’s Speech in Israel
Osamah Khalil, professor of history and expert on the modern Middle East, says it’s untrue that Obama or Biden “held a personal animus toward Israel, especially Biden. Indeed, both administrations oversaw expansions in U.S. military assistance and coordination with Israel.”
Belief, Behavior, and Health: Religion as a Social Determinant of Health
Sandra D. Lane, professor emerita of public health, has written Belief, Behavior, and Health: Religion as a Social Determinant of Health (Routledge, 2025). The book details how religious beliefs across cultures impact health outcomes. It draws from research from the United States as well as Africa and the Middle East.
Sidi Moumen Community Case Study
“Using a Community-Based Cultural Approach to Promote Life Skills and Leadership for Social Determinants of Health in Adolescents From Disadvantaged Communities in Casablanca, Morocco: A Sidi Moumen Community Case Study,” co-authored by Maxwell professors Robert Rubinstein and Sandra Lane, was published in BMC Public Health.
See related: Children, Adolescents, Income, Middle East & North Africa
Khalil Quoted in HuffPost Article on World Leaders Recognizing a Palestinian State
“Unless the decision is followed by a renewed and robust peace negotiations that bring an end to Israel’s war in Gaza as well as the settlement and annexation policies in the occupied West Bank, recognition will be too little and far too late,” says Osamah Khalil, chair of the International Relations Undergraduate Program.