PARC - Palestinian American Research Center

The Palestinian American Research Center (PARC) announces its eighth Faculty Development Seminar on Palestine. This 12-day seminar is for U.S. faculty members with a demonstrated interest in, but little travel experience to, Palestine.

PARC will select 10 to 12 U.S. faculty members to participate in Jerusalem-based activities that will include roundtable discussions, tours of historic cities, and visits to local universities, research institutes, and cultural institutions in the West Bank.

Through these activities, participants will learn about the region, deepen their knowledge of their particular fields of interest as they relate to Palestine, and build relationships with Palestinian academic colleagues.

Applicants must:

Be U.S. citizens.
Be full-time faculty members at recognized U.S. colleges or universities. Applicants may come from any academic discipline, including the humanities, social sciences, economics, law, health, and sciences.
Have a demonstrated interest in Palestine.
Have little previous travel experience to Palestine.
Be willing to integrate their experiences from the seminar into their own teaching and/or pursue a joint research project or publication with a Palestinian colleague.
Be a member of PARC. Visit the PARC membership page for more information.

PARC will make all arrangements for the program including site visits, tours, and meetings with Palestinian academic colleagues. PARC will cover all expenses for in-country, group ground travel, accommodations, and group meals. International airfare and personal and free day expenses will be the responsibility of each faculty member and/or his/her university. In cases of demonstrated need, there is limited funding available to cover partial costs for international travel.

Professors from Minority Serving Institutions and Community Colleges are especially encouraged to apply.

PARC will provide up to a $1,000 travel stipend for airfare for two professors from Minority Serving Institutions (MSIs) and one professor from a community college. Funding for these three participants is provided by the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs through an agreement with CAORC.

Click on the box above to view the application and submission instructions.

2016 Faculty Development Seminar

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

2015 Faculty Development Seminar

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 Associate Professor of Law University of Tennessee
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

2014 Faculty Development Seminar

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 Louisiana State University	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 Professor of Sociology and Latin American & Latino Studies University of Illinois at Chicago	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

2013 Faculty Development Seminar

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

Images from the 2012 Faculty Development Seminar

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2012 Faculty Development Seminar

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

Images from the 2011 Faculty Development Seminar

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2011 Faculty Development Seminar

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 Jose 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

Images from the 2010 Faculty Development Seminar

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Inaugural Faculty Development Seminar

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