U.S. Faculty Development Seminar on Palestine
2022 Faculty Development Seminar on Palestine Travel Fellowships
Two program dates: May 19 - May 31, 2022 or June 16 - June 28, 2022 in Jerusalem and the West Bank
Applications due December 20, 2021
Awards announced February 22, 2022
The Palestinian American Research Center (PARC) announces its 13th annual Faculty Development Seminar (FDS) on Palestine competition for U.S. faculty members with a demonstrated interest in, but little travel experience to, Palestine. Applicants may come from any field of study. The program will host 10 to 12 U.S. faculty members to participate in roundtable discussions; visits to Palestinian universities, research institutes, and cultural institutions; tours of historic cities; as well as meetings with Palestinian colleagues. Through these activities, participants will learn about the region, deepen their knowledge about their fields of interest in Palestine, and build relationships with Palestinian colleagues and institutions.
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 arts, 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 other projects to benefit Palestinian colleagues and institutions.
- Be a member of PARC. Visit the PARC membership page for more information.
PARC will make all arrangements for the program, including hotel, site visits, tours, and meetings with Palestinian colleagues. PARC will cover all expenses for in-country, group ground travel, accommodations, and group meals. International travel and personal and free day expenses will be the responsibility of each faculty member and/or her/his/their 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 three travel stipends up to $1,000 each for airfare for professors from Minority Serving Institutions and/or Community Colleges.
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 be directed to our online application system.
2019 Faculty Development Seminars
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
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Richard Stahler-Sholk
Professor of Political Science Eastern Michigan University
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David Embrick
Associate Professor of Sociology and Africana Studies
University of Connecticut |
Bhoomi Thakore
Assistant Professor of Sociology
University of Central Florida
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Brooke Lober
Adjunct Professor of Women's and Gender Studies
Sonoma State University |
Sandra Weissinger
Associate Professor of Sociology Southern Illinois University
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Mary Mullen
Assistant Professor of English and Irish Studies Villanova University
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Janet Winston
Associate Professor of English Humboldt State University
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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 Birmingham University, State University of New York
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Nunotte Zama
Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Roxbury Community College
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2019 Faculty Development Seminar Participants – June
Shanya Cordis
Assistant Professor of Sociology and Anthropology
Spelman College
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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
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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
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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
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2018 Faculty Development Seminar
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
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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 Mesa Community College |
Matt Hooley
Assistant Professor of English Literature, Indigenous Studies, Environmental Studies, American Studies Clemson University |
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 |
2017 Faculty Development Seminar
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
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Dereka Rushbrook
Associate Professor of Geography and Development University of Arizona
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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
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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
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Courtney Desiree Morris
Assistant Professor of African American and Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Pennsylvania State University
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Aubrey Westfall
Assistant Professor of Political Science Wheaton College
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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
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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
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Jennifer Carrera
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Michigan State University
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Russell Vandenbroucke
Professor of Theatre Arts and Peace, Conflict, and Social Justice Studies
University of Louisville
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King Downing
Adjunct Professor of Business and Human Rights Attorney
Essex Community College
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Jennifer Veninga
Assistant Professor of Religious and Theological Studies
St. Edwards University
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Stephen Hall
Assistant Professor of History
Alcorn State University
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Beverly Voloshin
Professor of English and American Literature
San Francisco State University
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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
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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
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Doug Kiel
Assistant Professor of History
Northwestern University
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Karma Chavez
Associate Professor of Mexican American & Latina/o Studies
University of Texas
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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
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Ira Dworkin
Associate Professor of English
Texas A&M University
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Karla McKanders
Clinical Professor of Law
Vanderbilt University
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James Heintz
Professor of Economics and Research Professor at the Political Economy Research Institute
University of Massachusetts, Amherst
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Soraya Mekerta
Associate Professor of World Languages and Literature and Director of African Diaspora and the World Program
Spelman College
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Erica Caple James
Associate Professor of Anthropology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
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Elizabeth Ursic
Professor of Religious Studies
Mesa Community College |
J. Kehaulani Kauanui
Associate Professor of American Studies
and Anthropology
Wesleyan University
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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
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Sarah Roberts
Assistant Professor of Information & Media Studies
Western University, Canada
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Erika Derkas
Associate Professor of Sociology & Women's Studies
New Mexico Highlands University
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Amy Ross
Associate Professor of Geography & Human Rights
University of Georgia
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Nilda Flores-Gonzales
Associate Director and Professor of Sociology
Arizona State University
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Greg Thomas
Associate Professor of English & African Studies
Tufts University
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Elisabeth Friedman
Assistant Professor of Art History & Visual Culture
Illinois State University
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Neha Vora
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Lafayette College
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Maimuna Islam
Associate Professor of English in World Literatures, Postcolonial & Contemporary Fiction
The College of Idaho
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Craig Willse
Assistant Professor of Cultural/Urban Studies
George Mason University
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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
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Starr Sage
Assistant Professor of Public Health
University of Minnesota, Rochester
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Tiffany Davis
Assistant Professor of Sociology
Chicago State University
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Susan Shepler
Assistant Professor of International Peace & Conflict Resolution
American University
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Cynthia Franklin
Professor of English
University of Hawai'i
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Diana Stover Tillinghast
Professor of Journalism & Mass Communications
San Jose State University
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Byron D'Andra Orey
Department Chair and Professor of Political Science
Jackson State University
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Kamala Visweswaran
Professor of Ethnic Studies
University of California, San Diego
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Robert Ross
Assistant Professor of Global Cultural Studies
Point Park University
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Erica Lorraine Williams
Assistant Professor of Sociology & Anthropology
Spelman College
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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
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Lanisa Kitchiner
Program Manager in International Affairs Center
Howard University
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Nita Sue Currey
Professor of Communications
St. Edward's University
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Jack McTague
Professor of History
Saint Leo University
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Adenike Davidson
Department Chair and Professor of English
Delaware State University
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Kim Shively
Professor of Anthropology & Sociology
Kutztown University
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Susan Hume
Professor of Geography
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
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Pamela Waldron-Moore
Professor of Political Science & International Relations
Xavier University
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Katie Kane
Associate Professor of English
University of Montana
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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
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Persis Karim
Associate Professor of English & Comparative Literature
San Jose State University
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Craig Campbell
Associate Professor of Public Safety Management
St. Edward's University
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Elizabeth Kolsky
Associate Professor of History
Villanova University
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Chris Corley
Honors Program Director and Associate Professor of History
Minnesota State University, Mankato
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Christopher Lee
Associate Professor of History
Lafayette College
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Denise DeGarmo
Department Chair and Associate Professor of Political Science
Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville
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Jess White
Assistant Professor of Anthropology
Western Illinois University
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John Ferré
Associate Dean of Arts & Sciences and Professor of Communication
University of Louisville
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Charles Zerner
Professor of Environmental Studies
Sarah Lawrence College
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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
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Gail Sahar
Associate Provost and Professor of Psychology
Wheaton College (MA)
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Allen Fromherz
Assistant Professor of History
Georgia State University
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Yasmin Saikia
Hardt-Nickachos Chair in Peace Studies at the Center for the Study of Religion & Conflict and Professor of History
Arizona State University
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Jacqueline Guzda
Visiting Professor of Communication
Western Connecticut State University
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Mahasin Saleh
Associate Professor of Social Work
University of North Texas
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Amy Kaplan
Edward W. Kane Professor of English
University of Pennsylvania
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Christopher Stone
Head of Arabic Program and Associate Professor of Classical & Oriental Studies Hunter College, City University of New York
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Heidi Morrison
Assistant Professor of History
University of Wisconsin, La Crosse
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Lucian Stone
Assistant Professor of Philosophy & Religion
University of North Dakota
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