As a historian with major teaching fields in both the medieval and modern Middle East, and substantial background and research in cultural linkages, I am prepared to teach a variety of courses on the Middle East/North Africa, as well as broader courses of interest including world history surveys, and courses focused on the Mediterranean littoral, the Silk Route, and the Indian Ocean.

In teaching, I emphasize the notion of history-as-inquiry, encouraging students to think about not only what we know about the past, but how and why we know it. I prefer to use as many primary texts as possible; an exercise that has proven quite popular involves assembling primary document sets to have students work with in class.

I see my role in the classroom as the facilitator of discussion and inquiry rather than as the gatekeeper of definitive answers. Particularly when it comes to teaching the modern Middle East, my goal is to emphasize the multiplicity of perspectives as well as the complexity of issues rather than emphasize the “correctness” of one over another.

Read more about my teaching philosophy.

Courses taught / in progress:

(links are to syllabi posted on academia.edu)

  • World War I: The Colonial Experience (University of Texas at Austin, Spring 2020: Original syllabus; revised version for COVID-19 closure)
  • The Middle East from Muhammad to the Mongols (St. Edward’s University, Spring 2019).
  • Modern Egypt (St. Edward’s University, Spring 2019)
  • Terrorism and Extremism (St. Edward’s University, Fall 2018)
  • Introduction to the Middle East and North Africa (St. Edward’s University, Spring 2018)
  • Introduction to the Middle East: Religious, Cultural, Historical Foundations (University of Texas at Austin, Summer 2017)
  • The Middle East from WWI to the Syrian Civil War (St. Edward’s University, Spring and Fall 2017)

Survey/Lower Division courses I am prepared to teach:

  • History of Islamic Civilizations, 600-1500
  • The Silk Route
  • The Indian Ocean World
  • History of Islamic Spain
  • The Medieval Mediterranean
  • History of the Ottoman Empire
  • Introduction to Islam
  • Introduction to the Contemporary Middle East/North Africa

I am also prepared to teach world history surveys focusing on the period from Late Antiquity to the present, especially those that are non-western focused.

I am particularly interested in developing thematic world history/global studies surveys around topics such as material culture, trade, art, and food.

Upper Division/Graduate courses I am prepared to teach:

  • Terrorism and Extremism (this is a globally focused course)
  • The Middle East from WWI to Da’esh
  • Modern Egypt
  • World War I in the Middle East
  • World War I: The Colonial Experience
  • Comparative Statebuilding: Egypt, Turkey, and Iran
  • The Development of Public Health in 20th Century Egypt
  • Environment, Health, and Nationalism in the Middle East, 1800-1930
  • Epidemics and Politics during World War I