Biography of David J. Rusin

David J. Rusin is a Research Fellow at Islamist Watch, which exposes and combats the ideas and institutions of nonviolent radical Islam throughout the Western world. Previously he served as a research associate with the project.

Rusin's research interests at Islamist Watch include the defense of free speech, the challenges confronting multicultural societies, and the media's coverage of the Islamist threat. His articles have investigated the physical dangers faced by ex-Muslims, efforts to create a segregated Islamic enclave in Philadelphia, and governmental self-censorship vis-à-vis radical Islam. In addition, he is the primary contributor to the Islamist Watch blog, which provides up-to-date analysis of nonviolent Islamism.

Rusin joined the Middle East Forum following a decade and a half in physics. He earned a B.S. from the Stevens Institute of Technology (1996) and a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (2001), specializing in astrophysics and cosmology. Rusin then held postdoctoral research positions at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics (2001-2003), the University of Pennsylvania (2003-2006), and the University of California at Davis (2006-2007). During his scientific career, he published more than thirty articles in peer-reviewed journals.

He also served a two-year stint as the Philadelphia editor at Pajamas Media, a leading online source for news and opinion.