Dean William Schwab has appointed Joel Gordon, professor of history in the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, as the director of the King Fahd Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies. Effective July 1, Gordon replaced Tom Paradise, professor of geology, who served as director for three years.
“Professor Gordon is a widely published and well-respected scholar in the history and culture of the Middle East, particularly known for his studies of Nasser and Egyptian politics and film. I believe he will be able to bring more national prominence to our program and to our faculty, whose insights and scholarship are critical in helping us understand the ever shifting boundaries and politics of the region,” said Schwab.
Gordon, who earned his doctorate in history from the University of Michigan in 1987, is the author of three books, numerous articles in journals such as the International Journal of Middle East Studies, Current History, and Popular Music, and has a book under contract with Stanford University Press, The Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. He is the recipient of fellowships from the Fulbright-Hays Program, the American Research Center in Egypt and the Social Science Research Council in Egypt. He serves as a book review editor for the International Journal of Middle East Studies and has served as a grant reviewer for the MacArthur Foundation and as a member of the fellowship award committees of the American Research Center in Egypt, the binational Egypt/American Fulbright Commission, and the Social Science Research Council.
“The Middle East is often a barometer of social trends that have global implications. Elections this summer in Lebanon and Iran, as well as President Obama’s recent visit to the region, punctuated by his speech at Cairo University, remind us immediately of the extent to which we must keep ourselves informed and educated about unfolding events,” said Gordon.
Gordon said the region should not, however, be viewed solely through political lenses, especially those of turmoil and crisis.
“The Middle East has long been a magnet for travelers seeking natural beauty, architectural wonders, and exotic ‘manners and customs.’ It is the site of the birth of modern tourism in the 19th century, a place where early photographers experimented with light and darkness,” said Gordon.
“It is also a place where traditional chanters and classical musicians compete — and at times interact creatively — with pop singers, jazz and fusion artists. The site of the Arabian Nights and the Rubayat of Omar Khayyam, the Middle East is also home to a host of creative writers, poets, filmmakers, and visual and performance artists who are becoming more widely known internationally,” said Gordon.
As the director, Gordon plans to promote language studies and especially study abroad so undergraduate Arabic students can enhance their fluency. In recent years, the program has sent advanced students, American citizens and international students to carry out fieldwork and language study in countries such as Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Yemen, Egypt, Pakistan and Oman.
Gordon also wants to expand course offerings, including those in regional languages, and hopes to do so through post-doctoral hires and by bringing foreign scholars to campus through programs such as the Fulbright Scholar Program.
“To help extend our presence on campus I hope to foster an atmosphere of community among faculty and students. I plan to turn the center’s office, which is centrally located in Old Main, into a place where students and faculty will gather for regularly scheduled functions such as brown bags, study circles and organizational or faculty committee meetings. I also want it to be a place where students and faculty catch up on news and develop a sense of camaraderie, as students and teachers — and we are all, ultimately, students, with much still to learn and share with one another,” said Gordon.
