Date: Sep 10, 2009

Hofstra University Announces Middle Eastern and Central Asian Study Day

A Series of Presentations Focused on Faculty Research

Who: Hofstra faculty who have conducted research on Middle Eastern and Central Asian (MECA) studies
What: MECA Study Day
When: September 16, 2009
Where: 310 C.V. Starr Hall and 117 Berliner Hall, South Campus
Why: To highlight and learn about the research Hofstra faculty have done on MECA studies

Hofstra faculty from a variety of departments such as fine art, art history, anthropology, history, comparative literature, economics, political science and religious studies will give presentations on their research in MECA studies.  Topics from their research will include archeology, women's issues, history and the contemporary Middle Eastern and Central Asian world.  These talks are free and open to the public.

MECA Schedule
Western and Central Asia in the Middle Ages 
9:30 - 11:15 a.m., C.V. Starr Hall, 310
Moderator: Dr. Stefanie Nanes, Department of Political Science

Greeting by Dr. Bernard Firestone, Dean of Hofstra College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
Opening remarks by Dr. Daniel Martin Varisco, Department of Anthropology

Dr. Aleksandr Naymark, Department of Fine Arts/Art History
Amazing Sogdians: Masters and Creatures of the Silk Road

Dr. Anna Feuerbach, Department of Anthropology
The Damascus Steel Sword

Dr. Daniel Martin Varisco, Department of Anthropology
The Sultan's Green Thumb:  Yemeni Agriculture in the 14th Century

Middle Eastern History and Literature
12:45 - 2:30 p.m., C.V. Starr Hall 310
Moderator: Dr. Aleksandr Naymark

Dr. Mario Ruiz, Department of History
What's Love Got to Do With It?
A Curious Case of Jealousy and Murder in Colonial Cairo.

Dr. Irene Siegel, Department of Comparative Literature
 Religious Identity in North African Literature.

Dr. Haideh Sahim, Department of Comparative Literature
Censorship and scholarship in the Middle East: The Case of Iran.

Politics and Media
3:00 - 4:30 p.m., Berliner Hall 117
Moderator: Dr. Daniel Varisco

Dr. Fatemeh Moghadam, Department of Economics
Women and the Islamic Revolution in Iran: Emancipation or Oppression?

Dr. Sephanie E. Nanes, Department of Political Science
My Home, My Municipality, My Country: Jordan's Gender Quota.

Dr. Hussein Rashid, Department of Religious Studies
Muslim-Americans and Popular Culture: Musics, Comics, and Blogs, Oh My!

Hofstra University is a dynamic private institution where students can choose from about 150 undergraduate and more than 160 graduate programs in liberal arts and sciences, business; engineering; communication; education, health and human services;  and honors studies, as well as a School of Law. With a student-faculty ratio of 14-to-1, our professors teach small classes averaging 22 students that emphasize interaction, critical thinking and analysis. Hofstra offers a faculty whose highest priority is teaching excellence. The University also provides excellent facilities with state-of-the-art technology, extensive library resources and internship programs that match students' interests and abilities with appropriate companies and organizations.  The Hofstra community is driven, dynamic and energetic, helping students find and focus their strengths to prepare them for a successful future.

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