Visiting Professor in Contemporary International Issues
Current UCIS Visiting Professor in Contemporary International Issues
Dr. Sami Hermez received his PhD in Anthropology from Princeton University and held a post-doctoral fellowship at St. Antony’s College, University of Oxford. Dr. Hermez was also a Visiting Research Fellow at the Zentrum Moderner Orient and the Collaborative Research Center, Humboldt University, both in Berlin. He has also taught at Mount Holyoke, the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, and at the American University of Beirut. Dr. Hermez has worked for the United Nations Capital Development Fund and its Development Program, Human Rights Watch and the Peace Corps.
Broadly, Dr. Hermez’s work has focused on the relationship between violence during war and civil war and its subsequent impact on politics and everyday life. His dissertation reflected this interest, which focused on Living Everyday in Anticipation of Violence in Lebanon. He examined these issues from an anthropological perspective using ethnographic fieldwork to gather his data and evidence. Indeed, Dr. Hermez has conducted fieldwork or lived in countries in several world regions including the Middle East. These include Cyprus, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Palestine, the Philippines, Russia, the U.S. and Yemen. Other areas his research has touched include anthropology of the state; war and ethics; narrative, history and memory; legal anthropology; nationalism; globalization and migration; Arab identity; conflict resolution; and sectarianism, among others. Dr. Hermez’s current and future research includes a project that focuses on transnational labor law and the global trade of domestic workers to the Middle East.
Dr. Hermez’s recent publications and paper presentations include “Activism as ‘Part-time’: Searching for Commitment and Solidarity in Lebanon” in Cultural Dynamics, and “From Feuds to Statehood: Dignity as a Political Emotion in Lebanon” at the American Anthropological Association 2011 Annual Meeting. In 2011 alone, he was interviewed by BBC Radio and Al-Jazeera International.
On the curricular side, Dr. Hermez’s research interests are reflected in the courses he has taught including “Anthropology of Violence” and “Reading Other Cultures,” among others. He has also taught conversational Arabic. This fall, Dr. Hermez is teaching “Special Topics in Cultural Anthropology: Living the Law: Seminar in Political and Legal Anthropology” (ANTH 1737) and “Arab Revolutions and Social Movements” (PIA 2439) for GSPIA.
Announcement
The University Center for International Studies (UCIS) at the University of Pittsburgh announces the Visiting Professorship in Contemporary International Issues. The University of Pittsburgh, among the oldest institutions of higher education in the United States, is widely known for its strengths in the field of international studies, and is a member of the Association of American Universities. UCIS integrates and reinforces all strands of scholarship on international affairs throughout the University, supporting teaching, research and public service in area studies and on major world issues. This visiting professorship was established to enable UCIS's Global Studies Center to invite one scholar each year whose research and teaching explicitly examines critical international issues that shape and define the contemporary world. For the 2012-13 academic year, UCIS invites applications from faculty from research universities and liberal arts colleges whose disciplinary expertise focuses on the Middle East. Candidates from any discipline and at any rank may apply. The Visiting Professor will be appointed for the fall and spring terms of the academic year. The Visiting Professor will teach two classes per term and will participate in activities of UCIS and the Global Studies Center, as well as the department closest to his or her disciplinary home. Applicants must demonstrate outstanding professional achievement in their discipline, in both research and teaching, and should have an earned PhD in a relevant discipline. Individuals with extensive high-level international experience in government or non-governmental organizations may also apply. Applicants should demonstrate interest in interdisciplinary studies, commitment to and respect for open dialogue on potentially polarizing issues, and a willingness to engage with a variety of academic and non-academic constituencies. Preference will be given to individuals who have extensive experience living in the Middle East. Applications should include a cover letter briefly citing evidence of the quality of the candidate's scholarship, teaching and expertise in the Middle East; curriculum vitae; and the names and full contact information of three professional references. The application materials must be received by November 10, 2011 to be considered. Electronic submissions are required. Please submit materials to: ucisprof@pitt.edu. Candidates who move forward in the selection process will be requested to submit publication and syllabi samples.
For a PDF version of this announcement, please click here.
For further information please contact:
Dr. Thomas Allen
Chair, Visiting Professor Search Committee University Center for International Studies
4106 Wesley W. Posvar Hall
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA 15260
ucisprof@pitt.edu
The University of Pittsburgh is an equal employment opportunity, affirmative action employer.
