Editor's Note: A delegation of signatories hand delivered this petition to the administration office Febuary 6. Signatures are still being collected online, and the list of signatories on this article will change to reflect that.
Dear President Robert J. Zimmer and Provost Daniel Diermeier,
We, the undersigned members of the University of Chicago academic community, call on you to take a clear and unambiguous stance against President Donald Trump’s executive order (EO) entitled “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry to the United States” signed on Friday, January 28, 2017. This EO denies immigration to individuals from the seven Muslim-majority countries of Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen. This EO targets any person who is a citizen of one of these countries, including holders of valid visas. The EO also indefinitely bans Syrian refugee entry. We agree with the more than 14,000 American academics, including 50 Nobel laureates, who have signed the petition Academics Against Immigration Executive Order, that President Trump’s EO will have a devastating effect on U.S. higher education and research.
Freedom of inquiry and freedom of expression, two of the foundational principles of the University of Chicago, are impossible when scholars and their families are unable to travel, collaborate, and pursue critical research opportunities. Scholarship is critically impeded when the families of faculty, staff, and students are torn apart, and when scholars are forced to abandon research projects and students are compelled to stop pursuing their degrees. Already, international students from other U.S. universities have been detained at the border and are scheduled for deportation. On Saturday, January 29, 2017 a prominent Iranian-born Canadian scholar was forced to cancel his invited talk to the Political Theory Workshop as a direct result of this EO. On Tuesday, January 31, 2017, The Chicago Maroon reported that due to the EO an Iranian graduate student in sociology at the University of Chicago fears she may not be able to return to teach her Core class in spring 2017. These are only initial examples of the intellectual losses we can expect to see under the EO. Beyond the University’s immediate academic interests, these policies are destructive and contrary to the very core of our values as an institution committed to excellence and innovation, a diversity of community and ideas, respect for the dignity of others, and engagement in the economic, civic, cultural, and social development of our state, our nation, and our world.
We ask you to take concrete steps toward providing legal protection to international faculty, students and staff affected by this EO. Recently, you were among more than 600 college and university presidents who signed a letter expressing a commitment to upholding Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and to protecting the diverse scholarly community that makes groundbreaking research possible. We ask you to reaffirm your commitment to the University as a diverse and pluralistic community by making a commitment to protect and support in the following ways:
We ask that the University of Chicago build on your statement from January 29, “Message Regarding Immigration,” and your January 30 letter to President Trump, by publicly denouncing the EO as discriminatory, unconstitutional, and contrary to the University’s values. The University administration should continue to publicly condemn such restrictions and advocate for the human rights of members of the academic community.
We ask that the University continue to offer free and confidential legal assistance (in addition to the NIJC “Know Your Rights” workshop) to students, faculty, and staff from the 7 countries listed in the EO, DACA students, and any others who may be directly targeted by the President’s evolving immigration policy. In addition, ongoing legal assistance should include students, faculty and staff who are currently on campus as well as those who are abroad and will not be able to reenter the United States. It should also be extended to immediate family members of students, faculty and staff who are affected by the ban.
We ask that the University administration, the Office of International Affairs and attorneys and/or legal observers meet with affected faculty, students and staff to develop a plan for them to continue with their employment and degrees. The EO may limit the ability of individuals to comply with University procedures and deadlines as they contend with visa status and entry obstacles. Their affiliation status with the University should be extended so that they can legally remain in the country and access housing in the United States, especially over the summer. We urge administrators to interpret all relevant requirements flexibly to help those affected continue their studies and/or employment.
In addition to the “Know Your Rights” workshops hosted by the University, we ask that more financial resources and fundraising initiatives be directed to the Center for Identity and Inclusion, Office of International Affairs, and Office of Multicultural Student Affairs to support international faculty and students with the logistical consequences of the ban and to provide financial support to cover the cost of filing fees or inability to work for those affected by the ban. We ask that these resources be made available to faculty, students, and/or staff who are affected by the ban, along with their families. Moreover, since the EO may interfere with the employment eligibility of members of our community, we ask that the University administration set aside funds for financial assistance where this change results in a loss of promised employment, such as GAI teaching requirements for graduate students.
We ask that you quickly move to fill the vacant director position in Student Support Services within the Center for Identity and Inclusion, tasked with supporting undocumented students and those with DACA, among other vulnerable populations, and ensure that the position has a budget.
We ask that the University of Chicago commit to restricting governmental access to student records and identifying information (national origin, immigration status, and physical address) above and beyond the level required by FERPA, while retaining students’ ability to elect to send academic documents such as transcripts and confirmation of employment as necessary. We ask that the University of Chicago follow our peer institutions Northwestern University and the University of Michigan by making this commitment public in a campus-wide e-mail.
We ask that the University administration and the University of Chicago Police Department (UCPD), like our peer institution Northwestern University (in a January 30 e-mail from President Morton Shapiro), reiterate by email to the academic community the UCPD’s stated policy of not inquiring about or recording information about immigration status when performing their duties, and not partnering with federal, state, or local law enforcement agencies to enforce federal immigration law except when required to do so by law.
We ask that the University of Chicago speak out publicly in support of preserving the current Optional Practical Training (OPT) program. The program has been expanded to give hundreds of thousands of graduates with degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields an additional 24 months of work authorization. This is especially important for University of Chicago STEM students affected by the ban. The Trump administration is taking steps to dismantle the current OPT program.
We ask that the University of Chicago admissions offices issue a clear statement that national origin and documentation status will not be a factor at any level of admissions, consistent with the University’s non-discrimination policy and admission standards. The University’s concerns for the student welfare under the EO should include a commitment to future applicants, not just current students. Future applicants from Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya, and Yemen should be reassured that their applications will be fully and fairly reviewed, and that they need not hesitate to apply. Once students are admitted, the University should be committed to fostering an environment in which each student can flourish, including ensuring students’ ability to remain enrolled and complete their degrees. Furthermore, the University of Chicago must also maintain hiring standards, considering qualified scholars and researchers from the affected countries as candidates in competitive application processes for faculty hiring and selection of postdoctoral scholars.
We ask for a weekly report from the University administration to the entire academic community as the situation develops as a demonstration of the University’s commitment to our campus community. This support will be crucial to a campus-wide resistance to the EO and any other forthcoming immigration restrictions.
Our academic community expresses who we are as a University and reflects our foundational commitment to inclusion and diversity. Every one of us—regardless of our background or country of origin or immigration status—should feel welcome in our community. We applaud you for articulating to President Trump and the University community the University of Chicago’s commitment to do its utmost to support its students, faculty, and staff, regardless of immigration status. We urge you to continue articulating this commitment and to act concretely to protect and advocate for international students affected by the immigration ban.
Sincerely,
Organizations:
Graduate Students United Organizing Committee
University of Chicago Advocacy Chapter of the American Association of University Professors
University of Chicago Chapter of Amnesty International
Individual Signatories:
John Padgett, Professor, Political Science
Martha Feldman, Mabel Greene Myers Professor, Music, Romance Languages and Literatures, and the Humanities in the College
Charles M. Payne, Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor, School of Social Service Administration
Boris Maslov, Associate Professor, Comparative Literature
Constantine V. Nakassis, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Bruce Lincoln, Caroline E. Haskell Distinguished Service Professor, History of Religions
John P. McCormick, Political Science
Michael C. Dawson, John D. MacArthur Professor of Political Science
James Lindley Wilson, Assistant Professor of Political Science
Alireza Doostdar, Assistant Professor, Divinity School and the College
Anton Ford, Associate Professor, Philosophy
Jennifer Cole, Professor, Department of Comparative Human Development
Dan Arnold, Associate Professor, Divinity School
Matthew M. Briones, Associate Professor, History
Travis A. Jackson, Associate Professor, Music
Michael Dietler, Professor, Anthropology
Daniel Morgan, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies
Allyson Nadia Field, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies
Lisa Wedeen, Mary R. Morton Professor of Political Science
Julie Saville, Associate Professor of History
Michael LaBarbera, Emeritus Professor, Organismal Biology
Denis Hirschfeldt, Professor, Mathematics
Fred M. Donner, Professor of Near Eastern History, The Oriental Institute and Department of Near Eastern Languages & Civilizations
Zach Samalin, Assistant Professor, English
Matthias Staisch, Instructor, Committee on International Relations
Sonali Thakkar, Assistant Professor, English
Seth Brodsky, Assistant Professor, Music
Richard Neer, William B. Ogden Distinguished Service Professor in Art History, Cinema & Media Studies and the College
A. Holly Shissler, Associate Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Salikoko S. Mufwene, The Frank J. McLoraine Distinguished Service Professor of Linguistics
Demetra Kasimis, Assistant Professor, Political Science
Howard Stein, Professor Emeritus, Dept. of Philosophy and Committee on Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science
Julie Orlemanski, Assistant Professor, English
Matthew W. Stolper, John A.Wilson Professor Emeritus of Oriental Studies, The Oriental Institute, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, Classics (Program on the Ancient Mediterranean World), and the College
Andrew Yale, Lecturer, Humanities
Marshall Sahlins, Charles F. Grey Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and of Social Sciences in the College
Paola Iovene, Associate Professor, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Lawrence Rothfield, Associate Professor, English and Comparative Literature
James F. Lastra, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies and English
Mario Santana, Associate Professor, Romance Languages and Literatures
Angie Heo, Assistant Professor, Divinity School
William Schweiker, Edward L. Ryerson Professor of Theological Ethics, Divinity School and College
François Richard, Associate Professor, Anthropology
Kristen Schilt, Associate Professor, Sociology
W. Clark Gilpin, Margaret E. Burton Professor, Emeritus, The Divinity School
Trevor Price, Professor, Department of Ecology and Evolution
Karlos Arregi, Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics
Patrick Jagoda, Associate Professor, English and Cinema & Media Studies
Judy Hoffman, Professor of Practice in the Arts, Cinema and Media Studies
Rachel Galvin, Assistant Professor, English
Colleen Grogan, Professor, School of Social Service Administration
Susan Lambert, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration
Robert L. Kendrick, Professor, Music
Norma Field, Robert S. Ingersoll Distinguished Service Professor Emerita, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Leora Auslander, Arthur and Joann Rasmussen Professor of Western Civilization in the College and History Department
Lauren Berlant, George M. Pullman Distinguished Service Professor of English
Amy Dru Stanley, History Department and Law School
Andreas Glaeser, Professor of Sociology
Linda M. G. Zerilli, Charles E. Merriam Distinguished Service Professor of Political Science, Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality
Janet H. Johnson, Morton D. Hull Distinguished Service Professor of Egyptology, Oriental Institute, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and Department of Classics (PAMW)
Samuel Refetoff, MD, Professor Emeritus of Medicine and Pediatrics. Director, Endocrinology Laboratory
Wendy Doniger, Mircea Eliade Distinguished Service Professor of the History of Religions
William W. Tait, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy
Jennifer Pitts, Associate Professor, Political Science
Loren Kruger, Professor, Comparative Literature, English, African Studies
Deborah Nelson, Associate Professor, English
Kyeong-Hee Choi, Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Manuela Carneiro da Cunha, Professor emerita, Department of Anthropology
Adrienne Brown, Assistant Professor, English
Joseph Masco, Professor, Department of Anthropology
Rochona Majumdar, Associate Professor, SALC/CMS
Whitney Cox, Associate Professor, SALC
Leah Feldman, Assistant Professor, Comparative Literature
Rebecca West, William R. Kenan, Jr. Distinguished Service Professor Emerita, depts. of Romance Langs. and Lits. and Cinema and Media Studies
Agnes Lugo-Ortiz, Associate Professor, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
Hussein Ali Agrama, Associate Professor, Anthropology
Hakan Karateke, Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Na’ama Rokem, Associate Professor, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations and Comparative Literature
Michael Geyer, Samuel N. Harper Professor of History Emeritus
Cornell H. Fleischer, Kanuni Suleyman Professor of Ottoman and Modern Turkish Studies, Departments of History and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Gabriel Moreno, Post-Graduate Fellow, Department of Visual Arts
Amber Ginsburg, Lecturer, Department of Visual Arts
Angela S. Garcia, Assistant Professor, School of Social Service Administration
Anna S. Mueller, Assistant Professor, Department of Comparative Human Development
Lauren Beck, Lecturer, Department of Visual Arts
Jessica H Darrow, Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration
Itamar Francez, Assistant Professor, Department of Linguistics
Shannon Lee Dawdy, Associate Professor, Anthropology
Callum F. Ross, Professor of Organismal Biology & Anatomy
Alida Bouris, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration
Jan Goldstein, Norman and Edna Freehling Professor of History
Dan Brudney, Professor, Department of Philosophy and the College
John E. Woods, Professor, History and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Matam P. Murthy, Professor Emeritus, Department of Mathematics
Mark Philip Bradley, Bernadotte E. Schmitt Distinguished Service Professor of History
Elizabeth Helsinger, John Matthews Manly Distinguished Service Professor, English, Emerita
Tom Gunning, Distinguished Service Professor, Cinema and Media Studies
Clifton Ragsdale, Professor of Neurobiology
Scott Wolniak, Lecturer, Department of Visual Arts
Elena Bashir, Senior Lecturer, South Asian Languages and Civilizations
Petra Goedegebuure, Associate Professor of Hittitology, Oriental Institute, the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, and the College.
Darryl Li, Assistant Professor, Anthropology
Philip A. Verhoef, Assistant Professor of Medicine and Pediatrics
W. J. T. Mitchell, Professor of English and Art History
Moishe Postone, Professor of Modern History and the College
Brit Barton, Post-Graduate Fellow, Department of Visual Arts
Willemien Otten, Professor of the Theology and History of Christianity, The Divinity School and the College
Michael Bourdaghs, Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Katherine Desjardins, Full-time Lecturer, Department of Visual Arts
Aden Kumler, Associate Professor, Departments of Art History, Romance Languages & Literatures
Douglas Bishop, Professor, Department of Radiation Oncology
Bruce Cumings, Gustavus F. and Ann M. Swift Distinguished Service Professor in History and the College
William Sewell, Frank P. Hixon Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus, Departments of Political Science and History
Bill Tait, Professor Emeritus, Department of Philosophy
Terence Martin, Professor Emeritus, Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
Françoise Meltzer, Edward Carson Waller Distinguished Service Professor in the Humanities, Professor in the Divinity School and the College, and Chair of Comparative Literature
Stephan Palmié, Professor of Anthropology and of Social Sciences in the College
Nancy Munn, Professor Emerita, Department of Anthropology
Daniel Le Grange, Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neuroscience
Lucia B. Rothman-Denes, A. J. Carlson Professor, Department of Molecular Genetics and Cell Biology
Michael Sells, John Henry Barrows Professor of Islamic History and Literature, Divinity School
James Fernandez, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology
Larissa Brewer-García, Assistant Professor of Latin American Literature, Department of Romance Languages and Literatures
William Sites, Associate Professor, School of Social Service Administration
Mel Rothenberg, Professor Emeritus of Mathematics
Ronald Grigor Suny, Emeritus Professor of Political Science and History, and William H. Sewell, Jr. Distinguished University Professor of History and Professor of Political Science at the University of Michigan
Catherine Sullivan, Associate Professor, Department of Visual Arts
Salomé Aguilera Skvirsky, Assistant Professor, Cinema and Media Studies
Eric L. Santner, Philip and Ida Romberg Distinguished Service Professor in Modern Germanic Studies, Professor of Germanic Studies, Committee on Jewish Studies, and the College; Chair of the Department of Germanic Studies
Thomas C. Holt, James Westfall Thompson Distinguished Service Professor, History
Joshua Scodel, Helen A. Regenstein Professor in English, Comparative Literature, and the College
Megan Tusler, Postdoctoral Preceptor, Masters Program in the Humanities
Edgar Garcia, Neubauer Assistant Professor, Department of English
Tristan J. Schweiger, Postdoctoral Preceptor, Master Program in the Humanities
Persis Berlekamp, Associate Professor, Art History and the College and Affiliated Faculty, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Victor A. Friedman, Andrew W. Mellon Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus in the Humanities, Department of Linguistics
C. M. Naim, Professor Emeritus, South Asian Languages and Cultures
Peter Wirzbicki, Harper-Schmidt Fellow
Alexis Chema, Lecturer, Department of English
Joshua Craze, Harper Fellow and Collegiate Assistant Professor
Carolyn Johnson, Lecturer, The College (and Ph.D., 1998)
Ariel Fox, Assistant Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
David Egan, Harper-Schmidt Fellow and Collegiate Assistant Professor, Humanities Division
Jennifer Wild, Associate Professor, Cinema and Media Studies and Romance Languages and Literatures
Takuya Tsunoda, Lecturer, Cinema and Media Studies
Jake Werner, Collegiate Assistant Professor, Social Sciences Collegiate Division
William H. Sterner, Lecturer, Computer Science
Katherine Jessica Krywokulski, Program Coordinator, Chicago Center for Teaching
Lex Nalley, Department Administrator, English
Agatha Anna Slupek, Ph.D. Student, Political Science
Trish Kahle, Ph.D. Candidate, History
Maryam Sabbaghi, Ph.D. Student, Divinity School
Luke Fidler, Ph.D. Student, Art History
Ellen Richmond, MD Candidate, Pritzker School of Medicine
Corbin Page, Ph.D. Student, History
Amanda Shubert, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Nicole Morse, Ph.D. Candidate, Cinema and Media Studies
Upasana Dutta, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Benjamin Blanchard, Ph.D. Candidate, Committee on Evolutionary Biology
Kamil Ahsan, Ph.D. Student, Developmental Biology
Ben Van Zee, Ph.D. Student, History Department
Tien-Tien Jong, Ph.D. Student, Cinema and Media Studies
Cody Jones, Dual Ph.D. student, Divinity School and the Department of Comparative Literature
Woo Chan Lee, Ph.D. Candidate, Music
Daniela Licandro, Ph.D. Candidate, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Samuel Rowe, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Mollie McFee, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Comparative Literature
Sam Catlin, Ph.D. Student, Comparative Literature
Caroline Heller, Ph.D. student, English
Emilio Comay del Junco, Ph.D. Student, Philosophy and Social Thought
Patrick Lewis, Ph.D. Student, Anthropology
Guy Emerson Mount, Mellon Foundation Fellow, Department of History
Carly B. Boxer, Ph.D. Student, Art History
Tanima, Ph.D. Student, Anthropology
Danya Lagos, Ph.D. Student, Sociology
Siavash Sabetrohani, Ph.D. Student, Music
Joshua Falk, Ph.D. Student, Linguistics
Charlotte Heltai, MA student, Divinity
Julian Grove, Ph.D. Student, Linguistics
Michael Tabatowski, Ph.D. Student, Linguistics
Zachary Hebert, Ph.D. student, Linguistics
Betsy Pillion, Ph.D. Student, Linguistics
Emily Hanink, Ph.D. Student, Linguistics
Tae Yeon Kim, MD Candidate, School of Medicine
Samuel Hodgkin, Ph.D. Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Michael Dango, Ph.D. Candidate, English Language and Literature
Walter Burkat, MA Candidate, MAPSS (Anthropology)
Claudio Sansone, Ph.D. student, Comparative Literature and Classics
Abhishek Bhattacharyya, Ph.D. student, South Asian Languages and Civilizations and Anthropology
Eric Powell, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Audrey Williams, Ph.D. Candidate, Cell & Molecular Biology
Dan Wang, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Music
Clara del Junco, Ph.D. Candidate, Chemistry
Oscar Chavez, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
Matthew Vanderpoel, Ph.D. Candidate, History of Christianity
Jaclyn Wong, Ph.D. Candidate, Sociology
Jordan Pruett, Ph.D. Student, English
Peter Malonis, Ph.D. student, Committee on Computational Neuroscience
Lauren Sutherland, Ph.D. Student, Anthropology
Jan Brugger, MFA Candidate, Department of Visual Art
Caine Jordan, Ph.D. Student, Department of History
Allison Turner, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Andrew Bearnot, MFA Candidate, Department of Visual Art
Chichan Kwong, MFA Candidate, Department of Visual Art
Frances Lee, MFA Candidate, Department of Visual Art
Ben Nicholson, MFA Candidate, Department of Visual Art
Sarah McDaniel, Ph.D. Student, English
Anne Rebull, Ph.D. Candidate, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Jessica Smith, MA Student, School of Social Service Administration
Mariana Brandman, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History
Vidura Jang Bahadur, MFA candidate, Department of Visual Art
Janet Connor, Ph.D. Student, Anthropology (and A.B., ’11)
Milena Ang, Ph.D. Candidate, Political Science
Mathilde Gerbelli-Gauthier, Ph.D. Student, Mathematics
Mili Leitner, Ph.D. Student, Department of Music
Kevin King, Ph.D. Student, Department of English
Erik Mueller, MA Candidate, Division of the Social Science
Nathan Dorgan, MA Candidate, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Mariel Colbert, MA Candidate, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Ingrid Becker, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English Language and Literature
Darrel Chia, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
Carmen Merport, Ph.D. candidate, Department of English
Nissy Abraham Ph.D. student, Divinity School
Beatrice Bradley, Ph.D. Student, English
Nathan Roter, AM Candidate, School of Social Service Administration
Sophia Uddin, MD/Ph.D. candidate, Computational Neuroscience/Pritzker School of Medicine
Alan Hassler, JD Candidate, Law School (and A.B., ’15)
Akshara Ravishankar, Ph.D. student, South Asian Languages and Civilizations
Talia Gordon, Ph.D. Student, Comparative Human Development
Sophia Sherry, Ph.D. Student, English Department
Bill Hutchinson, Ph.D. Student, English Department
Kai Parker, Ph.D. Candidate, History
Brian White, Ph.D. student, Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Lisa Scott, Ph.D. Candidate in History
Francisco Najera, Ph.D. Student, History
Danielle Adams, Ph.D. Student, School of Social Service Administration
Elizabeth Lee, Ph.D. Student, Neurobiology (and BS 2011)
Frances Mendes Levitin, MFA Candidate, Department of Visual Art
Rikki Baker Keusch, MA Student, Center for Middle Eastern Studies (and A.B., ’17)
Sophia Young Rhee, MA Candidate, Social Sciences
Claudio Gonzáles, Ph.D. Student, Mathematics
David Meza, MA Candidate, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Serena Covkin, Ph.D. Student, Department of History
Jack Dragu, Ph.D. Student, English Language and Literature
Adrienne Elyse Meyers, MFA Candidate, Department of Visual Arts
Geronimo Sarmiento Cruz, Ph.D. Student, English
James C. Duesterberg, Lecturer and Ph.D. Recipient, English
Lauren Schachter, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
Rachel Kyne, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
Jose Luis Moctezuma, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
Andrew Inchiosa, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Harini Kumar, Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology
David Krolikoski, Ph.D. Candidate, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
H. Sum Cheuk Shing, Ph.D. Candidate, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Susan Su, Ph.D. Student, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Michal Zechariah, Ph.D. Student, English Language and Literature
Dana Walters, Ph.D. Student, English Language and Literature
Jo Nixon, Ph.D. Student, English Language and Literature
Jake Fraser, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Germanic Studies
Minyong Lee, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History
Daniel K. Phillips, Ph.D. Candidate, Art History
Scott Jung, MA Candidate, Social Sciences (and A.B., ’17)
Andrew Katzenstein, MA Student, Divinity
Mendel Kranz, Ph.D. Student, Divinity
Peter Fugiel, Ph.D. Student, Sociology
Matt Hubbell, Ph.D. Candidate, Cinema and Media Studies
Caroline Sequin, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History
Brian Tuohy, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Sociology
Peter McDonald, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
Sophie Fajardo, Ph.D. Student, Sociology
Colin Rydell, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History
Roy Kimmey, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History
Rebecca Flore, Ph.D. Student, Department of Music
Joshua Klopfenstein, Ph.D. Student, Department of Music
Nadia Khan, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Divinity
Nell Pach, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Michael Peddycoart, Ph.D. Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Jake Fournier, Ph.D. Student, English
Michael Hansen, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Aleksandr Prigozhin, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Carrie Taylor, Ph.D. Student, English
Evelyn Atkinson, Ph.D. Candidate, History
Cayce Hughes, Ph.D. Student, Sociology
Jessica Mutter, Ph.D. Candidate, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Yonatan Shemesh, Ph.D. Candidate, Divinity
Joel A. Mercado-Diaz, Ph.D. Student, Committee on Evolutionary Biology
Nora Jacobsen Ben Hammed, Ph.D. Candidate, Islamic Studies
Francesca Chubb-Confer, Ph.D. Student, Divinity School
Chelsie May, Ph.D. Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Devon J. Borowski, Ph.D. Student, Department of Music
Zoya Sameen, Ph.D. Student, Department of History
Clay Mettens, Ph.D. Student, Department of Music
Sameena Azhar, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Social Service Administration
Kristin Gee Hickman, Ph.D. Candidate, Anthropology
Patrick Morrissey, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
Megan Boatright, Ph.D. Student, Comparative Literature
Sunggeun (Ethan) Park, Ph.D. Student, School of Social Service Administration
Anthony J. Lauricella, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Peter D. Smits, Ph.D. Candidate, Committee on Evolutionary Biology
Stephanie Baumgart, Ph.D. Student, Department Organismal Biology and Anatomy
Madeleine Elfenbein, Ph.D. Candidate, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Mohsen Mirtaher, Ph.D. Student, Department of Economics
Zeeshan Haq, MD Candidate, Pritzker School of Medicine
Jennifer Yida Pan, Ph.D. Student, Department of English
Shirl Yang, Ph.D. Student, Department of English
Tristan Bates, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Comparative Literature
Katharine Henderson, Ph.D. Candidate, Integrative Biology
Hanne Graversen, Ph.D. Student, Art History
Meghan Jarpe, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Social Service Administration
Max Winston, Ph.D. Candidate, Committee on Evolutionary Biology
Nathanael Okpych, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Social Service Administration
Alexandra Erichson, MA Candidate, Center for Middle Eastern Studies
Peyman Eshaghi, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Divinity
Andrew Malilay White, Ph.D. Student, Music
Timothy Gutmann, Ph.D. Candidate, Islamic Studies
Anthony Stott, Ph.D. Student, Comparative Literature
Dylan Bellisle, Ph.D. Student School of Social Service Administration
Allison Kanner, Ph.D. Candidate, Divinity School
Bikki Tran Smith, Ph.D. Student, School of Social Service Administration
Alexandra Hoffman, Ph.D. Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Claire Roosien, Ph.D. Candidate, History and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Matthew Barber, Ph.D. Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Emily Smith, Ph.D. Student, Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Alejandra Azuero, Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology
Kevin Kimura, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of English
Joshua R. Vera, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History
Samuel Lasman, Ph.D. Student, Comparative Literature
Katerina Korola, Ph.D. Student, Departments of Cinema and Media Studies and Art History
Lucas Guimarães Pinheiro, Ph.D. Student, Department of Political Science
Amy Skjerseth, Ph.D. Student, Cinema and Media Studies
Artemis Willis, Ph.D. Candidate, Cinema and Media Studies
Zain Jamshaid, Ph.D. Candidate, Cinema and Media Studies
Katya Motyl, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of History
Evan Pensis, Ph.D. Student, Department of Music
Solveig Nelson, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Art History
Samantha Pellegrino, MA, Divinity School – Islamic Studies
Jessica Lockard, Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Art History
Hannah Norwood, Ph.D. Student, School of Social Service Administration
Hannah Brooks-Motl, Ph.D. Candidate, English
Zachary Loeffler, Ph.D. Candidate, Music
Angelica Velazquillo Franco, Ph.D. Student, School of Social Service Administration
Emily Dreyfus, Ph.D. candidate, Germanic Studies
Matthew Johnson, Ph.D. Candidate, Germanic Studies
Daysi Diaz-Strong, Ph.D. Candidate, School of Social Service Administration
Sophia P. Sarantakos, Ph.D. Student, School of Social Service Administration
Hilary Barker, Ph.D. Student, Art History
Parysa Mostajir, Ph.D. student, Conceptual and Historical Studies of Science
Elizabeth Sander, Ph.D. Candidate, Ecology and Evolution
Julia Goldsmith-Pinkham (A.B., ’14)
Peter Klecha (Ph.D., ’14)
Paige Helmer (S.B., ’14)
Roberto Pedroso (A.B., ’14)
Katelyn Stangl (A.B., ’14)
Francois Tissot (Ph.D, ’15)
Nora Sorena Casey (A.B., ’11)
Bryan Hahn (A.B., ’11)
Jeanne Chauffour (A.B., ’15)
Bradley Trotter (A.B., ’10)
Yadav Gowda (A.B., ’14)
Autumn Elizabeth Clark (MFA, ’15)
Alexandra Greatsinger (A.B., ’14)
Leah Chapman (A.B., ’15)
Jonathan Pesetsky (A.B., ’15)
Anne Krok (A.B., ’15)
Timur Akman-Duffy (A.B., ’11)
Ethel Yang (LAB, ’09; A.B., ’13)
Irene Hsiao (Ph.D., 2008)
Marguerite Claire Wilson (A.B., ’14)
Alexandra Clark (A.B., ’12)
Blaire Byg (A.B., ’14)
Madeline Klinger (A.B., ’16)
Jeremy F. Kane (A.B., ’11)
Celia Eckert (A.B., ’16)
Ben Wolfson (A.B. ’04)
William Fernandez (A.B., ’15)
Benjamin Trnka (A.B., ’15)
Lyda Harris (A.B., ’14)
Nick Raffel (MFA, ’14)
Nick Bastis (MFA, ’13)
Sophia Scott (S.B., ’11)
Maggie Crowley (MFA, ’13)
Kaila Quesada (A.B., ’12)
Randy Swan (A.B., ’14)
Alyssa Pappas (A.B., ’13)
Rachel Ellison (MFA, ’12)
Marco G. Ferrari (MFA, ’13)
Nicole Cherry (A.B., ’14)
Stephen Ruiz (MFA, ’13)
Nabiha Khan-Giordano (MFA, ’12)
David Khan-Giordano (MFA, ’12)
Kaitlyn Bregman (A.B., ’15)
Alex Calhoun (MFA, ’15)
Sara Nasser (A.B., ’12)
Anisha Ganguly (BS, BA 2015)
Alexander P. Stephan (A.B., ’14)
Cameron Okeke (A.B., ’15)
Carris Adams (MFA 2015)
Charis Crofton (A.B., ’15)
Morgan Brock-Smith (A.B., ’15)
Jennifer Smoose (MFA, ’13)
Colette Salemi (MA, 2015, AM 2016)
Madhuri Nishtala (A.B., ’12)
Sidney J. Colton (A.B., ’73, A.B., ’89; retired staff)
David Bapst (Ph.D., 2013)
Brennan O'Rear, (MA, 2016)
Ella Christoph (BA 2011)
David Kaner (BA, MA 2014)
Nicholas Foretek (A.B., ’11)
Emma LaBounty (A.B., ’15)
Helen Ellsworth, (A.B., ’15)
Benjamin Dewan (BS, 2012)
Huiting Xu (A.B., ’13)
Robin Ye (A.B., ’16)
Cecilia Jiang (A.B., ’15)
Isaac Hand (MA, 2013)
James Iveniuk (Ph.D., 2015)
Ryan Brizendine (MA, 2013)
Palmira Brummett (Ph.D., 1987)
Jon Kurinsky (A.B., ’09)
Tyler Kissinger (A.B., ’16)
Hadji Bakara (Ph.D., 2016)
Jim Plank (A.B., ’09)
Caitlin Sheehan (A.B., ’09)
Patrick D. Gaffney (Ph.D., 1982), Associate Professor, Anthropology, University of Notre Dame
Aaron Greenberg (A.B., ’09; AM 2011)
Ilker Evrim Binbas (Ph.D., NELC, 2009), Faculty at University of Bonn, Germany
Marya T. Green-Mercado (Ph.D., NELC, 2012) Assistant Professor of Mediterranean History in the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor
Elena D. Corbett (Ph.D. NELC, 2009), Center Director, CIEE Amman
James M. Gustafson (Ph.D., CMES, 2005), Assistant Professor, Department of History, Indiana State University
Timothy Friese (A.B., ’08)
Erin Debenport (Ph.D., Linguistics, 2009) Assistant Professor, Anthropology, UCLA
Elizabeth Urban (Ph.D., NELC, 2012), Assistant Professor, West Chester University
Betul Bașaran (Ph.D., NELC, 2006), Associate Professor, St. Mary’s College of Maryland
G. Antonio Sosa-Pascual (BA)
Michaeljit Sandhu (A.B., ’13)
Daniel Luban (Ph.D., Political Science, 2016), Postdoctoral Fellow, Yale University
Matthew Kellner (A.B., ’15)
Ferenc Péter Csirkés (Ph.D., 2016, NELC), Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, Sabanci University
A. Asa Eger (Ph.D., 2008), Associate Professor of History, UNC-Greensboro
Alidost Numan (MA, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 2003)
Claire Hipschman (AM, SSA, 2014)
Anh-Thu Huynh (BA, Sociology, 2008)
Seth Mayer (A.B., ’08), Assistant Professor of Philosophy, Manchester University, Indiana
Matthew Malinowski (A.B., ’09)
Jeffrey Niedermaier (A.B., ’14), Doctoral student at Yale University
Elizabeth Diaz, (AM, 2014, School of Social Service Administration)
Chrissie DyBuncio (A.B., ’09)
Heather Gold, M.D. (A.B., ’09), Resident OB/GYN Physician
Conor Smith Gaffney (A.B., ’08)
Margaret Hunter (A.B., ’08)
Caitlin Rubin, (A.B., ’09)
Elizabeth Bullock (MA, 2012)
Hannah Frank (Ph.D., 2016)
Christopher Markiewicz (AB 2004, AM 2008, Ph.D. 2015)
FNU Swati (MS, 2014)
Maheen Aziza Khatoon (MA, 2005)
Shanya Silverstein (Ph.D., Music, 2012)
Anisa Noor (MA, Center for Middle Eastern Studies, 2007)
Swagato Chakravorty (MA, 2011)
Ofurhe Igbinedion (A.B., ’09)
Kate Mooney (A.B., ’17)
Aliya Moreira (A.B., ’17)
Aminah Sallam (BS, 2017)
Soulet Ali (A.B., ’20)
Peter Tang (A.B., ’20)
Kyle Bardman (A.B., ’17)
Kelsey Yang (A.B., ’20)
William Thomas (BS, 2017)
Samuela Mouzaoir (A.B., ’20)
Antonia Glaser (A.B., ’19)
Alfredo Fee (A.B., ’18)
Feng Ye (A.B., ’19)
Alexis Wolf (A.B., ’20)
Megan Fang (A.B., ’20)
Lauren Dunmore (A.B., ’15)
Nicholas Hadjimichael (A.B., ’18)
Andrés Brant Haza (A.B., ’18)
Sedef Ishaque (A.B., 2020)
Yooyeon Shim (A.B., ’19)
Natasha Chandler (A.B., ’17)
Keirsha Thompson (A.B., ’17)
Kaiyan Chan (A.B., ’20)
Gigi Ortiz (A.B., ’18)
Laurel Meng (A.B., ’18)
Lena Chen (A.B., ’17)
Danielle Plung (A.B., ’17)
Julia Aizuss (A.B., ’18)
Rajiv Hurhangee (A.B., ’18)
Elisabeth Huh (A.B., ’17)
Isabella Levy (A.B., ’18)
Deneb Zavala (A.B., ’18)
Everett Pelzman (A.B., ’19)
Can Ugur (A.B., ’17)
Stephanie Ban (A.B., ’18)
Eliza Passell (A.B., ’18)
Megan Malone (A.B., ’19)
Daniel Heins (A.B., '18)
Cori Tingstad (A.B., '18)
Isaiah Newman (A.B., '18)
Maya Jain (A.B., '19)
Eli Winter (A.B., ’20)
Laura A. Rossi (A.B., ’18)
Peggy Xu (A.B., ’17)
Sophia Sheng (A.B., ’18)
Kelsie Harriman (A.B., ’18)
Samuel Mellins (A.B., ’20)
Zachary Yost (A.B., ’18)
Jake Kleinbaum (A.B., ’18)
Josh Arnon (A.B., ’18)
Aviva Rothman, Collegiate Assistant Professor, Social Sciences and Harper-Schmidt Fellow
Ethan Blass, PhD Student in Germanic Studies
Amanda Jones, PhD Student, School of Social Service Administration
Zachary Sheldon, PhD Student, Anthropology
Judith T. Zeitlin, William R. Kennan, Jr. Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilization
Jacob Eyferth, Associate Professor, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Alican Camci, Phd Student, Music
Jessica Haley, Program Coordinator, Creative Writing & Poetics
Alex Murphy, PhD Student, East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Berthold Hoeckner, Associate Professor, Music
Kierra Foley (MA, 2016, NELC)
Michaela Appeltova, PhD Candidate, History
Thomas Kelly PhD EALC
Sholeh A. Quinn (PhD, NELC, 1993), Associate Professor, History, University of California, Merced
Scott W. Aalgaard, PhD Candidate, East Asian Languages & Civilizations
Pao-chen Tang, PhD student, Cinema and Media Studies and East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Yaniv Ron-El, PhD Student, Sociology
Shaahin Pishbin/PhD Student/Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
Menna M. Khalil, PhD Student, Anthropology
Valerie Levan, (PhD 2010), Lecturer, Humanities
James Chandler, Barbara E. and Richard J. Franke Distinguished Service Professor, Department of English Language and Literature
Miriam Bilsker, PhD student, Divinity
Eric Holmberg (A.B.,'18)
Miriam Tripaldi, PhD Candidate, Music
Basil Salem (PhD, History 2016)
Deirdre Lyons, PhD Student, History
Julie Xu (A.B., '18)
Owen Hubbard, PhD Student, Department of Music
Hanna Pickwell, PhD Student, Anthropology
William Carroll, PhD Student in Cinema & Media Studies/East Asian Languages and Civilizations
Brenna Rice, PhD student, Romance Languages and Literatures
Nick Quintana (A.B., '17)
Tommaso Sabbatini, PhD Candidate, Music
Ahona Panda, PhD Candidate, Department of South Asian Languages and Civilizations
Oliver Cussen, PdD Candidate, History
Pelle Valentin Olsen/PhD candidate, NELC
Erin Matson (A.B., '10)
Tista Bagchi (PhD, Linguistics, 1993), Professor, Centre for Advanced Studies in Linguistics, University of Delhi
Chun Chun Ting, (PhD, 2015), EALC
Michael LaCroix (PhD, Music 2015)
Bruce Mannheim (PhD, 1983) Professor of Anthropology, University of Michigan
Amanda Hamilton PhD, SALC 2011
Sean Batton, PhD Student, Cinema and Media Studies
Ananya Chakravarti (PhD 2012)
Christopher Dunlap, Ph.D. Candidate, History
Gautham Reddy, PhD Candidate, SALC
Sneha annavarapu, PhD student, Sociology
Jesús A Palafox Valdovinos, AM Candidate, School of Social Service Administration
Jamal Jones (A.B. '08), PhD Candidate, SALC
Richard H. Beal, Oriental Institute, PhD
Tamara Kamatovic, PhD Student, Germanic
Vinh Cam, PhD Student, English
Amy Stebbins, PhD Candidate, Germanic Studies and Cinema and Media Studies
Joshua Yumibe (PhD, 2007)
A. Richard Heffron III, PhD Candidate, NELC
Miriam Shestack, (A.B., '15)
Pelle Valentin Olsen, PhD Candidate, NELC
Elizabeth Sartell, PhD Student, Divinity
Mirjam Berg, PhD Student, Germanic Studies
Jessica Resvick, PhD Candidate, Germanic Studies
Zebaa Kalimullah (A.B., '97)
Saeid Barati, PhD Student, Computer Science
Fatma Sinem Eryilmaz (PhD, NELC, 2010)
Kathleen Norland List, alumna, 2007
Esra Tasdelen (MA, CMES '05, PhD, NELC '14), Assistant Professor of Arabic and Middle Eastern and North African Studies, North Central College
Austin O'Malley/PhD/2017
Anisa Rahim (A.B, '00)
John H. Muse, Assistant Professor of English, Committee on Theater and Performance Studies
Joseph Jay Sosa (PhD, Anthropology, 2016)
Julia Epplin-Zapf (A.B., '16)
Olivia Ortiz (A.B. '16)
Heather Keenleyside, Assistant Professor, English
Emily Minehart (A.B.. '13)
Ali Feser, PhD Candidate, Anthropology
Kris Rosentel, (A.B.'16/A.M.'17)
Starsha Gill, Events Programming Assistant, Creative Writing & Poetics
Alexis Kellner Becker (A.B. '08), Harper-Schmidt Fellow and Collegiate Assistant Professor of the Humanities
Esmael Jafari Haddadian, Ph.D. Lecturer, Biological Sciences Collegiate Division
Hilary Leathem, PhD student, Department of Anthropology
Hasan Siddiqui, PhD Candidate, History
Caroline Anglim, PhD Student, Religious Ethics
Julian Thompson, PhD Candidate, 2012
Esmael Jafari Haddadian, Lecturer, Biological Sciences Division
Emma Gilheany, PhD Student, Anthropology
K. Rizwan Kadir, MBA '97. President, The Pakistan Club @ the University of Chicago
Sarah Zimmerman, (A.B., '17)
Feroze Shah, (A.B., '13)
Rebecca Crisafulli, Ph.D. Candidate, Romance Languages and Literatures
Ann Heffernan, PhD Student, Political Science
Zebaa Kalimullah (A.B., '97)
Ream Qato (M.B.A., '15 B.S., '07)
Monica Mori, (A.B., '56)
Molly Greene, (MAPH, '17)
Mina Lee, PhD student, SSA
Marion Malcome, LCSW, PhD Student 2016
Faith Hillis, Assistant Professor of History
Zebaa Kalimullah (AB 1997)
Joshua Solomon, PhD Candidate
Mary Bunn, Phd Student, Lecturer, School of Social Service Administration
Jesse Self, PhD Student, SSA
India Weston (A.B., '19)
Ashley Sample PhD Candidate, Committee on Cancer Biology
Sneha annavarapu, PhD student, Sociology
James Murphy, PhD Student Sociology
Elena D. Corbett, PhD 2009, NELC
Cliff Bersamira, PhD Candidate, School of Social Service Admonistration
Jesus Reyes, A.M. SSA, 1985
Annie Greene, PhD Candidate, NELC
Navid Saberi-Najafi, PhD Candidate, Classics, University of California Davis
Gertrud Farber, Research Associate Sumerology, The Oriental Institute
Walter Farber, professor emeritus of Assyriology, The Oriental Institute, and Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations
William Elison (PhD, Divinity), Assistant Professor, Religious Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara
Raina Weinstein (A.B., '20)
Haeyoung Kim, PhD Candidate, History
Addie Barron (A.B. '17)
Dan Houle (B.S., '11)
Adrienne Alton-Gust, PhD Candidate, Music
Valeria Stutz, (A.B., '18)
Kyle Gardner, PhD Candidate, History
Daniel Gill, PhD Student, Neurobiology
Dana Simmons, PhD Candidate, Neurobiology
Cole Martin, (A.B., '19)