PACS Faculty & Staff
Department Chair
Robin L. Turner is an Associate Professor of Political Science, Chair of the Department of Political Science, and Director of the Peace and Conflict Studies Program at Butler University in the USA and an honorary research associate of the Society, Work, and Politics Institute at the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Dr. Turner served as the founding director of the Social Justice and Diversity Butler University Core Curriculum requirement from 2017 to 2019. She earned a master’s degree and doctorate in political science at the University of California, Berkeley and a masters degree in social science (African politics) from the University of Cape Town (South Africa). Her research, writing, and teaching span multiple fields, including political science, gender studies, African studies, development studies, tourism studies, political ecology, and geography.
Dr. Turner’s research focuses principally on how public policies shape rural political economies, influence identities, and affect people’s behavior in southern Africa. She uses interviews, ethnography, and archival research to examine the interplay between state policies and local practices over time and to look closely at how past and present ways of structuring property and authority shape local political economies and influence constructions of identity. She has published on topics ranging from the politics of tradition; dispossession, property, and nature tourism; and field research to decolonial pedagogy.
Dr. Turner teaches courses that help students better understand the perspectives, experiences, and political strategies of historically marginalized people in Africa, the United States, and elsewhere in the world. Her courses contribute to the political science major and minor, to the core curriculum, and to several interdisciplinary programs She led the the development of a new Global and Historical Studies course centered on the question, "What is Freedom," with grant support from the National Endowment for the Humanities, Her recent course offerings include:
- PO 151 Introduction to Comparative Politics
- PO 350-SAC African Politics
- PO 351-SJD Politics of Gender & Sexuality in Africa
- PO 352 Comparative Political Economy
- PO 354-SJD Environmental Justice
- PO 490 Senior Seminar on Women and Politics across the World
- PO 490 Senior Seminar on Political Economy
- GHS 206-SJD Resistance and Reaction: Resistance and Reaction: Colonialism and Post-Colonialism in Africa
- GHS 210-SJD Freedom and Movement in the Transatlantic World
Faculty & Staff
Biography
Professor Bauman grew up in eastern Pennsylvania before going to Goshen College, in Northern Indiana, where he earned a Bachelor’s degree. After college, Professor Bauman went to Princeton Theological Seminary (PTS) and earned both an M.Div. and Ph.D. degree, while teaching courses on Buddhism and Islam at PTS, Princeton University, and The College of New Jersey.
Contributions
Professor Bauman’s earliest research focused on the interaction of low-caste Christians and Hindus in colonial Chhattisgarh. His book on the topic, Christian Identity and Dalit Religion in Hindu India, 1868-1947 (Eerdmans Publishers, 2008) won the prize for Best Book in Hindu-Christian Studies, 2006-2008, from the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies. During this time period, Professor Bauman also conducted research on Sathya Sai Baba, a popular, miracle-working Indian guru with an international following that extends even to the city of Indianapolis.
From 2008 to 2019, Professor Bauman conducted research on Hindu-Christian conflict. His most recent book, published by Cornell University Press, is Anti-Christian Violence in India, and earlier he published a book on the same topic with specific reference to Pentecostals and the public controversies surrounding conversion (called Pentecostals, Proselytization, and anti-Christian Violence in Contemporary India). Both this book and a volume he co-edited with Richard Fox Young (Constructing Indian Christianities) were named as prize finalists for the Best Book in Hindu-Christian Studies (History/Ethnography), 2013-17, by the Society for Hindu-Christian Studies.
In 2020, he co-edited The Routledge Handbook of Hindu-Christian Relations with Michelle Voss Roberts, and in 2024, he co-edited The Routledge Handbook of Megachurches with Afe Adogame, Damaris Parsitau, and Jeaney Yip.
His future projects will likely focus on religion and the law in Asia, and on the experiences and treatment of Hindu minorities in predominantly Christian countries.
Butler Teaching Assignment
Professor Bauman teaches introductory surveys of the world’s religions as well as upper-level courses on Hinduism and Buddhism. He has recently taught topical courses such as “Religion, ‘Cults,’ and (In)Tolerance in America,” “Religion, Politics and Conflict in South Asia,” “Religion, Gender, and the Goddess in Asia,” “Race and Religion in America,” and “Theory and Method in the Study of Religion.”
Dr. Terri Carney
Professor of Spanish
Modern Languages, Literatures & Cultures
Butler University, JH391A (940-8438)
https://works.bepress.com/terri_carney/about/
I am Associate Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Butler University. Before coming to Butler, I earned a dual-title Ph.D. from Purdue University in sociology and gerontology. I then spent at year at the University of Missouri as a postdoctoral scholar in the Research Center for Human Animal Interactions.
My research interests include the roles of women and mothers, health and body weight issues, and social psychology. I teach a variety of courses including; families, international crime, gender, race, and crime, health and society, aging and the life course, and gender and society.
My research is currently funded by the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS). This research examines mothers’ perspectives of the benefits of interscholastic activities of their high school students. This is a 10 year longitudinal study that begin in the fall of 2019. I also host the podcast, MOMent with Mom, with members of the NFHS.
Background
Research
Teaching
Fall 2022
MW 1-2:15 HST 305 Vexing Women: Transnational Feminist Histories and Struggles, 1870-1940
MW 2:30-3:40 American Visions
Spring 2022
MW 1-2:15 American Visions
T/TH 1-2:15 Formation of Modern America
Fall 2021
MW 1-2:15 HST 342 US Workingwomen in the Modern City, 1870-1940
T Dolly Parton’s America: Gender, Region, & Culture
- Check out our Spotify playlist for our course read, Sarah Smarsh, She Come By It Natural: Dolly Parton and the Women Who Lived Her Songs (2020)
Dr. Stephanie Fernhaber teaches a variety of courses within the Entrepreneurship & Innovation program at the undergraduate and graduate levels including The Entrepreneurial Mindset, Business Practicum, First-Year Business Experience, and Social Entrepreneurship.
In addition to teaching, Dr. Fernhaber conducts research in the areas of international entrepreneurship, grassroots innovation, and new venture strategy. Her research has been published in various academic journals including the Journal of International Business Studies, Strategic Management Journal, Journal of Business Venturing, Strategic Entrepreneurship Journal, and Entrepreneurship, Theory & Practice. Dr. Fernhaber has also co-created four books. She serves as the Field Editor for International Entrepreneurship at the Journal of Business Venturing.
At the community level, Dr. Fernhaber has a passion for spurring innovation with an emphasis on social entrepreneurship.
Margaretha Geertsema-Sligh is the Richard M. Fairbanks Professor of Communication and served as the Interim Dean from April 2021 to December 2022. Before her appointment as Interim Dean, Dr. Geertsema-Sligh served as Director of the Eugene S. Pulliam School of Journalism and Creative Media for five years. She joined Butler University in 2005 and has taught classes in news writing, gender and news, and global media. Dr. Geertsema-Sligh holds a doctorate in Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin, a master’s degree in Communication from Washington State University, and a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communication from North-West University in South Africa. She is a past chair of the International Communication Division of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and a past co-chair of the Gender and Communication section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research. Her research has been published in several leading academic journals. See www.margarethageertsemasligh.com for more information.
I am a native from Bogota, Colombia. I have been living in the United States for over 30 years. I came to this country to pursue a masters degree in Linguistics which I got from Saint Michael’s College in Winooski, Vermont. Since then I have been teaching at the University level. I was an adjunct at Butler for 15 years until I became a full time Instructor. I have taught beginners, intermediate, and advanced levels. Besides teaching skill classes at the 300 level, I have also taught the Service Learning course. I recently completed a second master’s degree in Effective Teaching and Leadership at Butler University.
I enjoy teaching, yoga, and walking.
Biography
Born and raised in southcentral Pennsylvania in one of only two counties in the Commonwealth without a traffic light, Brent Hege earned his BA in Religion and History with a minor in Classics from Gettysburg College (PA) in 1998. He completed the Zentrale Mittelstufenprüfung Diplom (German Language Certificate) at the Goethe Institut in Dresden, Germany, in 2000 while completing his MA in Historical Theology with a minor in New Testament at The Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg (PA). He earned his PhD in Theology with Distinction from Union Theological Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education in Richmond, VA, in 2007. His dissertation was awarded the 2010 John Templeton Award for Theological Promise by the Forschungszentrum Internationale und Interdisziplinäre Theologie at the University of Heidelberg, Germany. He was honored by his alma mater with the 2013 Gettysburg College Young Alumni Achievement Award and in 2015 he was elected an honorary member of Butler’s chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. In 2017 he received the Outstanding Faculty Award for Excellence in Teaching from Butler’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences. In 2017 he was appointed The Compass Center Scholar in Residence and in 2020 he was promoted to Senior Lecturer in Religion. He has taught at Butler since 2008.
Teaching Duties
As a faculty member of Butler’s Religious Studies program, Hege teaches the yearlong First Year Seminar, “Faith, Doubt, and Reason,” occasionally teaches the introductory course in world religions, and teaches the following upper-division courses: God, Theologies of Liberation, Evil, Religious Pluralism, and Ecotheology. In 2015-2016 he directed the Butler Seminar on Religion and World Civilization on the topic “Religion, Race, and Culture” and in 2018-2019 he directed the newly renamed Butler Seminar on Religion and Global Affairs on the topic “Sacred Spaces: Intersections of Religion and Ecology.” In 2022-2023 he directed the Butler Seminar on Religion and Global Affairs on the topic of “Faith and Activism.” Hege is also the Center for Faith and Vocation Scholar in Residence, where he works with a cohort of student CFV Scholars on issues of interfaith engagement and vocational discernment. Hege holds affiliate faculty status in the programs of Race, Gender and Sexuality Studies, Peace and Conflict Studies, Science, Technology, and Environmental Studies, and the Center for Urban Ecology and Sustainability. In 2022, Hege successfully chartered Butler’s chapter of Theta Alpha Kappa, the national honors society for Religious Studies and Theology, for which he serves as faculty advisor. Hege is also the faculty advisor and current board president of Grace Unlimited, Butler’s Lutheran-Episcopal campus ministry.
Scholarship
Hege’s research focuses on the history of Christian thought and contemporary Christian theology, with special focus on 19th- and 20th-century liberal Protestant theology, continental philosophy and philosophical theology, contemporary constructive theology, Lutheranism, and theology and culture. In addition to his award-winning first book, Faith at the Intersection of History and Experience: The Theology of Georg Wobbermin (Wipf and Stock, 2009), he has published articles and invited review essays in a number of European and American journals, including Zeitschrift für Neuere Theologiegeschichte/Journal for the History of Modern Theology, Theologische Zeitschrift, Theology and Science, Radical Philosophy Review, Politics and Religion, and Teaching Theology and Religion. He is also a frequent reviewer of books on historical and contemporary theology for Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology. He has presented papers at national and regional academic conferences, including The American Academy of Religion and The Southwest Popular Culture Association and The American Culture Association, as well as being a frequent guest lecturer and panel member for school, church, and community programs. His second book, Myth, History, and the Resurrection in German Protestant Theology, was published by Pickwick Press in 2017. His most recent book, based on the first semester of his popular Butler First Year Seminar, is Faith, Doubt, and Reason (Wipf and Stock 2020). In 2020 he was elected to the editorial council of Dialog: A Journal of Theology, the world’s premier journal of Lutheran theology.
Siobhán McEvoy-Levy is Professor of Political Science and Peace and Conflict Studies and Director of The Desmond Tutu Peace Lab at Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. Her current research focuses on ‘everyday’ sites of international relations, youth and peacebuilding, and critical studies of political violence and peace (formation). She the author of Peace and Resistance in Youth Cultures: Reading the Politics of Peacebuilding from Harry Potter to the Hunger Games (Palgrave, 2018), American Exceptionalism and US Foreign Policy (Palgrave, 2001); the editor of Troublemakers or Peacemakers? Youth and Post-Accord Peacebuilding (University of Notre Dame, 2006); and a co-author of Peacebuilding after Peace Accords (University of Notre Dame, 2007). She has also published articles on youth and conflict, and on pop culture, reconciliation and peacebuilding. McEvoy-Levy holds a B.A. Hons degree (Politics and English) from Queen’s University, Belfast, and M.Phil. and Ph.D. degrees in International Relations from the University of Cambridge.
At Butler she has taught:
- Introductionto Peace Studies (PO 102)
- Introduction to Politics (PO 101)
- Activism (PO 230)
- International Relations (PO 320)
- International Conflict and Peacebuilding (PO 322)
- Gender and Generation in War and Peace (SW 240 PO 01)
- Change and Tradition (ID 202)
- Politics of Youth and Conflict (PO 357)
- Art and Politics (PO 380)
- Understandingthe Israel-Palestine Conflict (PO 380)
- Northern Ireland Between War and Peace (PO 380)
- U.S.Foreign Policy (PO 355)
- Ethics of Peacebuilding (PO 380)
- The Politics of Harry Potter and the Hunger Games (PO 490)
- Belfast and (London) Derry Field Seminar on Gender and Generation in ‘Post-Conflict’Northern Ireland, Global Adventures in the Liberal Arts (GALA).
- She supervises undergraduate honors theses, independent studies, student apprenticeship and peace lab internships.
Dr. Katherine (Kate) Novak is a professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology where she teaches courses in criminology, mental illness, social psychology, research methods and statistics. She holds a B.A in sociology and in psychology, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in sociology, with a concentration in criminology, and a Ph.D. minor in Criminal Justice from Indiana University-Bloomington.
Much of Dr. Novak’s current research focuses on adolescent and college student substance use and delinquency and has been published in academic journals such as Crime & Delinquency, Addictive Behaviors, Journal of Criminal Justice, Sociological Inquiry, Journal of Social Psychology, The Journal of Child and Adolescent Substance Abuse, The Journal of Family Issues, The Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education, and The Journal of Primary Prevention. She is the co-author of two textbooks- Individual and Society: Sociological Social Psychology (with Lizabeth A. Crawford) and Applied Communication Research (with Judith M. Buddenbaum). Additionally, Dr. Novak has collaborated with other faculty on research projects focusing on homelessness in Indianapolis, perceptions of crime and safety in the local community, immigrants’ perceptions of prejudice and discrimination, faculty work-load satisfaction, and student learning in a topically-focused introductory sociology course. She has published several class assignments and activities in TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology and serves on the advisory board for the Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning. Dr. Novak regularly mentors students, supervising internships and directed research projects, and serving as the faculty advisor for department and university honors theses. Her students have presented their research at college and sociology conferences and to organizational leaders and administrators and have published papers in peer-reviewed research journals.
Dr. Novak has received many internal grants for both research and teaching, and she has won a number of university awards. She received the Liberal Arts and Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award for Teaching Excellence in 2016 and the Liberal Arts and Sciences Outstanding Faculty Award in 2010 and 2003.
Recent Publications:
Crawford, Lizabeth A. and Novak, Katherine B. 2013. Individual and Society: Sociological Social Psychology. Routledge/Taylor& Francis. [2nd edition released March 2018] https://www.routledge.com/Individual-and-Society-Sociological-Social-Psychology-2nd-Edition/Crawford-Novak/p/book/9781138284692
Crawford, Lizabeth A. and Novak, Katherine B. 2023. “Beliefs About Alcohol and the College Experience as Determinants of Academic and Social Outcomes Among Undergraduate Students.” College Student Journal 56(4):371-381.
Kowalski, Jennifer R., Lineweaver, Tara L., and Novak, Katherine B. 2021. “DevelopingIntegrative Thinking in Undergraduate Students through an Interdisciplinary General Education Course on Mental Illness.” College Teaching. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/87567555.2021.1982856\
Crawford, Lizabeth A. and Novak, Katherine, B. 2020. "College Student Activities, Social Capital, and Drinking Behavior." Journal of Alcohol and Drug Eductation 64(1):9-32.
Crawford, Lizabeth A, Novak, Katherine B, and Rasitha R.Jayasekare. 2019. “Volunteerism, Alcohol Beliefs, and First-Year College Students’ Drinking Behaviors: Implications for Prevention.” The Journal of Primary Prevention. Advanced On-line Publication. https://link.springer.com/epdf/10.1007/s10935-019-00558-z?author_access_token=VsSE7FJJx4odI99TFRd2z_e4RwlQNchNByi7wbcMAY5U0p0vLjEfjXTWGPJg3fnUs7hDFpqWDQBu-3S9HNrZBdSXHQeiJNHtTScfiJScXxZnrFgi8YqhWDnMn4l9SXYNcCZl9aE9GpZQl-UpIAGxcA%3D%3D
Crawford, Lizabeth A. and Novak, Katherine B. 2018. “Being with Friends and the Potential for Binge Drinking During the First College Semester.” Journal of the First-Year Experience & Students in Transition 30(2):79-96.
Crawford, Lizabeth A., Novak, Katherine B., and Foston, Amia K. 2016 (online)/ 2018 (print).“Routine Activities and Delinquency: The Significance of Bonds to Society and Peer Context.” Crime & Delinquency 64(4):472-509.
Howard, Jay R., Novak, Katherine B., Scott, Marvin B. and Cline, Krista M.C. 2014. “Another Nibble at the Core: Student Learning in a Topically-Focused Introductory Sociology Course.” Teaching Sociology 42(3):177-186.
Crawford, Lizabeth A. and Novak, Katherine B. 2013. “The Effects of Public Self-Consciousness and Embarrassability on College Student Drinking: Evidence in Support of a Protective Self-Presentational Model.” The Journal of Social Psychology 153(1):109-122.
Crawford, Lizabeth A. and Novak, Katherine B. 2011. “Beliefs about Alcohol and the College Experience, Locus of Self, and College Undergraduates’ Drinking Patterns.” Sociological Inquiry 81(4):477-494.
Crawford, Lizabeth A., and Novak, Katherine B. 2010. “Beliefs about Alcohol and the College Experience as Moderators of the Effects of Perceived Campus Drinking Norms on Levels of Alcohol Use among College Undergraduates. Journal of Alcohol and Drug Education. 54(3):69-96.
Novak, Katherine B.and Crawford, L. A. 2010. “Routine Activities as Determinants of Gender Differences in Delinquency. Journal of Criminal Justice 38(5):913-920.
Menendez-Alarcon, Antonio V. and Novak, Katherine B. 2010. “Latin American Immigrants in Indianapolis: Perceptions of Prejudice and Discrimination.” Latino Studies. 8:93-120.
Director of Academic Affairs for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
Faculty Director of Butler in Asia Program, Center for Global Education
Su-Mei Ooi joined the Department of Political Science and Peace & Conflict Studies program in 2010, shortly before earning a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto with a joint specialty in international relations and comparative politics.
Prior to settling down in Indianapolis, Ooi studied and worked in many different parts of Asia, Europe, and North America. Her lived experiences have shaped Ooi into a dedicated educator who believes strongly in the importance of critical global citizenship education in the United States. At Butler, she teaches courses in international relations and Asian politics with the express purpose of helping students to understand that there are many different ways of being in this world. She particularly encourages students to seek better solutions to global problems by re-imagining new possibilities for a better world. Ooi grew up in Singapore and Malaysia. Since 2017, Ooi has also led students to Malaysia and Singapore on the Butler in Asia program, which offers students the unique opportunity to live and work in Asia for 7 weeks in the summer.
As an affiliate faculty of the Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies program, Ooi also believes in a diverse, inclusive, and equitable learning and working environment for all. At Butler, she works closely with senior administration in her role as the Director of Academic Affairs for DEI. In terms of curricular affairs, she is also responsible for Asian and Pacific American representation in the Core Curriculum, as she led a team of excellent colleagues in the development of GHS 212: Asian Americas. She works closely with students as well and is the faculty advisor of the student group Asian and Pacific Islander Alliance (APIA).
Although Ooi’s research expertise is in democratic development and human rights in East Asia, she has expanded the scope of her research in response to issues and problems beyond her core interest. More recently, her scholarship addresses peace on the Korean Peninsula, US-China relations, global education, and the well-being of faculty in teaching-focused institutions. She also believes in integrating teaching and scholarship and has mentored students in the research and publication process at Butler.
In her personal time, Ooi enjoys the company of her husband, daughter and a pet hamster named Mochi (aka Momo). She is also an active member of the Asian and Pacific American community in Indianapolis. She is on the Board of the Indianapolis Chinese Community Center, inc and is a member of the Indiana Association of Chinese Americans and the National Asian and Pacific American Women’s Forum.
Teaching Expertise:
International Relations, US-China Relations, East and Southeast Asian Politics, Chinese Politics, Human Rights and Humanitarianism, International Political Economy
Research Specialization:
Comparative Democratization, Transnational Activism, Human Rights, East Asian Politics and International Relations, Global Citizenship Education
Education:
PhD Political Science
University of Toronto (Canada)
MA (Southeast Asian Studies)
National University of Singapore (Singapore)
LLB (Bachelor of Laws, with Honors)
University College London (United Kingdom)
Publications:
http://works.bepress.com/sumei_ooi/
Awards/Fellowships
Korea Foundation Fellowship
Chiang Ching-kuo Foundation Fellowship
Taiwan Foundation for Democracy Fellowship
Dr. David Chu Scholarship
Political Science Award, University of Toronto
Volkswagen Foundation Fellowship
Sholeh Shahrokhi is a Professor in Anthropology in the Department of History, Anthropology, and Classics, at the college of LAS at Butler University.
Dr. Shahrokhi received her Ph.D. in anthropology from the University of California at Berkeley in 2008. In the same year, she began teaching at Butler in the Department of History and Anthropology, and across interdisciplinary programs such as Race Gender and Sexuality Studies; Peace Studies; International Studies; and Global and Historical Studies.
Her scholarship focuses on explorations of power as manifested in an intersectional and discursive expressions of gender, race, body, age, religion and ethnicity, urbanity, as socio-cultural frames of differences.Selected published works:
I. Book Chapters
Gender and Sexuality: An Anthropological Approach (2017), in Ethnology, Ethnography and Cultural Anthropology, [Eds. Paolo Barbaro], in Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), Developed under the Auspices of the UNESCO, Eolss Publishers, Oxford, UK, [http://www.eolss.net]
Iranian War Cinema: The Art of RememberingPain, in the Iranian War Cinema: National Identity, Ethnic Diversity, and Gender Issues, (2012). Edited book by P. Khosronejad. S. K. Publishing, Oxford:UK.
Beyond “tragedy”: A Cultural Critique of SexTrafficking of Young Iranian Women, in Sex Trafficking, Human Rights, andSocial Justice, (2010). Edited volume by T. Zheng. Routledge, NY.
II. Articles:
Life jackets on shore: Anthropology, refugees, and the politics of belonging in Europe, in Anthropology of the Contemporary Middle East and Central Eurasia 4(2):11-33. (2018). Sean KingstonPublishing. Oxford: UK.
Body Aesthetics and Protest Art In Contemporary Iran (2014)
Adolescents’ perspective on addiction (2005) co-author.
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1442-2018.2005.00237.x/full
III. Selected Conference Papers:
"Family Albums in Flux: Portraits of life and memory across borders." Photo Albums Twisted Meaning: Between nostalgia and trauma. Institute of Art History of the Czech Academy of Sciences and DOX – Center for Contemporary Art. Prague, Cz. (November 2021).
"Life in Fragments: Anthropology and Art Across the Border". Hostile Terrain 94. Butler University. (October 2021).
"Crossing the Border: Anthropology, identity politics, and the role of Art." A workshop organized by Zanan: Iranian Women in Northern California (April 2021).
“Art-Activism – an exercise in love: Stories from Iranian refugees living in Europe.” Didar VaGoftar Seminar: A critical inquiry special group of Iranians in Indiana. Zionsville, Indiana. (2019)
“Between Lights andShadows: The art of ‘seeing’ refugees.” European Association of SocialAnthropologists (EASA). Staying, Moving, and Settling conference. StockholmUniversity. Stockholm, Sweden. (2018).
“Living as Trans*: The experiences from fieldwork in Tehran, Iran.” Transgender Lives in GlobalPerspective: Trans Lives in Iran. Religion Seminar by the Center for Faith andVocation at Butler University and the Desmond Tutu Center at the ChristianTheological Seminary. (2016)
Engendering the Protester: Body politics and sexual representation of the Iranian protests (2012)
https://gws.as.uky.edu/engendering-protester-body-politics-and-sexual-representation-iranian-political-protest-dr-sholeh
Body Beautiful: Making the Figure of Women in Film, Contemplation on the Iranian New Wave Cinema of the Past Decade (2009)
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/92f6p1p8
Courses (Butler):
I. Core Courses in the Social World
SW 215 Being Human: An Introduction to Anthropology (Social Justice Diversity approved)
SW 233 Political Islam in Paris
II. Core Courses in Global and Historical Studies
GHS207 Global Women: Rights and Resistance
(Cross-listed: Gender Women Sexuality Studies, Social Justice Diversity approved)
GHS211 Modern Middle East and North Africa (Social Justice Diversity approved)
II. Core Courses in Perspectives in the Creative Arts
PCA 215 Art Across Borders: Refugees in Political North
IV. Courses in Anthropology (Majors/Minors)
AN 311 Trespass: Anthropology of Power & Difference
(Cross-listed: Peace and Conflict Studies, International Studies)
AN 315 Gender and Colonialism (Cross-listed: GWSS)
AN 320 Gender and Sexuality Through Globalization (Cross-listed: GWSS)
AN 326 Youth and Global Cinema (cross-listed: IS and PACS)
AN 328 Popular Culture: Michael Jackson
AN 340 Non-western Art: Ethnographic Art
AN 345 Conflict Resolution Through Art (Cross-listed: PACS, IS)
AN 352 Anthropological Method: Ethnography (Writing: WAC)
AN 368 Coming of Age in the Middle East (Cross-listed: PACS)
AN 390 Anthropological Theory
I am a professor of Latin American History in the department of History and Anthropology, and affiliate faculty in Race, Gender, and Sexuality Studies (RGSS) and International Studies (IS). I am also currently the Director of Global and Historical Studies at Butler University.
I teach courses on a variety of subjects, but all deal in some way with the interplay of power, culture, identity formations and historical shifts.
My scholarship generally lands at the intersections of gender, space, and the history of the Americas. You can find my articles in The Americas, the Journal of Urban History, and the Journal of Transnational American Studies (among others). My first book titled Deco Body/Deco City: Spectacle and Modernity in Mexico City (University of Nebraska Press, 2016) looks at how new ideas about femininity and female bodies influenced urban reform in Mexico’s capital city in the 1920s and 1930s. My new project, Warrior Power: Dreaming, Drugs, Death and the Search for Alternate Spirituality in Mexico during the Sixties and Seventies (tentative title), focuses on the interplay between the books and appeal of Carlos Castaneda, the history of anthropology, New Age sensibilities, popular imaginings of Mexico, and indigenismo.
Ania Spyra grew up in a German and Polish speaking home in Upper Silesia in Southern Poland. She received her MA in Literature and Linguistics from the University of Silesia, and her PhD in English from the University of Iowa. Dr. Spyra’s research looks at the influence of migration on the language of literature. She has published articles on feminist contestations of cosmopolitanism, multilingualism and transnationalism, most recently in Studies in the Novel, Contemporary Literature and Comparative Literature. Dr. Spyra teaches a wide range of courses in Transnational and Postcolonial Literature, Translation and Creative Writing. In her commitment to Global Education, she twice directed Butler University’s Global Adventures in Liberal Arts (GALA) as well as taught short term study abroad courses in Cuba, Ireland, Scotland and Australia.
