Recent News
On May 14, 2025, the Arabic Language and Culture Association marked the official launch of its Registered Student Organization (RSO) with a vibrant celebration in Denny Hall. Founded earlier this academic year by a passionate group of students, the organization aims to honor and share the richness of the Arabic language and diverse cultures of the Middle Eastern and North African (MENA) region.
The event featured engaging activities such as Islamic scholar trivia and interactive… Read more
MELC is excited to share that MELC major Remi Alidon has been selected for an undergraduate Bonderman Fellowship this year! Each year a select group of UW students are provided a rare opportunity to independently travel the world as Bonderman Fellows. David Bonderman, a UW alumnus, created the Bonderman Travel Fellowship in 1995, and it has funded life-changing global journeys for more than 330 students thus far.
Remi's journey will be an opportunity to explore the unique… Read more
MELC Assistant Professor Aria Fani's co-translations to the modernist Iranian poet, Bijan Jalali, was published earlier this month by Asemana, an independent press in Toronto. The cover of the book is illustrated by MELC major Amelia Ossorio. The book is now available on Amazon for purchase.
Shape of Extinction brings together 59 short poems by Jalali, the first book-length selection of his meditative yet quietly radical approach to poetry. A critical introduction situates Jalali’s work… Read more
The Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures recently celebrated its third annual Walter G. Andrews Lecture, featuring an insightful exploration of Ottoman literary traditions. This event was made possible thanks to the generous contributions from our community supporters of the Turkish and Ottoman Studies Program. Recordings of the previous two lectures are available for viewing on… Read more
The Department of Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures at the University of Washington is proud to announce the second cycle of the Iraj Khademi Residency in Persian Literature. This unique residency, named in honor of the late Iraj Khademi, a passionate advocate for Persian literary culture, brings an emerging or established writer, translator, or scholar of Persian literature to campus for a quarter-long engagement with the UW community.
Building on the success of the inaugural cycle, this… Read more
Congratulations to MELC undergraduate minor Griffin Hehmeyer, who was selected for the 2025 Husky 100!
View Griffin's contribution, along with the rest of the list here.
On February 27, Deniz Türker of Rutgers University delivered an insightful lecture at the University of Washington on The Last Ottoman Palace: Yıldız and Its Many Makers (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2023). Organized by Middle Eastern Languages and Cultures Turkish and Ottoman Studies Program in collaboration with the Interdisciplinary PhD Program in Near and Middle Eastern Studies, and moderated by Reşat Kasaba, the event drew a diverse audience of students, faculty, and community members… Read more
Dear MELC Community,
As I write my first chair’s letter for the MELC newsletter, I want to say first that I am proud and honored to be the Chair of this department. I am also grateful for the support of everyone here in MELC, beginning from my first day in 2015 as a fresh-out-of-graduate-school part-time instructor, to today, as I begin my tenure as the Chair of the department as an Associate Professor.
Our department covers so much of the world—from the Horn of Africa to Central Asia– and so… Read more
Faculty Updates
Shai David Ben Ami
A current Israel Institute and ISEF Fellow, he has joined the MELC faculty for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Published a new book in Hebrew, “The Zionist Zoo: The History of Zoos in Israel.” https://urldefense.com/v3/__https://resling.… Read more
By Shai ben Ami and Kathryn Medill
This year, the Modern Hebrew and Israel Studies program in MELC has welcomed an ISEF and Israel Institute Fellow, Shai ben Ami. We are happy to have Shai here to teach courses for students interested in both Middle Eastern Studies and Environmental Studies! In this interview, Shai told us about his background, his research, and the courses he will be teaching for the UW this year.
Tell us about yourself.
I was born and raised in Jerusalem,… Read more