CASL Faculty Kudos

Professor of History Marty Hershock and Professor of Anthropology John Chenoweth are featured in Frontier to Freedom, a new documentary part of the Michigan 250 initiative and the nationwide America 250 celebration. Professor Hershock served as the film's historical advisor, while Professor Chenoweth lends his expertise to this exploration of Michigan's role in shaping America's story. Airing on PBS in July 2026, it will also begin streaming on Prime Video Sept. 2026. 

Professor of Political Science Dale Thomson recently shared his expertise in a CBS News Detroit feature examining how the City of Detroit invested funding from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). 

Voice/Vision Director and Lecturer of History, Jamie L. Wraight hosted the 2026 Consortium of Higher Education Centers for Holocaust, Genocide, and Human Rights Studies. The conference fostered meaningful conversations, new collaborations, and a shared commitment to preserving history and advancing human rights education.

Professor of History Anna Müller was named a 2026–27 U-M Institute for the Humanities Faculty Fellow. The fellowship supports her research, "Knowledge Against Confinement: A Transnational History of Prisons as Spaces of Learning", exploring how education has shaped experiences of confinement across borders and throughout history.

Professors of Mathematics Yunus Zeytuncu & John Clifford and Associate Professor of Mathematics Aditya Viswanathan are hosting a summer Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) program in mathematics. Students from UM-Dearborn, Princeton, Hamilton College, Georgetown, and Colorado State are exploring high-level questions in pure and applied mathematics, from artificial intelligence and discrete geometry to image deblurring, signal processing and functional analysis.

Lecturer IV of Applied Art Sarah Nesbitt created a project where students in ART 210: Beginning Digital Design course partnered with Detroit-based Make a Difference Rescue to create a coloring book featuring adoptable dogs while learning Adobe Illustrator and putting their creative skills to work for a meaningful cause. Proceeds from coloring book sales go directly to Make a Difference Rescue. 

Associate Professor of History Hani Bawardi contributed to a major public art installation in New York City’s historic “Little Syria” district honoring Arab American poets and authors.As a member of the Washington Street Historical Society and one of the project's original board members, Bawardi contributed research, translations, and scholarly expertise to the installation. He also presented his work, "Hikayat al-Mahjar (Tales of the Diaspora): Translations from Abdelmaseeh Haddad," during a symposium hosted by NYU's Kevorkian Center.

Associate Dean and Professor of Mathematics Yunus Zeytuncu received an Empowering Research with AI Award from AI Institutes at Michigan for his project, “4OPS: Solver-Grounded AI for Modeling and Scaling Human Mathematical Reasoning.”

Associate Professor of Communication Margaret Murray was featured on WWJ Radio regarding Michigan’s new classroom cell phone law. While many schools already limit phone use during instruction, Murray notes that a full bell-to-bell policy could make the greatest impact on student focus and learning.

Associate Professor and director of the Center for Arab American Studies Wessam Elmeligi served as a keynote speaker at the international conference, Psyche and Society: Literature, Language, History and Education, held in Egypt. His keynote, “Dystopia in Arabic Speculative Fiction: A Poetics of Distress,” explored literature’s role in reflecting social and psychological realities. 

Associate Professor of Political Science Julio Borquez and Professor of Middle East and Iranian Diaspora Studies Cam Amin published their paper co-authored with Razieh Araghi "Political Participation and Research Motivation of Iran Specialists in American Academia: How an Academic Community Responds to Events in the U.S. and Iran" in Higher Education Politics & Economics. In the paper the authors analyze the increase in political activities, especially more assertive ones, of Iranian Studies scholars working in US academic institutions over the span of 2016-2023.

Associate Professor of Economics Warren Anderson published his paper Tracking Detroit business activity with the Yellow Pages 1920–1957 in Structural Change and Economic Dynamics. This paper is based on a dataset that Warren created based on the business addresses spanning across 39 industries from the Detroit's phonebooks 1920-57.

Professor of History Marty Hershock was interviewed for a podcast Tales from the Reuther Library, the episode "Polish American Women and Detroit’s 1938 Federal Screw Works Strike". This is based on his paper in Polish American Studies. 

UM-Dearborn campus-wide faculty award winners from CASL:

• Carmel Price, Associate Professor of Sociology - 2026 Distinguished Research Team Award 
• Adam Sekuler, Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Production -  2026 Distinguished Teaching Award
• Anne Danielson-Francois, Associate Professor of Biology - 2026 Distinguished Teaching Award
• Zhi (Elena) Zhang, Associate Professor of Neurobiology - 2026 Distinguished Research Award
• Ivy Forsythe-Brown, Associate Professor of Sociology- 2026 Distinguished Academic Citizenship Award 
• Joseph Musial, Teaching Professor of Psychology - 2026 Collegiate Lectureship Award

Associate Professor Neurobiology Zhi “Elena” Zhang and her collaborators at Washington State University have secured a $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), with $1.1 million allocated directly to her lab to develop a cutting-edge nanoparticle platform aimed at targeting one of the body’s toughest defenses: the blood-brain barrier.

Professor of Mathematics Kelly Jabbusch was awarded an AMS-Simons Research Enhancement Grants for Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) Faculty. She was one of forty-six mathematicians to receive the award. 

Associate Professor of History Hani Bawardi was recently featured in The New York Times for his insights on a major new exhibition at the New York Public Library, “Charting the History of New York’s Middle Eastern Community.” The exhibit highlights the vibrant history of immigrants from the Middle East and North Africa.

Professor of Political Science Mitchel Sollenberger, co-authored with M.Rozell, "Opposing Congress:Alternative Ways to Benefit from Executive Privilege Protections" was published by Political Science Quarterly.

Professor of Mathematics John Clifford, Associate Professor of Mathematics Michael Dabkowski, Associate Professor of Mathematics Alan Wiggins, & Professor of Mathematics Yunus Zeytuncu’s new paper “The operator Cϕ∗Cψ when ϕ is a Blaschke product" was recently published in Advances in Operator Theory.

Associate Professor of History Kristin Poling piece, "Useful Natures: The Working Class and Urban Green Space in Imperial Berlin" was published in the book Grounding Berlin: Ecologies of a Technopolis, 1871 to the Present edited by T.Moss.

Professor of History Marty Hershock was interviewed for the Interlochen Public Radio Points North podcast. The episode covers the dispute about the Michigan-Ohio border.

Professor of Economics Natalia Czap's book, "Wellbeing and Policy: Evidence for Action" co-edited with Marie Briguglio from the University of Malta and Kate Laffan from the London School of Economics has been published by Routledge. The book will be used as a textbook for a newcourse on Happiness and Wellbeing.

Professor of Political Science Mitchel Sollenberger was quoted by Reuters and the New York Times about the ongoing issuance of sweeping executive orders and how the U.S. is seeing a smashing of presidential norms with Trump's term.  Among many of Sollenberger's books, The Unitary Executive Theory: A Danger to Constitutional Government, highlights the conservative legal theory that argues the president enjoys sole authority over the federal government's executive branch - helping us to better understand the overall scope of presidential power.

Professor of History Sally Howell’s book Beyond Refuge in Arab Detroit was recently released. Co-edited with Yasmeen Hanoosh and Andrew Shryock, it includes an introduction and two chapters written by Howell. The book examines Detroit’s Arab and Chaldean communities, their challenges, and their pursuit of citizenship, featuring contributions from Associate Professors Carmel Price (Sociology), Natalie Sampson (Public Health), and Rose Wellman (Anthropology), as well as UM-Dearborn alumni Salam Aboulhassan, Rebecca Karam, and Samraa Luqman.

Assistant Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies, Kathleen Darcy, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice Studies, Maya Barak, and Liliana Hamze undergraduate junior in Criminology, Law, and Criminal Justice recently presented research, theory, and policy on the issue of family separation for incarcerated and detained women to a group of judges at the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ) annual conference.

Assistant Professor of Biochemistry, Besa Xhabija and her students, Ayah A. Farhat, Yazan A. Almahdi and Fatima Z. Alshuhani have been conducting important research in their undergraduate lab which uses digital holographic microscopy and machine learning to characterize melanoma cells in a label-free, non-invasive manner. Their recent paper, Morphological and Optical Profiling of Melanocytes and SK-MEL-28 Melanoma Cells Via Digital Holographic Microscopy and Quantitative Phase Imaging was chosen as the cover story on peer-reviewed interdisciplinary journal, Advanced Biology.

Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program, Anna Muller's book, co-edited with M.Cieslak, Gender and Nation in East Central Europe was published by Rowman & Littlefield. The book explores the dynamic relationship between gender and nation-building. 

Professor of History, Pamela Pennock’s book, Rethinking Arab American Activism was released. It challenges misconceptions about Arab American activism, tracing its roots back to the 1960s & 70s—long before 9/11.

Associate Professor of Communication Nick Iannarino recently presented at the American Psychosocial Oncology Society in Pittsburgh, PA. His study looks at how social workers, psychologists, medical providers, and program managers assess adolescent and young adult cancer patients’ social support needs.

Professor of History, Marty Hershock's article, Seems to Me You Have Plenty of Nerve”: Polish American Women, Detroit's Federal Screw Works Strike of 1938, and the Fate of the UAW was published in Polish American Studies. The article discusses the pivotal role of Polish women in the three-day strike at Federal Screw. Their activism ensured the survival of the union against Detroit auto manufacturers trying to reverse UAW's gains.

Professor of Economics and Chair of the Department of Social Sciences, Natalia Czap has been elected as the future president of the Society for the Advancement of Behavioral Economics (SABE).

Sociology Professor Paul Draus released his book, “Forging Identity: The Story of Carlos Nielbock’s Detroit” (Michigan State University Press), chronicles the life of Detroit artist and inventor Nielbock, including stories about his mixed-race upbringing in post-war Germany, his search for his Black father in 1980s Detroit and his artistic vision for the city’s future.

Teaching Professor of Professional Writing and Rhetoric and faculty advisor for the Sikh Student Association, Kristian Stewart was selected by the The U.S. Department of State for an English Language Specialist project in Peru at the Universidad Nacional de la Amazonía Peruana. This is Kristian’s third consecutive year receiving a prestigious award.

Associate Professor of Communication, Nick Iannarino's research on adolescent and young adult cancer patients and their coping mechanisms was recently published in the Journal of Communication in Healthcare. 

Associate Professor of Organic Chemistry, Christos Constantinides has received a three-year, $600,000 Department of Energy (DOE) award for his project "Leveraging Radical Dynamics to Generate Nuclear Spin Hyperpolarization." Partnering with AMES National Laboratory, this project aims to advance Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy by developing innovative methods for enhancing nuclear spin polarization, a critical factor in improving the sensitivity and resolution of NMR-based imaging and analysis techniques.

Professor emeritus of English Literature and Humanities, Deborah Smith Pollard was recently featured on The Metro podcast discussing the impact of Black churches in Detroit and beyond.

Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Production, Adam Sekuler's film, The Flamingo, had its international premiere at this year’s DocPoint – Helsinki Documentary Film Festival in Finland. As one of the world’s most renowned festivals for documentary films, DocPoint provides an incredible platform to showcase this work, which explores themes of pleasure, freedom, and power in deeply personal and thought-provoking ways.

Professor of History and Director of the Honors Program, Anna Muller recently received the prestigious Miecislaus Harmon Memorial Award from the Polish American Historical Association. Muller was honored in New York City with this medal for her outstanding and continuous contribution in the field of Polish American studies.

Associate Professor of Journalism and Media Production, Adam Sekuler has received a grant award from The Ravitz Foundation for project, "Peace Through the Lens: Arab and Jewish American Film Initiative," which will be taught in our Media Production in the Metropolitan Community course in Fall 2025. 

Professor of Political Science, Dale Thomson recently discussed election integrity, new laws expanding voting access in Michigan and misinformation about those new laws on WDET’s “Created Equal." He talks about the many steps in the election and ballot process that ensure security. Thomson also was interviewed by Bre'Anna Tinsley from WDET about Michigan's 12th congressional race. Listen here.

Professor of History, Sally Howell was recently featured on National Public Radio’s “Throughline.” Howell discussed the ways neighborhood activism and a 1973 labor strike led by Arab Americans in Dearborn’s Southend sparked a political movement that could play a major role in the 2024 election.

Provost and Professor of French, Gabriella Scarlatta, Ph.D., published an article on the French Huguenot writer Agrippa d'Aubigné, who composed poetry during the French wars of religion in late sixteenth-century France. In "Les 'Stances" d'Agrippa d'Aubigné ou la saison de la disperata" (Studi Francesi, LXVIII, Vol. II, 2024), the poet-lover replaces love images with sophisticated nuances of despair as love can no longer nourish his poetry in the difficult historical and political circumstances of his times. 

Sociology Professor and Chair of the Department of Behavioral Sciences, Francine Banner recently published “Beyond Complicity: Why We Blame Each Other Instead of Systems” (University of California Press), examining the complex role that complicity plays in U.S. law and in popular culture.

Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Arab American Studies, Wessam Elmeligi served as a member of the jury for the18th Arab Film Fest held at the Twin Cities in Minnesota, organized by the Mizna, the Arab American art and cultural organization.

Associate Professor of African and African American Studies Terri Laws offered commentary in Bridge Michigan regarding The Michigan Death with Dignity Act's need to address concerns many African Americans have about legalizing physician-assisted suicide. 

Associate Professor of Political Science, Julio Borquez published article "Trump Lost Independent Voters in 2020. Can He Win Them Back?" in Divided we Fall, a non-profit news publication working to provide bipartisan dialogue for the politically engaged.

Associate Professor of Anthropology, Anthropology Discipline Coordinator, John Chenoweth was the lead archeologist on an excavation at the site where John Doane’s house once stood. He was featured in The Provincetown Independent covering accounts of the excavation, which took place in 2019 and 2022, but the report on it wasn’t published until Aug. 1 this year.

Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Arab American Studies, Wessam Elmeligi's book "Cultural Identity in Arabic Novels of Immigration: A Poetics of Return" was recently translated to Arabic by Nahla Abou Arqoub and published by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Center (2024).

Associate Professor of Neurobiology Dr. Zhi “Elena” Zhang and Assistant Professor of Biology Jie Fan were recently awarded a three-year $465,000 grant from the National Institutes of Health for their project titled "Understanding cell chirality and cell-cell interactions at neurovascular unit after brain injury." This project centers on assessing how traumatic brain injury impacts cell chirality and cell-cell interactions among microglia, neurons, and brain microvascular endothelial cells within the neurovascular unit. Through their research, they aim to lay the groundwork for developing precise therapeutics customized to individual cell types, offering potential solutions for various neurological disorders.

Associate Professor of Biology, Dr. Kalyan Kondapalli and Assistant Professor of Physics, Dr. Suvranta Tripathy are working on research titled "Elucidating the role of luminal pH in regulating phagosome transport” which has been awarded the National Institutes of Health (NIH) R16 grant, with cumulative funding of $468,000 over the next three years, enabling them to advance their research goals and potentially lead to significant breakthroughs in their field. 

Associate Professor of Economics, Hans Czap's article “Slave trade, trust, and corruption” co-authored with Kanybek Nur-tegin was published in Oxford Development Studies. Based on the analysis of the micro-level data from 34 African nations the authors conclude that a higher level of personalized trust leads to more corruption, whereas a higher level of generalized trust leads to less corruption. 

Professor of English, Dr. J. Caitlin Finlayson published “The Afterlives of Thomas Middleton’s Civic Pageantry” in The Theatrical Legacy of Thomas Middleton, 1624–2024 (Routledge, 2024). Here, Finlayson explores the anomalous performance afterlives of London Renaissance playwright Middleton’s civic pageantry from 1913 to 2021. 

Associate Professor of Economics, Antonios Koumpias published the paper "Effects of property value assessment limit portability on migration outflows" with alum Stuart DiDonato in Public Budgeting & Finance. Stuart was a 2022 SURE participant. 

Assistant Professor of Journalism and Media Production Adam Sekular's feature film, The Flamingo, had its world premiere at the prestigious Camden International Film Festival and was featured in Variety.