David Heayn-Menendez, PhD Candidate in History at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. He is a public educator and scholar of socio-religious and cultural history of the SWANA (South West Asia North Africa) region with a focus on late antique and early Islamic transformations, conflicts, and syncretisms. He has taught and spoken widely about Arab and Islamic history and culture as well as the Arab and immigrant communities of Philadelphia.
David's research and writing focuses on the construction of sacred narratives and community in early Islam and Christianity and their relevance for the SWANA region today. In particular his work addresses appropriation and syncretism of culture in liminal zones and the potency of semiotic elements to convey meaning within changing contexts. As a former visual artist, musician, and actor, David has a passion for the history and aesthetics of Arab and Islamic culture which have been a driving force through his education and career. He received his B.A. and M.A. in History from Villanova University and his M.Phil in History from the CUNY Graduate Center where he is currently completing the dissertation for his Ph.D. titled "From Sykeon to Sion: A Case Study of Byzantine Monasticism in Two Anatolian Provinces, ca. 500-700".
Over the last 20 years David has taught in elementary, high school, and college classrooms in Philadelphia, New York City, and across Pennsylvania. David is also a municipal elected official in the Borough of Lewisburg, freelance writer, artist, and election campaign manager. From 2019 to 2022, David led Al-Bustan’s education and public art initiatives as Director of Education and Civic Engagement. More recently he has served as Executive Director of Pennsylvania Interfaith Power & Light, a statewide climate justice organization focused on inspiring and mobilizing people of faith and conscience to take action on climate change. He has also served as Deputy Director of Programs and Partnerships at Pennsylvania Voice, an organization which seeks to break down barriers to civic participation, restore confidence in government and bring historically marginalized populations and their issues to the center of public discourse.