Yara M. Damaj is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the University of Pennsylvania where she studies the relationship between humor, anxiety, and politics. She holds a Master of Arts in Public Policy and International Affairs from the American University of Beirut (AUB) where she also completed her undergraduate studies in both, Psychology and Politics with a minor in Human Rights and Transitional Justice. Yara has extensive experience working in academic research with a marked interest in theorizing events in the MENA region using critical theory, political economy, psychoanalysis, and feminist theory. Her research has won her various grants, fellowships, and awards. More recently, Yara’s dedication to student-facing work has been recognized through the Alvin Z. Rubinstein Award for teaching Excellence by a graduate student in Political Science. In addition to research and teaching, she has also been serving as Resident Advisor at the Penn College Houses since 2020. Her commitment to her role has won her the “Excellence in Team Leadership” and the “Innovation and Creativity” awards
This graduate student is available to deliver lectures to your K-12 classroom at no charge. All requests MUST be booked through the Middle East Center Speaker's Bureau.
Yara's topics of expertise include critical theory and psychoanalysis in Middle East, studying topics such as universalism and multiculturalism.