​​Thanks to designer Nour Elnemr ‘20, a political science major with a minor in economics, four hospitals in Egypt have undergone major transformations with effects that can be felt by staff, patients and the 24-year-old herself. Elnemr has customized scrubs, post-op gowns, recovery areas and waiting rooms throughout the last four years with the goal of adding brightness and positivity to the patient experience.

“With my designs, I'm trying to change the experience people have when accessing medical care,” she said. “Patient experience is very important, especially for those with cancer. It's 90% of the healing process.”

During her sophomore year at AUC, Elnemr worked as an intern for an interior design company. It was during this time that she came up with her first idea. “I remember sitting in class one day, and it hit me: I wanted to design a line with an impact," she recalled. 

Elnemr decided to create a furniture line decorated with drawings done by cancer patients.

She presented it to Cairo’s Children’s Cancer Hospital Egypt 57357 soon thereafter, and to her surprise, they asked her to start the next day. To get the designs, Elnemr held workshops with the hospital’s children for 12 hours each week over six months, where she introduced them to artists such as Picasso, Kandinsky, Klee and Matisse for inspiration.

“Sitting with the kids was out of this world and life-changing,” she said. “They are all brilliant and bright. Their only challenge is having cancer.”

The furniture sold quickly, and revenues from sales went directly back to the hospital. Pleased with Elnemr’s work, the hospital’s CEO approached her to create a similar design for the hospital staff’s white scrubs. Drawing from her time spent with the kids, Elnemr came up with brightly colored positive affirmations for the otherwise bland uniforms. Each affirmation was specific to a patient struggle she noted during her time in the hospital. Phrases included “We love you,” “Tomorrow’s a new day” and “You are superman.”

During the design phase, she knew that her scrubs would stand out among others because of this personalized touch.

“Other designers of hospital scrubs have not met these kids. They have not seen the happiness or the pain that they have in their eyes,” she said. “My affirmations are there to repair that pain.”

Elnemr saw and felt the impact of her design six months later when she returned to the hospital and found the staff wearing her scrubs. “A woman came up to me and thanked me, saying that I made her smile after she thought she never would again,” she remembered. Seeing the positive effects her designs had on an entire hospital inspired Elnemr to take her work to others.

So she launched her own company, Nour Elnemr Designs, through which she has come up with and implemented similar projects for the Baheya Foundation For Early Detection & Treatment Of Breast Cancer in El Haram, the Al Nas Hospital in Shoubra and the Magdi Yacoub Foundation’s Aswan Heart Centre. Each project required around two months of research, she said, so that her designs could properly combat the challenges facing each institution.

For example, the Magdi Yacoub Foundation’s hospital manager reported that they were struggling in encouraging kids to adopt healthy habits post-operation. To remedy this, Elnemr came up with a line of superheroes to feature on the post-op gowns. Each superhero embodied a healthy habit, such as exercise and coming to follow-up appointments.

The young designer recalled her own obstacles during this time, from balancing her academic and work lives to managing tight budgets and overcoming doubt from people who saw her as “just a student.”

“I had to prove myself time and again and assure people that I could work on these high-level projects,” she said. “It was a tough journey but one that I am grateful for.”

Elnemr ultimately dreams of spreading her work to the rest of Egypt’s hospitals and beyond. “Alongside other projects, I'm trying to show multinationals that I'm a realistic and affordable option,” she said, stressing the importance of designing a space according to the people who occupy it. 

Full of ambition, compassion and gratitude, Elnemr continues to build a portfolio that sets her apart from others in the industry. “This is not a normal design firm,” she emphasized. “Our designs are human-centric and very close to our hearts.”

All photos courtesy of Nour ElNemr Designs

A mummy suspected to belong to an ancient nobleman, discovered in 2019 by a Charles University archaeological mission led by archaeologist Mohamed Megahed, Charles University, Czech Republic, and including Salima Ikram (YAB '86), distinguished University professor of Egyptology, may actually date back 1,000 years earlier than initially believed, a fact that could drastically change the history of mummification.

Since the discovery was announced, it has been picked up by news outlets across the globe.

According to Ikram, Megahed discovered in the area of Djedkare Isesi's pyramid "a tomb dating to the Fifth Dynasty [part of the Old Kingdom] that was beautifully decorated. Inside the tomb there was some pottery, dating back to the same period, and also the remains of a mummy."

Upon inspection of the mummy, Ikram initially believed it impossible for it to belong to the Old Kingdom due to the style of mummification. However, she said, "All the circumstantial evidence from the tomb points to the fact that this is indeed an Old Kingdom mummy."

"If this mummy is actually the body of the tomb owner, we will have to revise all that we know about the history and technology of mummification in Egypt, as well as routes relating to the incense trade," Ikram said. 

The team is now waiting to have carbon-14 tests done to the mummy's cloths to verify its age, a practice that is not standard in dating mummies, but has been deemed necessary in this case, due to the lack of agreement between the mummification style and the mummy's surroundings. 

There are also hopes of running tests on the mummification materials, such as resins, to identify their origin and relation to trade routes, as well as further shed light on mummification technology.

Ikram and her colleagues, along with the rest of the world, will have to wait until next spring for the carbon-14 results, as the Egyptologist predicted that they won't be available until May 2022.

"We are all on tenterhooks waiting for the results," she said. "In between now and then, I guess we'll just chew our nails and hope for the best."

Djedkare Isesi's pyramid, where the team has been working, is located in south Saqqara, Ikram reported. "I am delighted to be part of Mohammed Megahed’s team. [This is] a wonderful international collaboration that is leading to many new discoveries," she said.

Ikram serves the team as a mummy specialist and archaeo-zoologist. Working with physical anthropologists Zeinab Hashesh and Ahmed Gabr, the three combine their skills to paint a picture of how someone was buried, as well as other details.

Some AUC students have visited the site on field trips and enjoyed Megahed's tours of it. His team hopes that as time goes on, more students will be able to join them in their work.

Ikram finally pointed out that the team has the canopic jars, which contain the mummy's internal organs and could be used in DNA testing further down the road. 

"Maybe in the future, when science is a bit more advanced, we can see if the jars contain things that match what we have from the mummy," she said, adding that "As technology advances, you can learn more and more things from the same artifacts."

Photo of Djedkare Isesi's pyramid courtesy of Creative Commons

All other photos courtesy of Djedkare's Project

Paul Schemm (YAB '92) was recently named foreign deputy regional editor at The Washington Post. Schemm studied abroad at AUC for a year in 1991, an experience that further piqued his interest in the Middle East and left him wanting more. He eventually returned to Cairo years later, where he grew his career as a reporter and editor. Now based in London, Paul recalls his time at AUC and in Cairo with fondness. 

Where were you born? Where did you grow up?

I was born in the United States. My father was a doctor in the army, and as a result, we moved a great deal, living in Germany and Belgium when I was young. My mother was also born in the Netherlands, so we had family in Europe. 

Are there any experiences you had as a child or teenager that pushed you toward the Middle East?

I was always interested in other countries and their histories. We came to Egypt when I was 15, and I got the chance to travel across the country and inside the region –– all of which left a deep impression on me so that when I went to Williams College, one of the first things I looked into was year-abroad programs in the Middle East.

Why did you choose AUC for your semester abroad?

Williams had an agreement with AUC. I believe Professor Raymond Baker was teaching at both institutions at the time, so that’s why I chose Egypt. Needless to say for a 19 year old, Cairo in 1991 was quite an experience and a long way from the remote bucolic setting of Williams. My group of year abroads were the first to stay in the then newly opened Zamalek dormitory.

What did you study during your year at AUC? 

My courses mostly focused on Middle East history and politics, as I was a political science major. I regret not taking more Arabic courses like some of my fellow year abroads did, and tackling the Arabic language, both Egyptian dialect and MSA has been a rather long saga. 

It is hard to say where I learned more: from the streets of Cairo, in the classrooms or just on the campus with other students. 

Probably one of my favorite classes was the introduction to Medieval Islamic Architecture in Cairo that involved Friday morning outings to the amazing mosques and madrasas of Gamaliya, the cemeteries and other neighborhoods. Years later, when I came back to live in Cairo, I would still go down and visit those parts of town, often dragging hapless visitors along for my architectural obsession.

What did you do after AUC?

After my time at AUC, I returned to the United States much more focused on studying the region than before. And for the next few years, with work in DC and then graduate school in Texas, it was all about finding a way back to the region, which I eventually did in 1997, getting an internship at an English-language weekly, Middle East Times. That kicked off 13 years of living in Cairo and working as a journalist. 

Part of my heart will always be in Cairo after spending such a formative period there. 

I met my wife in Cairo, and my son was born in a hospital on Roda Island. I have traveled through Egypt from the border crossing of Salloum down to the deserts around Toshka, visited churches in Upper Egypt and taken cruises on Lake Nasser. I covered protests at Cairo University and across the city at the start of the Iraq War, and I was in Tahrir Square when Mubarak resigned. For many years, I would ride every week in the desert around the pyramids.

When I walked through downtown –– and I lived for years in Mounira and then later Garden City –– I always looked fondly on the buildings of the Tahrir Square campus. Long after the University moved to New Cairo, I would still go to the Tahrir Square AUC bookstore. 

I worked for a number of local publications in Egypt, including AmCham’s Business Monthly and the long defunct Cairo Times, which I edited for a time. I eventually joined AFP and went to Baghdad for a little over a year to cover the situation there from around 2005 to 2006 and a few times afterward. I later moved to AP, where I wrote a bit and was an editor on their Mideast desk, working with correspondents from around the region.

In May 2011, I took a job as the AP chief correspondent in North Africa, based in Rabat, where I lived for the next four years. I visited Cairo a few times after that. I subsequently left AP and went to Ethiopia, working as a freelancer before joining The Washington Post as a part-time writer and editor. That work eventually became full time as a foreign desk editor, handling material for when people in DC were still asleep –– working with correspondents in East Asia, South Asia and across the Middle East, Africa and Europe. I moved to Dubai as part of my wife’s work and continued my Washington Post job from there. 

In my current role, I work with people in Europe, India and Africa but, of course, remain particularly interested in the Middle East.

How did studying at AUC shape your professional or personal life?

It is a little difficult to overstate the impact my time at AUC had on my life. On the one hand, I became much more independent –– negotiating a strange city in a language different from my own, learning about a new culture, meeting all sorts of different people. Some of the AUC students I met at that time I am still friends with all these years later (some even work there).

I think AUC gave me an entry into Egypt as a student, teaching me about the place, providing a sanctuary within its calm walls to eventually allow me to venture on my own into the wild city. AUC has been playing the role as a bridge between East and West for generations of international students and visitors, and that is something I will always appreciate. It is hard for me to imagine my long experience with Egypt without the role of AUC at the beginning.

When AUC went fully online almost 18 months ago, Hanan Kholoussy, associate professor of history, panicked. After teaching face-to-face classes at AUC for more than a decade, she was unsure if she could quickly master the new technology and, more importantly, maintain a connection with her students. Little did she know, this sudden change would propel her to discover new things about herself, her students and the importance of well-being.

“What I noticed during the pandemic is that most of us, not just students, are not taught how to take care of ourselves –– physically, mentally and emotionally,” Kholoussy recalled. “We know the basics, but very few of us actually do it.” 

Luckily, Kholoussy employed during Egypt’s lockdown a wealth of techniques that require very little expertise. Seeking to share these with her students, many of whom had disclosed their struggles to the compassionate professor, Kholoussy developed two new courses: A History of Happiness and A History of Healing.

A History of Happiness started last year and is still running. It is a global history course that takes students to different time periods in all parts of the globe through the lens of things that are traditionally believed to make people happy, such as meditation, exercise and nutrition. A History of Healing began just a few weeks ago. This course focuses on the world’s oldest whole-body healing system Ayurveda, which stems from ancient India. 

In both courses, Kholoussy challenges her students to adopt what she calls a “happiness habit,” and blog or vlog about it each week, in addition to research and writing assignments on the history of these habits. This particular assignment allowed her a lens into the lives of all of her students, rather than the usual few each semester. 

“Some students prefer to write, others to talk. I've given them a platform to express themselves every week. It's one-on-one, and I don't share their blogs or vlogs with anyone. A number of them have really opened up to me, and I feel very privileged that they do that. It's quite an honor.”

Salma Sabry ‘21, a double major in integrated marketing communication and history, took Kholoussy’s course as one of her final classes at AUC. “As soon as I saw ‘History of Happiness’ I was instantly intrigued by the topic. I never thought that there could be a history to feelings like happiness. I instantly wanted to know how it can be studied from a historical perspective,” she recalled.

Sabry adopted yoga as her “happiness habit” and quickly began to notice a difference. “Beyond the physical benefits. it eased my anxiety and helped me with managing my stress, which was the primary cause of my migraines,” she said.

Overall, she is grateful for the unique experience and continues to practice yoga.

“Most courses that have stayed with me after graduation added to my academic scope; however, this course significantly affected my personal life, which is something I hadn’t experienced prior,” she said. “Dr. Hanan has been more than a professor to me and is someone I look up to as a mentor now.”

Abdelrahman Mouchabet '21, an economics major, felt the same about the class and Kholoussy, saying, "Dr. Hanan's class was not what I expected at all. The discussions managed to touch me personally and help me understand why certain habits were fulfilling to me and others weren't."

Another student, construction engineering graduate Amr Orz '21, noticed during the course a sense of passion within himself that had not been there prior. "Dr. Hanan's approach with the students was vastly different than what I was used to. Effortlessly, she made us all excited to join class and participate."

After seeing her students employ technology to share their experiences, Kholoussy felt inspired to do the same. So for the first time, she created an Instagram account, @honeywellness, where she allows the world a clear view of her personal challenges and insights. With her student’s permission, she also features their wellness journeys on her account.

Previously, the professor described herself as "tech-aversive." She could use PowerPoint and other basic programs, but things like Zoom’s advanced features and Google folders were alien to her. “I was trained to write and research in a particular way that's very impersonal and archaic. I could insist on speaking that language to my students, and they won't get much out of it, nor will I.”

But after getting a good handle on many different forms of learning and communication platforms, Kholoussy found that communicating with her students in “their language” was key to creating closer, more supportive relationships.

“I really felt a bond. And it wasn't just between me and the students. They themselves created this really amazing rapport."

For all the remarkable connections Kholoussy was able to foster during AUC’s closure, she is happy to be back on campus, and notes the same happiness in other community members. “Almost everyone is just so excited to be back in person,” she said. “That energy, that excitement is contagious; it's palpable. It's wonderful to teach in that kind of environment.”

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Photo by Lina Trochez on Unsplash

Aliaa Ismail '14 has been named among Apollo's 40 Under 40 for Art & Tech, which annually highlights young professionals for their pioneering work at the crossroads of art and technology.

Holding a Bachelor of Science in architectural engineering and a Bachelor of Arts in Egyptology from AUC, Ismail is an Egyptologist, director of the Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative and director of the 3D Scanning, Training and Archiving Centre at Luxor's Stoppelaere House. She produces large-scale 3D scans in the Valley of the Kings and is currently working on the Tomb of Seti I. "Every day we start work at 5:30 am. My team and I head into the tomb and I make sure everything is running smoothly and fix any problems that pop up," she said.

Ismail is also responsible for training team members, coordinating with the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities and communicating with the media and Factum Foundation, a not-for-profit conservation organization in Madrid.

Her work, which has been featured in National Geographic's “Lost Treasures of Egypt" and "Secrets of Egypt’s Valley of the Kings,” aims to offer the public access to archaeological and historical sites while simultaneously protecting and preserving them from further damage. 

"The Theban Necropolis Preservation Initiative is all about digital heritage preservation for future generations. We work to digitally preserve all the Theban tombs at the highest possible resolution by taking 3D scans of their walls," she explained. "This ambitious project also aims to transfer the knowledge of 3D scanning to the local community in Luxor and so far, we have been doing so effectively. I am working on site with an all-Egyptian team, whom I have trained myself."

Ismail has been managing this project since it began in 2016. Its timeline includes four working years (2016 and 2019-2021).

The young Egyptologist was also selected to take part in an exclusive panel discussion titled "Future-Proofing the Past," which took place on September 27 and focused on using technology in the preservation of artifacts.  

"I am delighted and proud that Aliaa is being featured in this prestigious list and has been chosen to be one of the very few panel discussants for an online event," said Salima Ikram (YAB ’86), distinguished University professor of Egyptology and international archaeologist. "Aliaa has combined Egyptology, architecture, and technology in her career, and her work is a superb example of a successful marriage between the humanities and sciences that advances and furthers art, history and technology."

Ismail herself was also pleased, especially as she was not aware of her nomination. "Honestly, it feels great to be nominated and chosen. This achievement brings me great honor," she said.

As of July 2021, John Meloy became AUC’s new dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences. He earned his PhD in history from the University of Chicago and has a track record of academic achievements, including a record of research and publication in Islamic history, with a specialization in the Mamluk era.  

Furthermore, previously serving as chair of the Department of History and Archeology, associate dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, and director of the Center for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies at the American University of Beirut, Meloy brings with him years of exemplary higher education experience to AUC.

Why did you decide to join AUC?

There was a convergence of factors, but mainly my decision was driven by the opportunity to contribute to AUC and to live in Egypt again.

You have extensive experience at higher education institutions, such as AUB, along with your research expertise. How will you build on this experience during your time at AUC?

I believe my experience in Beirut will help in my work here in Cairo, but I also recognize that each of these two institutions is unique. The real challenge, I think, is to be creative and collaborative in achieving our goals.

What is your vision as dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences?

My vision reflects the school’s vision statement: excellence in teaching, research and creative expression. Given the diversity of disciplines within HUSS, we are well-positioned to serve as the nexus of the local and the global in manifold ways.

What is your plan to further strengthen the visibility of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences?

Strengthening visibility is a never-ending project, achieved through publicizing faculty and student achievements and, whenever possible, extending what we do to the broader public. 

The critical skills our students acquire from our various disciplines give them the means to continue learning after they graduate. It’s not so much teaching them what they need to know now, but rather teaching them how to figure out what they need to know and giving them the skills and traits to teach themselves: sharpening critical thinking, cultivating curiosity and creativity, fostering individual and social awareness, and strengthening effective communication. 

Lifelong learning is the only way to prepare for the future.

What are your priorities during this coming year?

My priority are the people in HUSS. 

I hope to ensure that the faculty have the support they need to achieve their scholarly objectives, the students are getting the most out of their education, and our curriculum gives them the best possible springboard for their success.

Some fun facts: 

Favorite book?

Favorite of all time?  That’s a tough one. I’m usually pleased with whatever I’m reading now, which tends to be different things at once.  Vikram Seth’s Two Lives, which I found on an open bookshelf in the faculty housing, offers an intimate portrait of two quite different lives joined in the middle of the 20th century. 

Since coming to Cairo, after not living here for a long time, I’ve become interested in the extensive growth of the city, so I’ve turned to David Sims’ Egypt’s Desert Dreams, and Yahia Shawkat’s Egypt’s Housing Crisis is next on the list. A shoutout to AUC Press!

Favorite music?

My tastes are eclectic: Bach, Brubeck, BB King, the Beatles. Other letters of the alphabet are acceptable too.

Favorite activity? 

 Swimming.

Favorite Egyptian food?

 I wouldn’t mind eating a ta’amiya sandwich now.

Your hero/role model?

 All the great teachers I’ve had.

Greatest inspiration?

People who are great researchers and teachers.

Something not a lot of people know about you? 

A memorable spring break in college was spending a week on a Greyhound bus riding across the United States.

Best accomplishment?

Maybe not the best, but an accomplishment, is that Greyhound bus riding across the United States.

What problem do you wish to solve in the world? 

Wow. Where to start? 

AUC's alumni left their mark at Egypt's Entrepreneur Awards, taking home a number of awards. The event is held to honor the country's brightest entrepreneurs. You can find the full list of awardees here. 

Best Egyptian Product: Salah El-Dardir '12

CLEO Pharmaceutical Industries 

FIntech: Omar Abdelwahed '16

Valify

Food and Beverage - Fast Casual: Sameh El-Sadat '05, Tarek El Nazer '06, Basel Mashhour '04

TBS Holding Ltd.

Food and Beverage - Fine Dining: Ayman Baky '96

Baky Hospitality Group LLC

General Tech Services: Tarek Bakry '02

zVendo

Media and Advertising: Dina Aly '04

Matter

Next Generation Family Intrapreneur of the Year: Shahira Diab '98

La Poire

Tourism: Youssef Fayez '04

Les Concierges Egypt

Transportation and Logistics: Omar Hagrass '10

Trella

UN Sustainable Development Goals - Environmental Sustainability: Yaseen Abdel-Ghaffar '09

SolarizEgypt

At its recent meeting, AUC's Board of Trustees approved the tenure of Assistant Professors Rania Samir, management; Nesrin Badawi political science; and Diaa Noureldin, economics. 

"Professors Rania, Diaa and Nisreen are all prime examples of AUC's commitment to excellence, and it  is a privilege to count them among our most dedicated faculty members. I am delighted to know that they will be educating AUC students for years to come while carrying out impactful and pioneering research. AUC continues to be fully committed to tenuring excellent faculty," said

Provost Ehab Abdel Rahman.

Samir has taught at AUC for 12 years, with the first four years being an adjunct faculty member.

"It is a great achievement that I have been working hard for during the past eight years," Samir said. "It will give me the drive to excel more in the different facets of work — teaching, research and service work."

Teaching in the Department of Management, her research interests include internet marketing, social media and innovation adoption. She has published a book on the Adoption of Web-based Marketing in the travel industry with Lambert Academic Publishing in 2011.

"AUC is a competitive environment that requires continuous self enhancement," she added. 

For Badawi, who teaches public and international law, tenure is a part of doing something she cherishes. 

"With tenure becoming a scarce commodity, particularly for mother academics, I feel extremely privileged and rewarded for a career that has been my passion for the past decade," she said. 

She has been teaching at AUC since 2010, and going into the next phase of her career, she intends to focus on examining the scope of judicial discretion and its impact on public life in Egypt. Her research interests include Islamic jurisprudence, international humanitarian law and the relationship between international law and Islamic law. She has experience working with UNHCR in refugee law and has offered consultancy work to several organizations on humanitarian law and Islamic law.

"I am extremely grateful to the tremendous support I have received from my department and my colleagues at AUC," she said. "I know I couldn’t have gotten there without their help and support. I am also indebted to my husband and my family without whom this wouldn’t have been possible and to my children who have shown great patience for the past years."

Noureldin, who teaches economics, has taught at AUC for 13 years. His research interests include econometrics, time series analysis, forecasting, quantitative finance and macroeconomics. He currently serves as advisor to the Egyptian Center for Economic Studies and as a research associate and thematic co-leader at the Economic Research Forum, a regional think tank focusing on the Middle East, in the theme of macroeconomics of natural resources, structural transformation and growth.

“Many of my mentors back in the United States wanted me to work with Bernard O’Kane, professor of Islamic art and architecture in AUC’s Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations because he is one of the most distinguished scholars in this field,” recounted Mai Mohamed Kolkailah ’21 on what made her join AUC.

At that time, Kolkailah was a Mellon Undergraduate Curatorial Fellow at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston prior to pursuing her graduate studies.

After immersing herself in the Art of the Islamic Worlds Department there and working with several other museums in the field, she wanted to specialize in Islamic art and architecture due to the “significant lack of diversity within the curatorial teams” she recognized. Her curatorial supervisor highly recommended AUC’s program. Later, she indeed joined the University and received the Nadia Niazi Mostafa Endowed Fellowship in Islamic Art and Architecture.

“The deficit of Arabic expertise among Islamic art specialists at museums is primarily what motivated me to focus on this field,” said Kolkailah. “In our increasingly geopolitical world where Islam is often misrepresented and thus misunderstood, I realize my role as an Arab American, Muslim woman in dismantling cultural stereotypes and presenting Islamic art within contexts that elucidate nuanced understandings of the Islamic culture.”

Kolkailah’s goal is to become a scholar and curator of Islamic art and architecture, hoping to publish her graduate research and obtain her PhD in the next few years. “AUC’s program not only gave me the specialized Islamic art training necessary for that but also provided me with the platform opportunities and academic credibility I needed to achieve my goals,” she asserted.

Indeed, two of her favorite courses turned out to be those by Professor O’Kane, namely Decorative Arts and Art of the Book, attributed to the wealth of information she acquired about Islamic art as opposed to just architecture.

“I feel like all my favorite moments at AUC happened, thanks to Professor O’Kane, from our adventures on field trips visiting Islamic architecture to our intriguing debates in class, his library assignments that felt like scavenger hunts for books, and, last but not least, joining the admirable initiative of publishing on Wikipedia for our final papers,” narrated Kolkailah. “Quite frankly, my graduate school experience would have been average if it wasn’t for his mentorship.”

Yet Kolkailah emphasized that “one of the perks of finally doing what you love is that you find most, if not all, of the courses you take are interesting.”

She recalled a particular course, Hadith, led by Ahmed Khan, assistant professor in the Department of Arab and Islamic Civilizations. “The class was outside of my specialty, and I took it as an elective. I was out of my depth, to say the least,” she reflected. “The challenge of catching up and the pressure of going head-to-head with graduates specializing in Islamic studies is precisely why this seminar resonated with me. The knowledge I gained from Professor Khan definitely honed my understanding of Islamic material culture.”

And on that note, just like the course was unexpectedly one of her memorable ones, Kolkailah concluded that “life doesn’t always play out according to the scenarios we plan,” emphasizing that “whichever way my professional and academic journey unfolds, I hope to make my mentors and department proud as a token of my appreciation for the knowledge, time and effort they have invested in me.”

One particular thing she’s grateful for is how supportive her department was when her father passed away. "I am grateful to all my professors for trying to reach out and sharing words of comfort,” she stressed. “My father was an extraordinary man, and I would not have become the woman I am proud to be today if it wasn’t for him.”