Jeffrey C. Kasch Foundation Research: Zaynab Quadri

This summer, in anticipation of comprehensive exams and the dissertation prospectus, I sought to strengthen my introductory-level Arabic language skills by continuing on to intermediate-level study. As my dissertation research will be transnational, focusing on twentieth and twenty-first century politics of U.S. empire, with particular focus on the Middle East (vis a vis Palestine and the Iraq War), the ability to read and speak Arabic will open up exciting new archives and opportunities in the course of my research. Thanks to the Jeffrey C. Kasch Foundation, I was able to hire a tutor to work with me one-on-one on my Arabic for the whole summer, guiding me through the new material and answering my (many) questions. I was able to complete a semester's worth of work in just a couple of months, providing me with a solid foundation upon which to continue studying the language, and thus deepen the scope of what my dissertation can accomplish. I am grateful to the Kasch Foundation for making this work possible.