Ellen Perleberg
Carolina Public Humanities Fellow

The Center for Middle East and Islamic Studies is pleased to announce that in partnership with Carolina Public Humanities (CPH), we will be offering one fellowship for Middle East and Islamic Studies graduate students interested in public humanities. As the selected CMEIS fellow, Ellen Perleberg, will join a cohort of ten other fellows from various disciplines across the campus.
Duties and Benefits of the Fellowship Recipient: The CMEIS Fellow will join an interdisciplinary graduate workshop that will meet three times in the fall of 2024 and three times in the spring of 2025, exact dates to be announced. These meetings may include group outings to humanistic events, discussions with public humanists, and other activities aimed at providing rigorous professional development in publicly-engaged scholarship. Fellows’ workload outside of meetings will be minimal (e.g., pre-circulated essays, podcasts, video clips, etc.), and meetings will typically include a shared meal. Fellows will also take part in the annual Maynard Adams Symposium for the Humanities.
In addition to participating in the six fellowship meetings, the fellow will be expected to develop a public outreach project or event. To facilitate the planning for these projects, the recipient will workshop their ideas with the Carolina Public Humanities Associate Director for State Outreach, Dr. Joanna Flynn, and the CMEIS Director, Dr. Claudia Yaghoobi. Upon completion, the fellow will be asked to submit brief (2 page) report on their project in order to reflect on successes, challenges, and lessons learned about publicly engaged scholarship.
Shamim Hossain
Digital Humanities Podcasting Intern

As the Digital Humanities Podcasting Intern, Shamim Hossain, will engage in planning, developing, and implementing digital podcast resources for educator use in the classroom at the high school and beginner undergraduate level. He will work under the supervision and alongside CMEIS’s Associate Director, Dr. Micah Hughes, for a maximum of 20 hours during October and November 2024. The intern is expected to offer a public presentation of their project & experience in Spring 2025. This internship offers a unique opportunity for students to enhance their research skills and digital literacy while contributing to meaningful community resources.
Dahna Buheis
Arabic Translation and Interpretation Intern

As the Arabic Translation and Interpretation Intern, Dahna Buheis, will engage in translating and interpreting Arabic at local schools and providing interpretation services for community events under the supervision of CMEIS’s outreach manager during October and November, 2024. The intern is expected to offer a public presentation of their experience in Spring 2025. This internship offers a unique opportunity for students to enhance their language skills and cultural literacy while contributing to meaningful community activities.
Kris Evans
Middle East and Islamic Cultural Heritage Preservation Intern

Kris Evans, our new Middle East and Islamic Cultural Heritage Preservation Intern, will be working closely with local historical societies and museums to document and preserve cultural artifacts. The undergraduate intern will be working with the Center’s outreach manager during October and November. is seeking a motivated undergraduate intern to join our MEIS Cultural Heritage Preservation project under the supervision of the center’s outreach manager for maximum of 20 hours during October and November, 2024. The intern is expected to offer a public presentation of their experience in Spring 2025. This internship offers a unique opportunity for students passionate about history, cultural heritage, and preservation to gain hands-on experience in the field.
“Working on this internship was a rewarding experience. Collaborating with a local museum provided valuable insights into their operations and how various departments work together to deliver high-quality education to students. One of my key takeaways was discovering the incredible depth of art UNC has to offer. The interaction between cultures, such as Roman-inspired statues built in Transjordan, was particularly fascinating, and I thoroughly enjoyed learning about these pieces. Alaa was an excellent coordinator and incredibly helpful throughout the process. I highly recommend this internship to anyone interested in gaining experience with the Middle Eastern department or the university at large.”
– Kris Evans