Who We Are
Founded in 2012, the Arab American Studies Association (AASA) is an association of scholars and other persons interested in the study of Arab American history, ethnicity, culture, literature, art, music, politics, religion, sociology, and other aspects of Arab American experience.
Mission Statement
The AASA aims to stimulate academic research in Arab American Studies and advance the study of Arabs in diaspora, including in the United States and across the Americas. Through organizing a major conference every three years and annual meetings in alternating years in conjunction with the Middle East Studies Association and the American Studies Association, AASA aims to facilitate communication among scholars through meetings; promote cooperation among members of the Association and persons or organizations concerned with Arab American Studies; and explore intersections and comparative approaches among Arab American, Arab, and diasporic Arab experiences, as well as among SWANA (Southwest Asian and North African) communities more generally.
To learn more, please refer to the AASA By-Laws.
Contact Us
We are glad to hear from you. You are of course welcome to contact any of the officers; however, if you have specific comments or questions, you may want to contact these officers.
- For more information on membership dues, please email Linda Sayed.
- For more information on meetings and membership, please email Danielle Haque.
- For more information on the website or any other technical issues, please email Rachel Norman.
Board of Directors
All officers of the Board of Directors serve for one year as officer-elect and then for a full two-year term. Traditionally, officers were nominated and elected at the annual business meeting, which was held at the start of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA) conference. But during the COVID-19 pandemic, the AASA switched to virtual elections.
President Waleed F. Mahdi, University of Oklahoma
Past-President Pauline Homsi Vinson, The University of Michigan-Dearborn
Secretary Layla Goushey, St. Louis Community College
Treasurer Linda Sayed, Michigan State University
Web Coordinator Amin Nash, Claremont Graduate University
Member-at-Large Rania Said, University of Massachusetts – Boston
Member-at-Large Deena Naimi, University of Southern California
Former Board Members
2011 Association Founders
Suad Joseph
Randa Kayyali Privett
Pauline Homsi Vinson
Rita Stephan
AASA Logo Design: Sally Homsi
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2012 AASA Board Members
Suad Joseph, President
Pauline Homsi Vinson, Secretary
Randa Kayyali, Treasurer
Lutfi Hussein, Web Coordinator
Rita Stephan, Member-at-Large
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2013 AASA Board Members
Suad Joseph, President
Pauline Homsi Vinson, Secretary
Randa Kayyali, Treasurer
Lutfi Hussein, Web-Coordinator
Nadine Naber, Member-at-Large
Rita Stephan, Member-at-Large
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2014 AASA Board Members
Akram Khater, President
Suad Joseph, Past President
Pauline Homsi Vinson, Secretary
Randa Kayyali, Treasurer
Lutfi Hussein, Web-Coordinator
Nadine Naber, Member-at-Large
Rita Stephan, Member-at-Large
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2015 AASA Board Members
Akram Khater, President
Louise Cainkar, President Elect
Pauline Homsi Vinson, Secretary
Randa Kayyali, Treasurer
Umayyah Cable, Web-Coordinator
Lutfi Hussein, Past-Web Coordinator
Rita Stephan, Member-at-Large
Nadine Naber, Member-at-Large
Evelyn Alsultany. Member-at-Large
Matt Stiffler, Member-at-Large
Suad Joseph, Honorary Member
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2016 AASA Board Members
Louise Cainkar, President
Akram Khater, Past-President
Sally Howell, Secretary
Pauline Homsi Vinson, Past-Secretary
Matt Stiffler, Treasurer
Randa Kayyali, Past-Treasurer
Umayyah Cable, Web-Coordinator
Evelyn Alsultany, Member-at-Large
Amira Jarmakani, Member-at-Large
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2017 AASA Board Members
Louise Cainkar, President
Kristine Ajrouch, Secretary
Matt Stiffler, Treasurer
Rachel Norman, Web-Coordinator
Umayyah Cable, Past-Web-Coordinator
Amira Jarmakani, Member-at-Large
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2018 AASA Board Members
Sally Howell, President
Louise Cainkar, Past-President
Kristine Ajrouch, Secretary
Keith Feldman, Secretary Elect
Matt Stiffler, Treasurer
Rachel Norman, Web Coordinator
Mejdulene Shomali, Member-at-Large
Nadia Abuelezam, Member-at-Large
Randa Kayyali, Member-at-Large
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2019 AASA Board Members
Sally Howell, President
Amira Jamarkani, President-Elect
Keith Feldman, Secretary
Matt Stiffler, Treasurer
Rebecca Karam, Web Coordinator
Mejdulene Shomali, Member-at-Large
Nadia Abuelezam, Member-at-Large
Randa Kayyali, Member-at-Large
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2020 AASA Board Members
Amira Jamarkani, President
Sally Howell, Past-President
Keith Feldman, Secretary
Danielle Haque, Secretary-Elect
Matt Stiffler, Treasurer
Rebecca Karam, Web Coordinator
Mejdulene Shomali, Member-at-Large
Nadia Abuelezam, Member-at-Large
Randa Kayyali, Member-at-Large
Stacy D Fahrenthold, Member-at-Large
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2021 AASA Board Members
Amira Jamarkani, President
Pauline Homsi Vinson, President-Elect
Danielle Haque, Secretary
Ghassan Abou-Zeineddine, Treasurer
Layla Goushey, Web-Coordinator
Edward Curtis, Web-Coordinator Elect
Nina Shoman Dajani, Member-at-Large
Stacy D Fahrenthold, Member-at-Large
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2022 AASA Board Members
Pauline Homsi Vinson, President
Amira Jamakani, Past-President
Danielle Haque, Secretary
Ghassan Abou-Zeineddine, Treasurer
Layla Goushey, Web-Coordinator
Nina Shoman Dajani, Member-at-Large
Stacy D Fahrenthold, Member-at-Large
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2023 AASA Board Members
Pauline Homsi Vinson, President
Waleed Mahdi, President-Elect
Danielle Haque, Secretary
Layla Goushey, Secretary-Elect
Linda Sayed, Treasurer
Rachel Norman, Web-Coordinator
Rania Said, Member-at-Large
Nina Shoman Dajani, Member-at-Large
