Faculty

Professors

Ahmad Alqassas

Professor | Director of Graduate Studies
Professor of Arabic and Islamic Studies | Contemporary Arab Studies | Linguistics

Jonathan Brown

Prince Alwaleed bin Talal Chair of Islamic Civilization

Felicitas Opwis

Professor

Peter Pfeiffer

Professor | Chair, Department of Arabic and Islamic Studies
Professor of German

Associate Professors

Elliott Colla

Associate Professor | Director of Undergraduate Studies

Assistant Professors

Rodrigo Adem

Assistant Professor

Sara Omar

Assistant Professor

Associate Teaching Professors

Ghayda Al Ali

Associate Teaching Professor

Elham Alzoubi

Associate Teaching Professor | Arabic Language Coordinator

Belkacem Baccouche

Associate Teaching Professor

Assistant Teaching Professors

Faisal Alzawaideh

Assistant Teaching Professor

Mohammad Fakhreddine

Assistant Teaching Professor

Emeriti Faculty

Affiliated Faculty

Professors

• John Esposito, Ph.D. Temple University (Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, SFS) [Retired]
• Yvonne Haddad, Ph.D. Hartford Seminary (Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, SFS) [Retired]
• Paul Heck, Ph.D. University of Chicago (Department of Theology)
• Judith Tucker, Ph.D. Harvard University (Department of History) [Retired]
• John Voll, Ph.D. Harvard University (Department of History) [Retired]

Associate Professors

• Osama Abi-Mershed, Ph.D. Georgetown University (Department of History)
• Rochelle Davis, Ph.D. University of Michigan (Center for Contemporary Arab Studies, SFS)
• Amira El-Zein, Ph.D. Georgetown University (SFS-Q) 2019-2020
• Daniel Madigan, Ph.D. Columbia University (Department of Theology) [Emeritus]

Visiting Researchers

Anna Akasoy

Anna Akasoy’s proposed research explores how concepts of decision-making in Islamic traditions can connect classical Islamic philosophy, ethics, and literature to contemporary ethical questions, emphasizing the role of narrative in understanding human choices. During her Fall 2026 research semester, she plans to develop the project’s framework by mapping key themes, compiling an interdisciplinary bibliography, and identifying influential concepts and narratives in Islamic texts. She seeks to conduct this work at Georgetown University because of the department’s expertise in Islamic intellectual history and Arabic literature.

Lubna Al Shanquitiy

Lubna Al Shanquitiy will be conducting a descriptive analysis of Arabic language, literature, and culture programs in American universities, focusing on pedagogical approaches and curricula and contributing to scholarly exchange and academic understanding in higher education.