Biography
I am a Ph.D. student in Political Science at the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign. My research examines the role of civil society, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs), and foreign aid in comparative politics, with a regional focus on the Middle East and North Africa and other Muslim-majority contexts. For my dissertation, I research how NGO-level identity shapes inter-NGO cooperation in Jordan and Palestine. As part of my research, I designed an original survey and interviewed representatives and senior staff at Palestinian NGOs. In 2024–25, I was an Illinois Global Institute Language Fellow (Arabic).
Before graduate studies, I worked with UN Women in Palestine and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) in its Iraq office. My education and professional experience span South Korea, Egypt, Tunisia, Jordan, the United Kingdom, Israel, Palestine, and the United States.
Research Interests
📚 Comparative Politics (Civil Society; NGO)
🔬 Foreign Aid (Aid Allocation; Humanitarian Aid; Gulf Aid)
🌍 Middle East and North Africa
Education
🔹 M.Sc., Development Studies, London School of Economics and Political Science
🔹 B.A., Arabic Interpretation and Translation, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies
Grants
🔹 Illinois Global Institute Language Fellowship (Arabic), $20,000, 2024-25