MESA Undergraduate Education Award
Hina Azam
University of Texas at Austin
2021 Honorable Mention
In Dr. Azam's Gateway to the Middle East course, students learn about the peoples of the Middle East and the region’s geography. Utilizing material at the intersection of culture and geography, the learning focuses on the region’s ancient civilizations, the rich diversity of ethnic and religious groups in the region, the varied languages of the area, as well as modern-day issues of politics and culture. Dr. Azam also teaches courses on Middle East Religions, which include multiple religious geography projects, a course on Engaging the Middle East, and has developed a graduate workshop on Muslim-Inclusive Pedagogy for college instructors. The committee awards this Honorable Mention to Dr. Azam in recognition of the unique subject matter of the course, the multiplicity of perspectives that it offers, which engage with issues from different disciplines, and the impact on student learning.