
I am Orville D. Menard Distinguished Professor and Graduate Program Chair in the Political Science Department at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. I am also the editor of Siyasa: A Forum on Islamic and Middle Eastern Politics. I teach courses on comparative politics and international relations of the Middle East. I received my Ph.D. (2008) from Arizona State University and M.A. (2001) and B.A. (1999) from Bilkent University, Turkey. I previously taught in James Madison College at Michigan State University. I am the author of Alien Citizens: The State and Religious Minorities in Turkey and France (Cambridge University Press, 2019) and a co-author of Generating Generosity in Catholicism and Islam: Beliefs, Institutions, and Public Goods Provision (Cambridge University Press, 2018). My most recent articles appeared in Comparative Politics, Political Science Quarterly, Politics and Religion, Studies in Conflict and Terrorism, Turkish Studies, and Religion, State & Society. I am the recipient of University of Nebraska at Omaha 2022 Faculty Service Learning Award, University of Nebraska’s system-wide 2021 Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award, University of Nebraska at Omaha College of Arts and Sciences 2021 Excellence in Research and Creative Activity Award, University of Nebraska at Omaha 2020 Excellence in Teaching Award, and University of Nebraska at Omaha 2018 Alumni Outstanding Teacher Award.
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Recent Highlights
Research
My book, Alien Citizens: The State and Religious Minorities un Turkey and France, is now out with Cambridge University Press.
Using parliamentary proceedings, court decisions, newspaper archives, and interviews, this book is the first systematic study that employs international context in the study of state policies toward religion, and that compares Turkey and France with regard to religious minorities.
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Teaching
I received the 2021 system-wide teaching award of the University of Nebraska, Outstanding Teaching and Instructional Creativity Award.
Community
I received the 2022 campus-wide Faculty Service Learning Award at the University of Nebraska at Omaha. To read more about the award, visit this link.
