University of Houston Experts Available to Discuss 10th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks

Aug. 3, 2011 - PRLog -- ARAB CULTURE THROUGH ARTS AND LETTERS
Hosam Aboul-Ela is a professor of English whose teaching and research examine the perspectives of the societies and cultures of the Arab world.  He has taught courses dealing with the culture of the Middle East, including “Arabic Literature in Translation” and “Islam and the Novel” and has published articles in the Arab Studies Journal, International Journal of Middle Eastern Studies and the Journal of Middle Eastern Literature. He has also written about this year's Egyptian revolution in several periodicals, including the Houston Chronicle. His work touches on the effects of American foreign policy in the Arab and Islamic worlds and on the response to American policies within Arab society and culture. Reach him at hosam.aboul-ela@mail.uh.edu

EMPOWERING LANGUAGE: GOOD AND EVIL IN POLITICAL MESSAGING
Bob Heath, emeritus professor of communication, authored “Terrorism: From the Eyes of the Beholder” and co-authored “The Communication and Rhetoric of Terrorism” and “Shifting Paradigms and New Directions for Managing Terrorism” in “Terrorism: Communication and Rhetorical Perspectives.” He has studied social activism, social movements, risk and crisis communication for more than 40 years to better understand why political violence occurs and how societies can be more or less resilient in the face of such violence. Reach him at robert.heath@mail.uh.edu

GRIEF, LOSS AND TRAUMA
Sandra A. Lopez, clinical professor in the UH Graduate College of Social Work, is a recognized expert in the arena of grief, loss and trauma. In her clinical practice, she provides therapy to children and families who have experienced traumatic loss. She teaches grief and bereavement therapy, core concepts in trauma treatment with children and adolescents, crisis intervention, and trauma and social work practice. Reach her at 713-743-8104 or slopez@uh.edu

HOW FAITH HAS CHANGED IN AMERICA SINCE 9/11
David M. Gustafson, lecturer in religious studies at the University of Houston, specializes in American religious pluralism and identity, and American evangelicalism and culture. Reach him at (c) 281-940-9615 or dmgustafson@uh.edu

IMMIGRATION IN A POST 9/11 WORLD
Professor Michael A. Olivas is among the country’s leading authorities in the fields of immigration, higher education law, and the regulation higher education. He has written extensively in these areas, with books in each specialty, and is widely cited as an expert in the national education and immigration trade press. He litigates immigration and education cases, and his services as an expert witness are in widespread demand. He is the current president of the Association of American Law Schools. Reach him at molivas@uh.edu  

LESSONS UNLEARNED: IS IRAQ ANOTHER VIETNAM?
Bob Buzzanco, professor of history and strategic studies, specializes in U.S. foreign policy and wars, the economic costs and consequences of conflict, and anti-war and anti-imperial movements.  He is the author of numerous books and articles on the Vietnam War, U.S. military policy, U.S. policy in the Middle East, American financial problems caused by the Iraq and Afghanistan wars, the opposition to military involvement, and other similar topics.  Reach him at (c) 713-269-1508 or buzz@uh.edu.

9/11 IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE
Nancy Beck Young, professor of history, is a leading expert on American political history and the relationship between war and politics. She can address how 9/11 affected domestic politics and how the event will be remembered in history. Reach her at 713-743-4381 or nyoung2@uh.edu

PEACEFUL ISLAMIC MOVEMENT
After the attacks of 9/11, reports of Muslims being targeted for anti-Islamic hate crimes increased. Many still suffer, linked by outsiders who promote a skewed association to those who claim to represent Islam. UH sociologist Helen Rose Ebaugh has written a book that examines the Islamic movement that is rooted in education, interfaith exchange and peace. “The Gülen Movement: A Sociological Analysis of a Civic Movement Rooted in Moderate Islam” is the result of two years of research. “They are an example of Islam that we don’t hear about in the media,” said Ebaugh, who teaches a course on world religions. Reach her at (c) 713-252-5563 or ebaugh@uh.edu

PERCEPTIONS OF THE ISLAMIC RELIGION
Erkan Kurt is a Muslim theologian working as a researcher at the Institute of Interfaith Dialog who teaches Islamic courses at the University of Houston.  Kurt received his M.A. and Ph.D. in Islamic theology at Marmara University in Istanbul, Turkey, and a second master’s degree in Christian theology at the Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago.  Kurt’s main interests are Islamic metaphysics, existential interpretation of the Qur’an, religion-science relationship, inter-theological understanding and interfaith dialogue.  Besides his articles and speeches, Kurt has a scholarly book on the Islamic notion of creation in Turkish, which is to be published soon with the title, “Creation: The Principle of Nature in Islamic Metaphysics.” Reach him at (c) 832-620-9392 or erkankurt1976@gmail.com

POLITICAL TERRORISM
Ryan Kennedy, assistant professor of political science, teaches a course on political terrorism. He can address the history of terrorism, theories or terrorist violence, policy responses to terrorist acts and the evolution of Al Qaeda before and after 9/11. His commentaries on terrorism have been featured in national and local media outlets. Reach him at (c) 713-855-4811 or rkennedy@central.uh.edu

RACIAL AND ETHNIC STEREOTYPES
Gary Dworkin, professor of sociology, is the co-author of a race and ethnic relations book, “The Minority Report.” He is an expert on the topic of stereotyping, how and why we stereotype people, why stereotypes stick and the effects of this stereotyping. He is president of the sociology of education of the International Sociological Association. Reach him at anthony.dworkin@mail.uh.edu  

SCHOOL SAFETY AFTER 9/11
“University of Houston uses the PIER emergency communication system that allows us to send e-mails, text messages and to contact individuals by phone or pager to notify them of any type of emergency situation. This gives us the capability to contact people by multiple means in any type of emergency. Once a month we test our siren system, which is used to notify the campus when any type of emergency situation exists,” said UH Chief of Police Malcolm Davis, who also serves as assistant vice president for Public Safety. “Since 9/11 we have stressed crime prevention and displacement over apprehension. To do this we stress visibility. We changed from traditional uniforms to high visibility uniforms for field personnel. We do more bike patrol. We have increased the number of police and security officers. All of these items were done to increase our visibility on campus, which in turn will hopefully displace criminal activity to other areas where the chances of being seen and apprehended are higher.”  Reach him at mdavis@central.uh.edu

# # #

The University of Houston is a Carnegie-designated Tier One public research university recognized by The Princeton Review as one of the nation’s best colleges for undergraduate education. UH serves the globally competitive Houston and Gulf Coast Region by providing world-class faculty, experiential learning and strategic industry partnerships. Located in the nation’s fourth-largest city, UH serves more than 38,500 students in the most ethnically and culturally diverse region in the country.