Southeast Regional Middle East and Islamic Studies Society

Welcome

Welcome to SERMEISS - the Southeast Regional Middle East and Islamic Studies Society - a professional society for specialist or non-specialist educators and other individuals whose professional activities actively engage the Middle East and Islam. The organization was founded in 1977 to provide scholars in the southeastern United States with an opportunity to meet regularly with colleagues to share research findings and teaching concerns. SERMEISS is an affiliated organization of the Middle East Studies Association of North America (MESA). 

The SERMEISS 10-state region includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia.       


SERMEISS NEWS


Winter 2024 Newsletter Now Available!

As we move from the cold embrace of winter to the refreshing beginnings of spring, we are delighted to share with you the Winter 2024 edition of the SERMEISS newsletter. Within its pages, you will find an overview of our latest initiatives, including a detailed account of the Executive Board elections, reminders of forthcoming opportunities, and a showcase of our members' significant scholarly contributions - all of which underscore the dynamic and thriving nature of our community.



Call for Submissions: SERMEISS Book Prize for 2024

Since its establishment in 1977, the Southeast Regional Middle East and Islamic Studies Society (SERMEISS) has been dedicated to fostering scholarly dialogue and recognizing outstanding contributions in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies. As an affiliated organization of the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), SERMEISS continues to provide a platform for educators and researchers to exchange ideas and insights.

Now SERMEISS is excited to announce the call for submissions for its sixth annual SERMEISS Book Prize for 2024. This award aims to honor exceptional scholarship in Middle Eastern or Islamic studies across various academic disciplines in the social sciences or humanities, regardless of the time period. We invite submissions of peer-reviewed nonfiction works published in English, showcasing original empirical and theoretical contributions. Books copyrighted within the last three years (2021, 2022, 2023) are eligible for consideration, while edited volumes, handbooks, and novels are excluded from the award. Authors affiliated with universities within the SERMEISS region, spanning Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia, are encouraged to submit their work.

Recipients of the SERMEISS prize will receive a $200 honorarium, a certificate of recognition, and a waiver of the conference registration fee. The SERMEISS Book Award Committee may also present an honorable mention award to deserving submissions.

The award winners will be invited to present a brief overview of their book at an upcoming SERMEISS meeting. Our annual gathering takes place in October in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, with a biennial spring meeting.


Submissions should include:

1. A cover letter containing the following details:

2. A copy of the submitted book


Each author is limited to one submission.


Please send your submissions to the SERMEISS Executive Director, postmarked no later than April 1, 2024:

Buket Oztas, Ph.D.

Executive Director - SERMEISS

Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs

Furman University

3300 Poinsett Highway

Greenville, SC 29613


If you have any questions, please contact: edsermeiss@gmail.com

We look forward to receiving your outstanding contributions and celebrating the remarkable scholarship in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies!



Call for Submissions: SERMEISS Article/Book Chapter Prize for 2024


On behalf of our organization, I am also excited to announce the sixth annual SERMEISS Article or Book chapter prize for 2024. This award aims to recognize outstanding scholarship in Middle Eastern or Islamic Studies, specifically academic articles or book chapters published within the last two years (2023 or 2022). We invite submissions from any academic discipline in the social sciences or humanities, provided they are peer-reviewed nonfiction and published in English. The submissions should demonstrate original empirical and theoretical contributions to the field.


Eligibility and Guidelines:

Submissions are open to authors based at universities within the SERMEISS region (Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, or West Virginia).

Submissions must have a copyright date within the previous two years (2023 or 2022).

The submitted work should be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal or as a book chapter in an edited volume.

Only one submission per author will be accepted.


Recipients of the SERMEISS Book Prize will receive a $100 honorarium, a certificate of recognition, and a waiver of the conference registration fee for our annual meeting held in October in Valle Crucis, North Carolina. Additionally, winners will be invited to present their work at a future SERMEISS gathering, facilitating scholarly exchange and networking opportunities.


Submissions should be sent to SERMEISS along with a cover letter containing author information, publication details, and contact information. Please include a PDF copy of the publication and send your submissions to the SERMEISS Executive Director, postmarked no later than April 1, 2024:

Buket Oztas, Ph.D.

Executive Director - SERMEISS

Assistant Professor of Politics and International Affairs

Furman University

3300 Poinsett Highway

Greenville, SC 29613


If you have any questions, please contact: edsermeiss@gmail.com. We look forward to receiving your outstanding contributions and celebrating the remarkable scholarship in Middle Eastern and Islamic studies!


Call for Applications: SERMEISS Overseas Travel Grant for 2024


The Overseas Travel Grant aims to provide financial assistance to pre-tenured faculty and doctoral students from colleges and universities within SERMEISS's 12-state region (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, and Virginia) for conducting fieldwork, archival research, survey work, and more related to the Middle East or Islam. 

Recipients will receive a $500 award and a waiver of the conference registration fee for a future SERMEISS meeting. SERMEISS typically convenes in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, in October.


Eligibility and Guidelines:

Please submit proposals in PDF format to the SERMEISS executive director at edsermeiss@gmail.com by April 1, 2024.

Proposal Requirements:

Upon selection for the travel grant, recipients will be required to provide a receipt of their airline ticket and sign a travel safety, health, and accident waiver, indemnifying SERMEISS from legal responsibility.

For inquiries and submissions, please contact:  edsermeiss@gmail.com



2023 Article/Book Chapter Awards


We are thrilled to announce that Devin Stewart has been awarded the 2023 SERMEISS Article/Book Chapter Award for his outstanding contribution to the field with his article "Behind Enemy Lines: An Account of a Secret Conversion to Shiism in Sixteenth-Century Ottoman Aleppo," published in 2022 in Shii Studies Review, Volume 6.

Each year, this award recognizes a peer-reviewed article or edited volume book chapter from a wide array of academic disciplines in the social sciences and humanities, making significant empirical and theoretical contributions to our understanding of Islam and the Middle East.  Dr. Stewart's work offers a fresh perspective on a historical subject and has demonstrated a depth of research, analytical rigor, and theoretical innovation that makes it a standout contribution to the Middle East and Islamic Studies. The selection committee was deeply impressed with the quality and impact of his work.

Additionally, we are pleased to acknowledge Lillian Frost’s book chapter, "Security Threats or Citizens? Fifth-Column Rhetoric in Jordan," which appears in Enemies Within: The Global Politics of Fifth Columns, edited by Harris Mylonas and Scott Radnitz and published by Oxford University Press in 2022. The committee found in this chapter a compelling discussion about how and why states exclude a particular group in their polity. The committee was impressed with the extent of interviews that supported this work and complemented significant archival research. While Frost's focus is on Gazans and citizen and non-citizen Palestinians in Jordan, the committee found her analytical approach applicable beyond the case in and outside the region. Hence, the Committee recommends Dr. Frost’s work to be recognized as an Honorable Mention for the 2023 SERMEISS Article or Book Chapter Award.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Devin Stewart and Lillian Frost for this well-deserved honor and our sincere gratitude to all the nominees for their hard work and commitment to advancing scholarship within our areas of study.

On behalf of the entire organization, I also want to thank our Award Committee members, Dr. Ryan Lynch, Dr. Beverly Tsacoyianis, and Dr. Baris Kesgin, for their careful reading and evaluation of the submitted materials, as well as their insightful feedback. Their expertise, diligence, and careful consideration have played a pivotal role in recognizing and promoting excellence within our field.

We are dedicated to continually expanding the frontiers of knowledge and fostering a deeper appreciation of the Middle East and Islamic Studies, and that is why we look forward to the exceptional contributions that will continue to emerge from our members! Thank you all!



SERMEISS  Fall 2023 Meeting 

Dear Members of the Southeast Regional Middle East and Islamic Society,

I hope this note finds you well and brimming with the intellectual vigor our annual meetings inspire. With that pleasure, I reflect upon the successful and engaging Fall 2023 meeting in Valle Crucis, North Carolina, between October 13 and 15.

The presentations and discussions during those three days were both enlightening and thought-provoking, as they covered a broad spectrum of complex and multifaceted issues within the region and demonstrated a remarkable understanding of both the "big picture" and the subtleties involved in each case. We had the privilege of hearing from distinguished scholars, including Lilly Frost, Dan P. Brown, Silvi Toska, Salih Yasun, and Liz Perego, and delved into topics such as the intentional ambiguities within citizenship regimes, the responses to the Arab Uprisings of 2011, the weaknesses in the party system in post-Arab Spring Tunisia, and the use of science fiction as a tool for political critique in 1960s Algeria. We were honored to host Charles Kurzman, who delivered the Bodman Lecture, during which he transported us back to the early 19th century, offering a glimpse into the pivotal moments that shaped the destiny of Algeria during the era of French imperialism. On Sunday, Farrukh Hakeem treated us to a visual presentation of the enchanting Mughal Chahar Bagh Gardens in Kashmir, reminding us of the beauty and cultural richness of the regions we study. Last but not least, our stimulating discussion of current events, led by Michael Samuel, Annie Tracy Samuel, Curtis Ryan, Charles Kurzman, and Barbara Michael, offered valuable perspectives on the evolving conflict(s) in the region, providing us with an opportunity to engage with pressing issues in our field.

As I look back on the Fall 2023 meeting, I feel proud of the sense of community and collaboration that we fostered, as this shared endeavor drives SERMEISS forward and encourages all of us within the organization to continue exploring and understanding the Middle East and Islam from our diverse disciplines, perspectives, and backgrounds. 

I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to all our presenters for contributing to these efforts, our Program Chair, Curt Ryan, and our President, Annie Tracy Samuel, for their help and support in organizing this wonderful conference. The meticulous planning and tireless efforts they invested were instrumental in ensuring that everything ran smoothly and seamlessly, allowing us to focus on exchanging ideas and fostering meaningful connections.

I am already looking forward to the upcoming meetings and the exciting discussions they will undoubtedly bring. Until then, please stay in touch, share your ideas, and continue inspiring the community members with your questions, comments, and analyses. 

Let's hope our scholarly pursuits continue enriching our understanding of the Middle East and Islamic World and help our efforts to bring peace to the region.


All the best,

Buket Oztas, Ph.D.

Executive Director




⁦Sermeiss 2021 book award winner ⁦Dr. Ryan Lynch⁩ gets the proceedings started with a great presentation for #Sermeiss2022

Dr. Lillian Frost⁩ presenting non Jordan’s nationality conferral laws for women at the Fall 2022 ⁩ conference in Valle Crucis, NC currently in full color.

Dr. Claudia Yaghoobi ⁦presenting on women’s movement in Iran

⁦Great roundtable on teaching difficult topics in difficult times featuring ⁦ Michaelle Browers⁦⁦, Waleed Hazbun, Mashal Saif⁩, and Matt Malczycki

HOW TO JOIN

Membership  is open to specialist or non-specialist educators, including graduate students, and other individuals whose professional activities actively engage the Middle East and Islam and who live in the southeast region. Dues are $25.00 per calendar year. 

Institutional membership dues are $200.00 per calendar year. Includes membership and free conference registration fees for up to 6 individuals from the same institution.

MEETINGS

SERMEISS sponsors an annual fall meeting every October in Valle Crucis, North Carolina near Boone, and a spring meeting at a host university every other year. 

Spring meetings and alternate fall meetings feature the Bodman Memorial Lecture.