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
Fall 2024 Annual Meeting Registration is Open!
As the temperatures drop and the crisp fall air settles over the Carolinas, it feels like the perfect time to share the program and registration details for our upcoming Fall Meeting! From October 18 to 20, we’ll return to Valle Crucis, NC, where we will reconnect with familiar faces, meet new ones, and engage in meaningful discussions on Islam and the Middle East—all while enjoying the fall scenery in the mountains.
This year, our meeting coincides with the Valle Crucis Fair, and our Program Chair, Dr. Curt Ryan, has ensured that you’ll have plenty of downtime on Saturday afternoon to enjoy the fair, hike in the mountains, visit nearby waterfalls, or simply relax and take in the beautiful surroundings from the porch.
As always, we have a strong lineup of papers and presentations that promise to be both engaging and thought-provoking. Dr. Emet Ergun will deliver the Bodman Lecture this year on "The Middle East in Translation: Feminist Encounters Across Borders," and we’ll conclude the meeting on Sunday with a roundtable discussion titled "Gaza and the Middle East, One Year Later," during which we will reflect on current developments and explore new questions about the region’s future.
The program provides all the details. While we may make a few minor adjustments as we finalize everything, no major changes are expected—so feel free to start making your plans to join us in October!
Registration Information:
To register, simply fill out the registration form and submit your payment via PayPal at paypal.me/sermeiss. Alternatively, you can mail your completed form and check to the address below, making sure it arrives by October 6. If you have any questions or concerns, don’t hesitate to reach out to Buket Oztas, Executive Director, at edsermeiss@gmail.com.
Looking forward to seeing you all there!
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.