EDUCATION 

Ph.D.   Philosophy Department, Philosophy, Interpretation, and Culture Program (2002)

Binghamton University, (SUNY), Binghamton, NY

  Certificate in Feminist Theory

M.A.    Islamic Studies, McGill University, Montreal, Canada (1998)

  Thesis: Ibn Sina and Mysticism: A Reconsideration

B.A.   Comparative Religion, State Institute for Islamic Studies,

  Bandung, Indonesia (1991)

TEACHING INTEREST   

Current teaching interest: Journeys and Stories, Gender and Islam, Playing God: Ethical Debates in Medicine; Islamic Ethics and Politics; Gender and Globalization; Islamic mysticism; and Introduction to Women’s Studies

Future teaching interest: Theology of Disaster, Spirituality and ecology, and Religion, Gender in Southeast Asia

RESEARCH INTEREST 

·  Youth religious radicalism and activism

·  Sufi healing in the Qadiriyyah-Naqshabandiyyah Sufi order in Indonesia

·  Genealogies of Islamic feminism

·  Imagining Islam: Indonesian diaspora in America

·  Coercive Democracy and the Future of Islam

·  Dating Muslims

·  Ethics of Resilience

·  Ethics of Coexistence

TEACHING EXPERIENCE 

Hobart and William Smith Colleges (Assistant and Associate Professor)

·  Playing God: Ethical Debate in Medicine (Fall 2008 and Fall 2010);

·  Introduction to Women Studies (Spring 2012, Spring 2009 [co-taught with Professor Laura Free] and Fall 2009);

·  Journeys and Stories (Spring 2008 [co-taught with Professor Lowell Bloss]); Spring, Fall 2012, Fall 2014)

·  Gender and Globalization in the Muslim World (Spring 2008 and Spring 2011, 2013, 2014);

·  Islamic Ethics and Politics (Spring 2008 and 2011);

·  Introduction to Islamic Religious Tradition (Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Fall 2010, Fall 2009, Fall 2008, Fall 2007, Spring 2007, and Fall 2006);

·  Gender and Islam (Fall 2014, Fall 2013, Fall 2012, Fall 2011, Fall 2010, Fall 2009, Fall 2008, Fall 2007 and Spring 2007);

·  Islamic Mysticism (Spring 2007, Spring 2009, Spring 2010, Spring 2012, and Spring 2013;

·  Imagining American Religions (Fall 2006, co-taught with Professor Susan Henking)

State Institute for Islamic Studies, Bandung, Indonesia (Lecturer)

Themes in Islamic Mysticism (2006); Tasawuf II (2006); Islamic Thought (2005); Tasawuf I (2005).

English (Fall 2013) and Theology (Spring 2014)

Hamilton College (Postdoctoral Fellow)

Seminar on Gender and Sexuality in Asia (Spring 2004); Medical Ethics: A Multicultural Perspective (Fall 2003); Body, Sexuality, and Gender in Asia (Spring 2003); 

Introduction to Islam (Fall 2003 and 2002) and Women in Islam (Fall 2002).

Binghamton University (Instructor of Record)

Introduction to Women’s Studies (Summer 2002 and 2001); International Women’s Movements (Spring 2001) and Medical Ethics (Spring-Fall 2000).

PUBLICATIONS

Newly Published

“Sexing the Prayer and Feminist Activism in Indonesia,” eds. Elif Medeni, Marcia Hermansen, and Ednan Aslan in Control, Consent and Choice: New Voices of Muslim Theologians Published (2013)

Muslim Women Negotiating Peace in Aceh, Indonesia,” eds. Katherine Marshall and Susan Hayward in Women, Religion, Conflict and Peace: Exploring the Invisible. Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and World Faiths Development Dialogue, September 2013 (being published).

“Women, Leadership, and Mosque's Cultures: Indonesian Heritage in New York City,”Jurnal Heritage, The Ministry of Religious Affairs (2013).

The Politics of Gender and the Cultures of Sexuality: Western, Islamic, and African Perspectives, Author Ali A. Mazrui and editor Etin Anwar (2013)

Works in progress

A manuscript on Genealogies of Islamic Feminism in Indonesia(2015).

A documentary on Dating Muslims: American Stories (Fall 2014).

Explorative stages

Tasawwuf Ecology: Explorations of values from Islamic mysticism that promotes environmental ethics in Islam.

When Theology meets Beauty: doing research on how Islamic fashion magazines provide a melting pot for acts of obedience to God, appreciation for husbands, indigenous expectation of beauty, and the promotion of Western beauty, women’s nature for looking beautiful, stylistic and attractive. 

Book

Gender and Self in Islam, London: Routledge, 2006.

Chapters

“Gendered Space and Shared Security: Women’s roles in Peace and Conflict Resolution in Indonesia,” Kassam, Zayn, ed. Women and Islam.  Women and Religion in the World Series.  Santa Barbara, CA:  Praeger, ABC-CLIO, 2010.

 “The Paradox of Gender in Mazrui’s Triple Heritage,” ed. Saifudien Adem inPublic Intellectuals and the Politics of Global Africa. Comparative and Biographical Essays in Honor of Ali A. Mazrui, ed. Saifudin Adem (Britain: Adonis and Abbey Publishers Ltd. 2011, 45-58.

  “Prophetic Models in Islamic and Christian Spirituality: A Study of Ibn Arabi’s and Meister Eckhart’s Thought,” Islam and Other Religions: Pathways to Dialogue, Essay in honor of Mahmoud Mustafa Ayoub, London: Routledge (2006), 135-150.

  “Ibn Sina and Meister Eckhart on Being,” in Reason and Inspiration in Islam, Todd Lawson, ed., The Ismaili Institute Press, 340-352.

“Mazrui and Gender: On the Question of Methodology,” The Mazruiana Collection Revisited. Ali A. Mazrui Debating the African Condition. An Annotated and Select Thematic Bibliography, 1962-2003. Revised and Enlarged Edition. Compiled By Abdul Samed Bemath. Foreword by Chief Emeka Anyaoku with an Introduction by Indiana University based Professors A.B. and Y.M. Alex-Assensoh.  New Delhi, India: New Dawn Press (An imprint of Sterling Publishers), and Pretoria, South Africa: Africa Institute of South Africa, 2005, 363-377.

  Journals

“The Paradox of Gender in Mazrui’s Triple Heritage,” The Journal of Oromo Studies, Volume 16, Number 1, March 2009, 105-128.

“The Dialectics of Islamophobia and Radicalism in Indonesia,” ASIANetwork Exchange: A Journal for Asian Studies in the Liberal Arts, Spring 2009, 53-67.

  “Approaches to Mystical Experience, Khazanah: Journal of Islamic Studies, Vol. 2, No. 8, July-December, 2005: 209-429.

  “Prophetic Models in Islamic and Christian Spirituality: A Study of Ibn Arabi’s and Meister Eckhart’s Thought” Islam & Christian-Muslim Relations [ICMR] 15:1 (January, 2004). Translated into Russian.

  “‘Directed’ Women’s Movements in Indonesia: Social and Political Agency from Within,” Hawwa 2, 1, 2004.

  “Ibn Sina’s Philosophical Theology of Love: A Study of the Risalah Fi al-‘Ishq” appears in the Summer Edition of Islamic Studies (42:2), 2003, pp. 331-345.

  Encyclopedia Entries

“Surrogate Motherhood,” “Female Genital Mutilation,” and “Abd al-Qadir al-Jilani,” Oxford Encyclopedia of the Islamic World, Edited by John L. Esposito (2009).

 

  “Women and Gender: Modern Construction of Social Hierarchy in East Asia, Southeast Asia, the Pacific, and Australia,” Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures, ed. Suad Joseph (Brill: Leiden, 2006), pp. 745-748.

   “Women and Bodily Wastes,” Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures, ed. Suad Joseph (Brill: Leiden, 2006), 27-33.

  “The Public Role of Women.” Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, edited Richard Martin, ed. (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004).

  “Harem”. Encyclopedia of Islam and the Muslim World, edited Richard Martin, ed. (New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004).

CONFERENCE PRESENTATION, PRESIDING AND PARTICIPATION

“Engendering Equality: From Masculine to Public Good,” The American Academy of Religion, Chicago (November 2013)

“Tasawwuf Psychotherapy: AN Epistemological Inquiry,” The American Academy of Religion, Chicago (November 2013) 

“Continuity and Change on the Question of Gender: From Masculine,” International Indonesia Forum, Jogjakarta, August 2013.

“Genealogy of Islamic Feminism,” American Academy of Religion, Chicago (November 2012)

“The Politics of Resistance: Women’s Peacemaking in Aceh,” Berkley Center for Religion, Peace, and World Affairs and World Faiths Development Dialogue, September 2011 (January 4-6).

“How feminist is Islamic Feminist: A Genealogical Inquiry,” 2010 American Academy of Religion, October 30-November 1, 2010

“Sexing the Prayer and Feminist Activism in Indonesia,” American Academy of Religion, Montreal, Quebec, November 7-10, 2009.

“Dating Muslims: A Gap of Parents-Teenagers among Southeast and South Asia immigrants,” Asian Society for International Relations and Public Affairs, Rosemont, Chicago, IL., July 3, 2010.

“Secrets of Water: Intersections of Traditional and Sufi healing in Indonesia,” South and Southeast Asian Association for the Study of Culture and Religion, Bali, Indonesia, June 4-7, 2009

“Gendered Space and Shared Security: Women’s Roles in Peace and Conflict Resolution in Indonesia,” American Muslim Social Scientists, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, October 24-25, 2008.

“Islamist Anti-Americanism: The Dialectics of Islamophobia and Radicalism in Indonesia,” American Muslim Social Scientists, Maryland, October 25-28, 2007.

“Inabah Method: Sufic Healing in the Qadiriyyah and Naqshabandiyyah Order,” International Conference on Ancient and Medieval Philosophy, New York City, October 20-22, 2006.

Presiding, “Varieties of Classical Islam,” American Academy of Religion, 20007 Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA. November 17-20, 2007.

Participant, The First Seneca Fall Dialogues, October 11-12, 2008.

Participant, Feminism and Sexuality: The Return of Religion, Syracuse University, April 26-28, 2007.

INVITED TALKS

Various talk-engagement associated with One-on-One Friendship 2013-2014 promoting youth leadership through social justice program.

‘Expanding Networking and Academic career choices,” July 6-9, 2012. I-4 (Ikatan Ilmuwan International Indonesia) Gathering at the Congress of Indonesian Diaspora (CID) in Los Angeles.

“"Bridging International Cooperation in Research and Education between Indonesia and America," March 16-17, 2012 at the The University of Maryland, College Park MD, USA.

“Membangun Budaya Bangsa yang bersih, jujur, adil dan bermartabat,” Universitas Indonesia, August 15, 2011

“Academic program in American Higher Education,” Universitas Islam Negeri Bandung, July 29, 2011

“Internationalizing Academic Culture in Indonesian Higher Education,” Universitas Trisakti, July 28, 2011

“Women and the Qur’an in Islam.” Women in Islam and Christianity: Historical and Theological Perspectives The Commission on Christian Muslim Relations, June 1, 2011.

“Feminism in Islam,” Rochester Interfaith Forum, March 17, 2011

“Mapping the Humanities in the Indonesian Contexts,” International Association for Indonenesian Scholars, International Summits, December 16-20, 2010.

“Islamic Feminism: Histories and Principles,” Bilbao Public Lecture, Bilbao, Spain, October 26, 2010.

“Islamic feminism and the Rediscovery of the Spiritual,” IV International Congress on Islamic Feminism, Madrid, October 22, 23, and 24 2010.

“How Feminist is Islamic Feminism?” and “Where Women are in Philosophy?” SUNY Old Westbury, New York, April 12, 2010.

“Religious Privilege and the Politics of Naming: A Feminist Pedagogy,” The Social Justice Collective & Women’s Collective, March 27, 2010.

“Teaching Islam in North American Colleges,” Umi University, Makasar, Indonesia, October 26, 2009. This presentation was part of the inauguration of International Association of Indonesian Scholars held in Jakarta, October 24-28, 2009. 

“Body Politics and the Politics of the body in Indonesia,” The Social Justice Collective & Women’s Collective, February 20^th, 2009.

“Globalization and the Changing Roles of Women,” Social Studies Conference, Ontario County, Geneva, New York, October 14, 2008.

“The Paradox of Gender in Mazrui’s Triple Heritage,” Annual Conference on “Africa in the 21^st Century: Reconstruction or Re-Colonization” Cornell University’s Africana Studies and Research Center, New York State African Studies Association on March 28-29, 2008.

“Islam and gender,” A Workshop on “Religions and Cultures in South & South East Asia,” Nazareth College, Rochester, New York, February 2, 2008.

Guest Lecture on “Anti-Islam” at Making Connections class taught by Professor Donna Albro, February 11^th, 2008.

“Gender and Islamic Identity: Ethics and Politics of Civic Responsibility,” A Seminar on “Gender Politics, Social Justice, and the Role of Religion  in 2008,” Fordham University‘s Center for Ethics Education and the Center for Electoral Politics and Democracy, April 22, 2008.

“Gender and Islam: The Faith of Hagar Offspring,” A symposium on Daughters of Abraham: Women in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, Colgate Rochester Crozer Divinity School, Rochester, December 6, 2007.

“Islam and Building the Culture of Peace,” Catholic Charities of the Finger Lakes’ Interfaith Peace Forum on “Promoting a Culture of Peace: Bridges of Shared Values,” Thursday, October 11, 2007.

Discussant, Kite Runner Movie, October 2, 2007, Geneva Movieplex, President’s Forum Series, Geneva, New York.

“Islam and Optimism,” Unitarian Church, Canandaigua, April 29, 2007.

“Islam and Politics,” The Commission on Christian Muslim Relations, April 19, 2007.

“Islam, Gender and the Challenges of Globalization in Asia,” A symposium on “Islam and Modernity,” Nazareth College, March 24, 2007.

“Challenges and Opportunities for Women in Contemporary American Islam,” Trinity of Episcopal Church, Geneva, NY, March 18, 2007

“Orthopraxy and Authority: A Decade of Islam in Indonesia,” The theme of the conference was on “Islam, Regionalism, and New Institutions: A Decade of Radical Transformation in Indonesia,” March 3, 2007. With funding from the Yale Council on Southeast Asian Studies, the Department of Political Science, and in cooperation with Tokyo University and the Indonesia Research Unit of Giessen University, Germany.

Guest Lecture on “Islamophobia” at Making Connections’ course taught by Donna Albro, November, 30^th, 2006.

Guest Lecture on “Islam,” at Human Geography’s course taught by Professor Eugenio Arima, October 31, 2006.

MEDIA WRITING AND INTERVIEWS

“Fasting during Ramadan teaches Muslims many American Virtues,” Democrat and Chronicle, Rochester, New York, October 3, 2006.

WXXI Documentary: “Muslim Women in our Midst: the Path of Understanding,” The program, hosted by Julie Philipp, explored Rochester’s historic connection to the international women’s rights movement and the modern impact of that movement on Muslim women.

“Benazir Bhutto and Democracy,” Finger Lakes Times, December 30^th, 2007 (interview).

GRANT WRITINGS

Hobart and William Smith Colleges

Teaching Grant on “Community Survey and Empowerment: Expanding the experiential leaning of Islam.” Center for Teaching and Learning, Fall 2007.

Faculty Research Grant 2007-2008 (Summer 2007)

Asia Scholar Program to travel to China (Summer 2007)

Faculty Research Grant 2008-2009 (Summer 2008)

Faculty Research Grant (Summer 2009)

Faculty Research Grant (Summer 2010)

LIST OF HONORS, AWARDS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

·  Participatory Active Research (PAR) Grant, the Ministry of Religious Affairs, Jakarta Indonesia, Head Investigator on Sufic Healing and Drug Addiction at the Rehabilitation Center of Inabah VII, Rawa, Rajapolah, Tasikmalaya, West Java, Indonesia

·  Freeman Fellowship, Hamilton College (2002-2004)

·  Steven David Ross Dissertation Fellowship Award, 2001.

·  Graduate Teaching Fellowship at Binghamton University, 1998-2001.

·  Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) Scholarship, 1995-1997.

·  Alma Mater Travel Fund, 1997.

·  The Travel Award of Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), 1996.

·  Award for the best ten Islamic Poetry, Jakarta, 1992.

LANGUAGES

·  Indonesian  Speaking, Reading and Writing;

·  English  Speaking, Reading, and Writing;

·  Arabic  Reading and Writing

PROFESSIONAL ORGANIZATIONS

·  American Muslim Social Scientists (2008);

·  The American Academy of Religion (2002-present);

·  Advisory Board, International Association for Indonesian Scholars (2010-2012, Indonesia);

·  Advisory Board, International Conference on Social Science, Economics, and Art (2010-2011, Malaysia);

OTHER PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

·  Co-Founder Global Aliya Indonesia Foundation, promoting excellence. compassion and service.

·  Co-founder One-on-One Friendship, promoting friendship for social justice.

·  Equal Status and Human Rights of Women in South East Asia
Bandung, Indonesia, 2005-11-14 to 2005-11-25, Raoul Wallenberg Institute of Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Sweden (Training participant).

·  Consultant on Gender and Madrasah, Asian Development Bank, Jakarta, Indonesia, 2005-2006.