During the academic year, I had the opportunity to work on my research project titled 'Exploring the Impact of Saudi Arabia Funding on Egyptian Cinema' through the Honors Research Program in Global Affairs.
Since the fall semester of the previous academic year, I received invaluable guidance from Dr. Jennifer Ashley, our GLOA 492 professor, and my faculty advisor, Dr. Nathaniel Greenberg.
This project builds on knowledge gained from four years of study in special topic courses that focused on unique aspects of the Middle East, including my freshman year course titled 'Topics in Arabic Cultural Production' with Dr. Greenberg, which explored the cultural and political influence of various Arab films on the region.
When I had the opportunity to conduct independent research, I took the knowledge I gained from these special topics and delved deeper into the intersection of cinema, culture, and politics in the Middle East.
I had the wonderful opportunity to present my work at the CHSS Undergraduate Research Symposium to other students in the CHSS school, my friends and family (which proved to be more intimidating to present to than strangers), and judges all from different departments under the CHSS program. It was a very full-circle moment for me to be able to present what I had been working on for almost a year and seeing reactions and comments from the community was extremely fulfilling.
Winning the “Innovation in Ideas and Methods” award within a sea of fascinating projects was a huge honor. As a graduating senior, receiving this award serves as a symbol of the amazing experience I had during my last four years at Mason, particularly within the GLOA department.
I would like to thank the department for a lifetime's worth of knowledge possessed in a short four years. I will forever hold gratitude for a program that shaped the way I see the world and I am excited to see how I contribute to the workforce of such an amazing field!