I am an assistant professor in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Puget Sound. I received my Ph.D. from Duke University’s Graduate Program in Religion, with a focus on Islamic Studies. My research interests include global histories of Muslim political, legal, theological, and mystical thought. I approach Islamic studies from within the disciplinary formations of religious studies and political theory. Global and transnational feminisms are also important theoretical touchstones in my work.

I am specifically focused on Muslim conceptions of territoriality and spatial belonging, the history of Islam in the Maghreb, and religion and law. I am currently completing my first monograph, Islamic Terroir: Religion, Land, and Community in Modern Morocco, 1880-1990.

My teaching includes introductory and advanced courses on topics related to Islam and Muslims, introduction to Jewish studies, and various courses on the intersection of religion, politics, law, and the envionment.

I am married to the poet, Ambalila Hemsell.