Amy Maatouk holds a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Arabic. During her undergraduate studies, Amy chaired the first statewide SWANA Lobby Day and interned at her university’s Middle Eastern Student Center for four years, championing student advocacy at both the campus and statewide levels. She also published an article entitled, “Sonic Orientalism in the Dune Film Scores: Challenging Harmful Depictions of SWANA Culture,” in the Rising Voices in Ethnomusicology journal.
As a Syrian refugee, Amy’s lived experiences have shaped her commitment to issues of displacement, belonging, and representation in both academic and social spheres. At Georgetown, she hopes to deepen her understanding of the Arab world through interdisciplinary scholarship and by exploring research topics relating to the impacts of Orientalism in the media and in politics. Amy plans on pursuing a career that bridges research, advocacy, and policy for displaced communities. Outside of academics, Amy enjoys painting, reading, shopping for vintage second-hand gems, playing guitar, and attending lots of concerts. She looks forward to exploring new museums and unique restaurants, and to making new friends in D.C. Her hometown is Los Angeles, California.