Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan

Research Interests: Refugees, migration, nationalism, state-building, identity formation, queerness

Saúl graduated from Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New York in 2015 with a B.A. in International Studies and Arabic Language & Culture. As an undergrad, he spent a year studying in both Jordan and Morocco. He completed research projects focusing on the educational opportunities available to Syrian and Iraqi refugees in Amman and on the gender identities of Moroccan labor migrants to Spain. After graduation, Saúl returned to Jordan to complete advanced Arabic studies over the course of one year. He interned with a migrant labor rights organization and a non-profit that provides mental healthcare to Syrian refugees in Amman. After the end of his program, Saúl decided to return to the United States and work in refugee workforce development. He is currently conducting research on the intersections of security regimes, queerness, and migrant identities. Saúl is interested in projects that examine the ways mass migration affects the national identities of both the displaced and those who have taken them in.