I am a sociologist and ethnographer. My work focuses on the lived experiences of poverty, inequality, and stigma among Middle Eastern groups. Currently, I am the Farzaneh Family Associate Professor of Iranian Studies and an Affiliate Faculty in the Department of Sociology and the Women and Gender Studies Program at the University of Oklahoma. I am also a Faculty Affiliate with the Center for Ethnographic Research at the University of California-Berkeley. 

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Born in Iran and raised in Ohio, I am a graduate of Cornell University (BA-Near Eastern Studies), Harvard University (MA-Middle Eastern Studies), and the University of California-Berkeley (PhD-Sociology). Prior to joining the University of Oklahoma, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow at Georgetown University in Qatar and a Research Director at Qatar Foundation.

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