The first CMES Director of Educational Outreach, Dr. Lisa Adeli, was passionate about education. She earned a BS in Foreign Service, an MA in History, an MA in Teaching English As a Second Language, and a PhD in History. For several years, she was an adjunct college instructor. After earning a secondary teaching certification, she taught Social Studies and English full-time for 12 years at Buena High School (Sierra Vista) and for the past 11 years has served as a volunteer or part-time teacher at Cholla High School (Tucson).
Additionally, Dr. Adeli was a Teacher Fellow with the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum and the National World War I Museum; a board member of the Arizona Council for History Education and an active participant in National History Day in Arizona, the National Council for the Social Studies, and the Middle East Outreach Council. She created, organized, and usually co-led SIX (with #7 and #8 coming up) Fulbright-Hays Group Projects Abroad travel-seminars to Balkan, Middle Eastern and North African, and Central Asian countries and has directed and co-directed other intensive programs both abroad and in the U.S.
Dr. Adeli - and all the Center staff - welcome the opportunity to join in creative partnerships with schools, educators, and community members to further education about the Middle East.
Dr. Abby Limmer is the CMES Assistant Director for Educational Outreach. She earned her BA at the College of William and Mary in Anthropology, and her MA/ PhD at the University of Arizona in Near Eastern Studies, focusing on archaeology. She studied Hebrew, Arabic, Spanish, and German along the way, and she loves learning new subjects, ideas, and information. She has experience teaching almost every level from first grade through university and retirees. Abby - and all the Center staff - welcome the opportunity to join in creative partnerships with schools, educators, and community members to further education about the Middle East. Please feel free to reach out to alimmer@email.arizona.edu with questions.
What We Do: The University of Arizona Center for Middle Eastern Studies is one of only 11 National Resource Centers on the Middle East in the United States. Funded by the U.S. Department of Education, the Center’s mission is to advance knowledge and understanding of the Middle East through education, scholarship, faculty and student support, and community outreach. CMES Outreach coordinates and supports programming related to the Middle East and North Africa for K-14 educators, undergraduate and graduate students, and the community. Through our listservs, lending library, lesson plan resources, guest speaker programs, and topical workshops, we provide information and resources to facilitate learning about the region and its peoples.
Resources for K-14 Educators: We offer a wide variety of books, videos, lesson plans and more, all free to check out and use. Our checkout catalogue makes it easy to access the more than 300 items we have available for educators. We provide guest speakers on almost any topic about the Middle East. We also have a supplementary website for community college educators: Curriculum Internationalization Resources for Community College Educators which offers additional background information, educational resources, and instructional materials related to a number of international topics.
Opportunities for K-14 Educators: Interested in conferences, workshops and other opportunites in the United States and across the globe? We offer many opportunites for educators to travel and further develop their careers. Be sure to check back often, as new opportunites are frequently added. Please email alimmer@arizona.edu to be included on educators' weekly e-bulletins of internationally-themed opportunities and resources for teachers. (Be sure to specify what grade-level you teach and where you live.)
Community Resources: We also have a variety of resources for members of the community, including digital resources for learning and engaging with Middle Eastern histories and cultures, as well as Middle Eastern restaurant recommendations in Tucson!
Take some time to explore the website and find all we have to offer. Be sure to Like us on Facebook!
