Nancy A Khalil is an assistant professor in American culture at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, with an appointment in its ethnic studies programme for Arab and Muslim American studies. She has a PhD in anthropology from Harvard University and an MA in higher education administration from Boston College. Prior to academia, she worked for several years in student life, including overseeing student diversity programmes and initiatives, as Muslim chaplain at Wellesley College and adviser to Wellesley's Multi-faith Living and Learning Community.