By: Shelby Steuart

Assistant Professor Dr. Lihi Ben Shitrit was recently awarded a Luce/ACLS Fellowship in Religion, Journalism, and International Affairs. According to the American Council of Learned Societies (ACLS) this fellowship was created for “scholars in the humanities and related social sciences who are pursuing research on any aspect of religion in international contexts and who desire to connect their specialist knowledge with journalists and media practitioners.” Launched in 2015, the Luce/ACLS Program in Religion, Journalism & International Affairs (RJIA) is designed to foster new connections between scholars and journalists covering international affairs.

Ben Shitrit was selected for her project Women and the Holy City: Women’s Movements in the Struggle over Jerusalem’s Sacred Space. Ben Shitrit plans to connect with journalists and NGOs in Israel and Palestine and engage them on the research topic of her book. She also plans to write op-eds for several online outlets and to work with journalists in India to discuss comparative cases.

SPIA congratulates Dr. Lihi Ben Shitrit, we are all excited to see her final project and the connections she will make through this fellowship. Dean Matthew Auer explains, “The list of winners of the Luce/ACLS Fellowship reads like a who’s who of top scholars in the social sciences and humanities. We are thrilled that Dr. Ben-Shitrit has earned this coveted award.”