Publications

Resume: Sara_Ahmed_ResumeJuly2026

Dissertation

“Intimate Networked Counterpublics: A Digital Ethnography of Egyptian Women-Only Facebook Groups.” PhD dissertation, Anthropology & Education, Teachers College, Columbia University. Defended April 9, 2026. Committee: Herve Varenne (chair), Grey Gundaker, Keri Brondo.

A multi-year digital ethnography of Egyptian women-only Facebook groups as informal knowledge infrastructures — how communities build trust, establish credibility, and increasingly integrate AI tools (ChatGPT and others) into social and relational decision-making. Methodology: thematic analysis and grounded theory (Atlas.ti).

Peer-Reviewed Publications

  • Ahmed, Sara O. (2020). “Alone Together or Online Together?” Anthropology News, June 11, 2020. DOI: 10.1111/AN.1420. Link
  • Ahmed, Sara O. (2019). “Between Local and Global Citizenship in Egypt.” In Dorio, J. N., Abdou, E. D., & Moheyeldine, N. (Eds.), The Struggle for Citizenship Education in Egypt. New York: Routledge. DOI · Google Doc version

Public Scholarship

  • Ahmed, Sara O. “AI, Ibn Khaldun, and Shared Values.” LinkedIn. Link

Conference Presentations

2026

  • “How Platform Moderation Built for Western Contexts Systematically Fails Global South Communities.” Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR) — accepted, onsite paper.
  • “Intimate Networked Counterpublics: A Digital Ethnography of Egyptian Women-Only Facebook Groups.” American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting — accepted, General Program.
  • “A Digital Ethnography of Egyptian Women-Only Facebook Groups.” Middle East Studies Association Annual Meeting. Abstract

2023

  • “Doing Online Ethnography.” Teachers College Research Conference, Columbia University.
  • “Facebook as a Window into Intimate Lives.” Poster, Comitas Conference, Teachers College, Columbia University.

2022

  • “Intimate Facebook Conversations.” Middle East Studies Association Annual Meeting, Denver, CO. mesana.org

2020

  • “Social Media for Social Change: Facebook Women’s Groups.” American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, Raising Our Voices panel. Recording
  • “Virtual Ethnography.” American Anthropological Association Annual Meeting, Raising Our Voices panel.
  • “Informal Learning in Facebook Women’s Groups.” Middle East Studies Association Annual Meeting, panel: “Responding to COVID in the MENA Region.”

2017

  • Case study on civic education and global citizenship. Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) Annual Conference.
  • “Narrative and the Power of Voice.” Anthropology of Children and Childhood (AOCC) Conference.
  • “Muslim Voice.” Alumni of Color Conference (AOCC), Harvard Graduate School of Education. Prezi

Invited Talks & Teaching Presentations

  • “An Introduction to Universal Design for Learning” (2017). Prezi (includes audio)
  • “IPC for Teachers” (2017). Professional development for teachers, Elm International School. Prezi
  • “Introduction to Elm International School” (2015–2018). Parent-facing school introduction. Prezi
  • Featured interview: “Sara Ahmed: A Global Vision for Schooling,” Harvard Graduate School of Education (2016). Video

Grants & Fellowships

  • Toepfer Family Scholarship, Columbia University (2025)
  • Research Grant, Center for International and Comparative Women’s Studies (CICW), Shenandoah University (2020)
  • Research Grant, Comitas Foundation, Teachers College, Columbia University (2020)
  • Caroline Stipend, Teachers College, Columbia University (2019)
  • TC International Scholarship, Teachers College, Columbia University (2019–2020)
Interview by the Harvard Graduate School of Education, 2016.