Thomas Hefter
Assistant Professor
SIAS & MLL&L
Hester Hall, Room 109
Phone: 405.325.0774
thefter@ou.edu

Thomas Hefter is Assistant Professor of Arabic Language and Literature in SIAS and the Department of Modern Languages, Literatures and Linguistics.  He obtained his Ph. D. in Islamic Studies and Classical Arabic Literature from the University of Chicago in 2008.  His research interests are currently focused on the 9th century prose master, al-Jahiz and the rhetorical function of the addressee in his writings.  His interests in Arabic language and culture began in 1989 when he traveled to Egypt as a volunteer English teacher.  He has previously taught Arabic language and literature at the College of William and Mary, the University of Illinois—Chicago, the University of Chicago and, most recently, the American University in Cairo.  He has lived a total of seven years in Egypt, visiting several neighboring countries.  In addition to his primary research focus in Classical Arabic Literature, he has interests in Islamic Philosophy and Theology and Modern Arabic Literature of all genres.