Professor Amra Sabic-El-Rayess is the author of the highly acclaimed book titled “The Cat I Never Named: A True Story of Love, War, and Survival” (Bloomsbury, 2020). The stunning memoir of a Muslim teen struggling to survive in the midst of the Bosnian genocide – and the stray cat who protected her family through it all – has received several starred reviews calling her memoir “unforgettable” (Kirkus Reviews),  “gripping” (Foreword Reviews) and “an excellent discussion starter” (School Library Connection).

Dr. Sabic-El-Rayess is an interdisciplinary scholar who leverages fields of economics, sociology, and political science to address the questions of radicalization, discrimination, Islamophobia, social mobility, corruption, social transformations, and exclusion of women. She works on concrete ways to facilitate women’s social mobility through better financial inclusion and access to financial services. Her work also examines the role of informal educational practices and formal institutions in creating new societal dynamics, norms, and behaviors. 

Education:

Ph.D. in Comparative and International Education with specialization in Economics Columbia University, 2012

Masters of Philosophy in Comparative and International Education Columbia University,  2010

Masters of International Affairs, Economic and Political Development with regional specialty in Persian Gulf Columbia University, School of International and Public Affairs, 2004

Bachelors of Arts in Economics Brown University, 2000