Layla Aldousany joined NCSSM as an Instructor of American Studies and Humanities in August 2020. Although she is originally from Miami, Florida, she has enjoyed finding and building community in Durham since she first moved here in 2007. She earned a doctorate in English from Duke University, where she taught as a graduate student in the Thompson Writing Program, the English Department, and the Women’s Studies Department. Her classes ranged from introductory courses on subjects like the representation of the Middle East in American Pop Culture to interdisciplinary seminars on gender, literature, and science. Her research interests include sixteenth- and seventeenth-century British literature and scientific experimentation, as well as Islam and early modern Europe. As a result, she enjoys teaching courses like British Literature and Culture and Shakespeare Now, as well as working more generally with students interested in the intersections between the sciences and the humanities. Most recently, Layla taught high school English for Vance County Public Schools. When Layla is not in the classroom, she enjoys tackling her TBR pile or reading fanfiction, swimming laps, and quilting. Layla also holds a bachelor’s degree in English and religious studies from the University of Miami and a master’s degree in English from Duke University.