Higher Ed & Middle East Studies

[gallivantingabout]

Is anyone aware of Higher Ed faculty working in the area of education policy/reform using Middle East and Islamic studies as a "teaching tool" in the American university setting? My interests center on (perceptions of) politics/religion in the Middle East and on the long-term impact of university education on students, particularly regarding political decision-making and the articulation of religious and political identities. I'm trying to find lit that addresses the intersection of religion, politics/the legal sphere, and the role of liberal education. Any work that focuses on the American university or on comparative US/Middle East university outcomes (short- and long-term) would be excellent. Having a terrible time tracking much down.

My background is in religious studies (finishing an MA) and political science. I am of course aware of the fact that excellent profs in either discipline who focus on the M.E. are using it as a "teaching tool" in a liberal arts setting... but I'm looking for work that deals with those possibilities a bit more explicitly.

Thanks!