Projects

Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies (CMENAS) at the University of Michigan –

Kristin Waterbury has collaborated with the CMENAS Outreach Coordinator to organize K-14 and Post-Secondary Outreach. She has worked to manage and produce in person and virtual teacher workshops that aim to promote a greater understanding of the MENA region, but also other geographical areas (in collaboration with other area studies centers at UM and at other university’s across the US). Additionally, she has supported the Middle Eastern and North African/Southeast Asian Teacher Training Program (also known as the MENA-SEA Teacher Training), which has brought experts and K-12 teachers from around the globe together to dialogue and learn about the culture, history, religion and diverse issues.

Kristin Waterbury has managed the production of the CMENAS newsletter. She works with the CMENAS communications team, editor, and various staff to plan and produce the newsletter twice a year, working to feature CMENAS research and outreach.

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Merrill-Palmer Skillman Institute – Celebrating it’s centennial in 2020, MPSI set out to create an exhibition documenting its history. Kristin Waterbury was responsible for managing the historical research and collaborating with faculty from Wayne State University and staff at the Walter P. Reuther Library to curate the exhibition. The exhibition will be on display at the Walter P. Reuther Library in May 2021.

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Michigan Memories – A statewide digital portal that was created by grant funding from the Library Service and Technology Act (LSTA). The portal features collections from underrepresented communities in the Detroit area. Kristin Waterbury is managing and collaborating with Wayne State University, the Detroit Public Library, the Arab American National Museum and the Reuther Library to produce educational material based on collections from the portal.

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Wayne State University Sesquicentennial Time Capsule – A time capsule was created to preserve WSU artifacts and mementos from 2018 to be opened in 2068 for the WSU Bicentennial. Kristin collaborated with the Dean of Students Office, the WSU University Archivist and other committees to preserve, describe and archive materials. The Staff and Faculty Capsule is housed at the Walter P. Reuther Library and Archive and the Student Time Capsule is on display at the Undergraduate Library.

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Unsettled Lives – Unsettled Lives documents the history of Iraqi migration to metro Detroit in the wake of the 1991 Persian Gulf War. Kristin Waterbury worked with Dr. Sally Howell and the Arab American National Museum to manage the collection of oral histories and the curation of a physical and digital exhibition. This project was funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities, Ford Community Corps and the Center for Arab American Studies at the University of Michigan-Dearborn.

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Muslims for American Progress – The MAP Project educates the public by providing an evidence-based portrait of a deeply misunderstood community. The MAP project quantifies the contributions of American Muslims in the state of Michigan in eight areas: Civics and Democracy, Economic Development, Medicine, STEM, Philanthropy and Nonprofits, Arts and Entertainment, Sports and Education. Our work paired hard facts on the Muslim community in Michigan, while also showcasing the community’s diversity through a series of photo narratives.

Kristin Waterbury conducted over two-dozen interviews with non-profit leaders in Michigan, gathering stories and quantitative information on their organizations. She assisted the Primary Investigator in aggregating the quantitative and qualitative data for the Philanthropy and Non-profit section of the report. Additionally, she organized and coordinated the MAP Photo Exhibit that traveled to religious institutions, public spaces and universities around the United States

The MAP Project Michigan Photo Exhibition can be viewed here. Key findings from the study can be found here and a full policy brief is available here. The MAP Project-Michigan Photo Exhibition was also featured at Busboys and Poets (Washington DC), Michigan Science Center (Detroit, MI), Bank Suey (Hamtramck, MI), World Affairs Council of Western Michigan/Kent District Library (Grand Rapids, MI), Plymouth City Hall (Plymouth, MI), the University of Michigan-Dearborn (Dearborn, MI), and other statewide community centers, churches and mosques.