About

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Dr. Nedda Mehdizadeh is a Continuing Lecturer in Writing Programs at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she teaches a wide range of lower- and upper-division undergraduate courses as well as graduate courses on topics that include rhetoric and composition, Critical Diversity Studies, Critical Race Studies, travel literature, Shakespeare, and anti-racist and inclusive pedagogical practice. She earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in English from The George Washington University, and her B.A. in English Literature and Language from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Dr. Mehdizadeh’s primary research focus is on transnational encounter in early modern literature, particularly between Persia’s Safavid natives and their English visitors. Her critical inquiry into this area of study is animated by studies of empire and colonialism, Critical Race Studies, translation studies, and theories of temporality. She is writing her first monograph, Translating Persia in Early Modern English Writing, portions of which have been published or are forthcoming in peer-reviewed and public-facing venues. She is likewise writing a co-authored book for Cambridge University Press’s Cambridge Elements series on “Shakespeare and Pedagogy.”

In addition to her research and teaching interests, Dr. Mehdizadeh facilitates pedagogy workshops on cultivating anti-racist and inclusive teaching strategies in the classroom. These interactive workshops empower faculty to develop course curriculum with an eye toward racial justice and equipping students with the tools they need to excel beyond the work of the classroom.