With continuing unrest across the Middle East and the potential of peace talks, the tenuous relationship between the United States and the Middle East could change greatly in the years to come.

The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has several experts who can discuss Middle Eastern culture, politics and religious developments.

Here are the UT experts and their areas of expertise:

•Brian Barber, director of the UT Center for the Study of Youth and Political Conflict and a professor of child and family studies, can discuss adolescent development in the context of political conflict, with a particular focus on youth from Egypt, the Gaza Strip, Palestine, and Sarajevo, Bosnia.

•Douja Mamelouk, assistant professor of French and Arabic, can discuss gender issues in the Arab world, contemporary Arabic literature, Francophone literature of North Africa, current events in Tunisia and Egypt and Arab film.

•Youshaa Patel, assistant professor of religious studies, can speak about the intersection of Islam, ethics and public life. Special interests include inter-religious cooperation and conflict, Islamic scripture and law and religion and politics in the Middle East and South Asia.

•Brandon Prins, associate professor of political science and a Global Security Fellow at the Howard H. Baker Jr. Center for Public Policy, can discuss U.S. foreign policy and contrast President Barack Obama’s and presidential candidate Mitt Romney’s security and defense policies.--

CONTACT:

Lola Alapo (865-974-3993, [email protected])