Nelly van Doorn-Harder named Kenan Professor in the Humanities

Nelly van Doorn-Harder, professor of religious studies and co-director of Middle East and South Asia studies, has been appointed as the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor in the Humanities. 

“I was deeply honored to be awarded the Kenan Professorship. Given the exceptional caliber of scholarship among my colleagues at WFU, being selected for this role came as a genuine surprise. As I settle into this position, I am carefully considering the teaching and research initiatives that will define my tenure,” she said. 

Since joining the Department for the Study of Religions at Wake Forest University in 2009, van Doorn-Harder has expanded the University’s teaching of Christian and Islamic Studies. Since 2022, she has also served as the co-director of Wake Forest’s Middle East and Asian Studies Program (MESAS), where she has combined her expertise in Islamic Studies with her commitment to interdisciplinary initiatives. 

Through her leadership within both MESAS and the Department of Religious Studies, van Doorn-Harder actively promotes cross-departmental collaboration and interfaith dialogue, aligning her expertise and research with the Kenan Professorship’s mission to support distinguished humanities research. 

“Dr. van Doorn-Harder’s dedication to exploring global religious traditions and fostering interdisciplinary collaboration perfectly embodies the spirit of the Kenan Professorship. This appointment recognizes her significant contributions and will provide vital support to further expand her influential and impactful research,” said Stacie Petter, associate provost for faculty affairs.

Jackie Krasas, dean of the College and Graduate School of Arts & Sciences, adds, “Dr. van Doorn-Harder embodies the very best of our teacher-scholar model at Wake Forest University. Her scholarly work is both interdisciplinary and collaborative, extending not only across the University but also globally. As a teacher and mentor, she helps students engage with complex and difficult questions, always in the spirit of Pro Humanitate.”