Dyala Kasim is a graduate of the American Studies M.A. Program at Columbia University’s Center for Ethnicity and Race (CSER). She received her B.A. in English, Communication, and Writing and Rhetoric from Villanova University. At Columbia, Dyala studied immigration, culture, and identity in ethnic American literature. She focused on contemporary Arab-American — specifically Palestinian-American — authors, examining the way these individuals utilize literature as a means to understand their multifaceted identities within the United States. Ultimately, Dyala aims to continue her research on Arab-American literature by pursuing her Ph.D. She is currently an elementary school teacher in New York City.