By week three, Dr. Volk knows the names of her students and their own assessment of their learning styles. Recognizing the differences in students’ backgrounds and skills, she prepares a variety of classroom activities, assignments, and tests. Hired in 2003 as part of a faculty cluster with Middle East expertise, Dr. Volk has helped launch an interdisciplinary minor in Middle East and Islamic Studies at SF State. Based on feedback of students in her core classes, she authored and edited The Middle East in the World: An Introduction (2015) promoting a better understanding of the many linguistic, ethno-religious, and differently empowered communities in the Middle East and the links between “us” and “them”.