Dr. Nukhet Sandal to deliver Fall Commencement Address

Dr. Nukhet Sandal

Dr. Nukhet Sandal will deliver 51��’s Fall Commencement Address on Saturday, Dec. 10.

An expert in foreign policy, international conflicts and Middle Eastern politics, Sandal serves as an associate dean in the College of Arts and Sciences and as an associate professor of political science.

In addition, Sandal serves as the editor-in-chief of the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of International Studies. She is a past chair of the Religion and Politics section of the American Political Science Association, and assumed various leadership positions in the International Studies Association.

“Dr. Nukhet Sandal is a highly-respected teacher and researcher, and throughout her time at 51�� she has always been dedicated to helping students succeed in their classes and their careers,” President Hugh Sherman said. “Her knowledge, experience and love of teaching makes her the perfect choice to give these important remarks to our students as we celebrate their graduation.”

Sandal has won numerous awards during her time at OHIO, including the 2022 Global Access Award, 2021 Center for International Studies Advising and Mentorship Award, 2019 Cutler Scholars Distinguished Mentor Award, 2019 Outstanding Research in Social Sciences Award, 2017 University Professor Award, 2017 Honors Tutorial College Best Tutor Award, and 2016 Jeanette G. Grasselli Brown Faculty Teaching Award.

“I am honored to be invited to address our students on this very important day of their lives,” Sandal said.

“The highlights of my day and week are the times I am interacting with our students, in the classroom and beyond,” Sandal said. “The conversations are always energizing, and I learn so much from them; our students are just amazing. We start the relationships here, and then they graduate, have successful careers, and we keep in touch. That is the most rewarding part of the job – you build lifelong ties and continue to learn from each other.”

Sandal earned her Ph.D. in Politics and International Relations from University of Southern California in 2010, and she was a postdoctoral fellow at the Watson Institute of International Studies at Brown University from 2010-13. In addition to numerous book chapters, she has published articles in the European Journal of International Relations, International Politics, Review of International Studies, Alternatives, Political Studies, West European Politics, British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies, Politics and Religion, Human Rights Quarterly, and Canadian Journal of Political Science among others.

She is also the author of “Religious Leaders and Conflict Transformation” (Cambridge University Press, 2017) and “Religion and International Relations Theory” (with Jonathan Fox; Routledge, 2013), and the editor of “Religion and Peace: Global Perspectives and Possibilities” (with Ingo Trauschweizer; 51�� Press, 2022). Her work has been featured on multiple national and international media outlets.

The 2022 Fall Commencement will take place on Saturday, Dec. 10 beginning at 2 p.m. in the Convocation Center on the Athens campus. For additional information, please visit

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