Middle East Studies at UTK

A new $200,000 endowment will support scholarships for outstanding undergraduate or graduate student essays on topics of democracy in the Middle East.

Former UT Knoxville Political Science Department Adjunct Professor Louay Bahry established The Louay Bahry and Phebe Marr Middle Eastern Democracy Studies Endowment in memory of his late wife, a former professor in the University of Tennessee Department of History.

This gift celebrates their lasting impact as professors at the University of Tennessee and their expertise on Middle Eastern affairs.


UT Knoxville Alumni
University of Tennessee, Knoxville

The Melodies of the Middle East concert was a magical evening of classical Arabic music. Thank you to all attendees and sponsors for your generosity supporting UT student travel scholarships to Arab countries. Around 400 members of the Knoxville community, UT students, and UT faculty came to the event.

UT Middle East Studies would like to thank the Gold sponsors (Union Place Bar and Grill, Union Staton-Rocky Hill Restaurant, and Hanna Cancer Associate), silver sponsors (The Arab American Club of Knoxville), and bronze sponsors (John Fawaz, CFP (R), the Daniel and Rhoda Harb Family, Wachenberg Investments, Marwan and Regina Zaouk, and an anonymous supporter.

Thank you also to Arab American Club of Knoxville and Bijou Theatre for your hard work organizing this event! We also appreciate our emcee, Tala Shatara, and the University of Tennessee College of Arts & Sciences Communications Team for their beautiful artwork for the concert program and sponsor board.

Very last reminder: Join the Arab American Club of Knoxville and UT Middle East Studies for tomorrow's Melodies of the Middle East concert, featuring Ramzi Aburedwan, the 2025 Natalie L. Haslam Distinguished Artist in residence at the UT College of Music. Location: Bijou Theatre. Time: 7:30 PM (doors open at 7:00). Come help support UT student travel scholarships to Arab countries for study abroad!

Check out some profiles on the students who have benefited from the Arab American Club of Knoxville's UT student travel scholarships to Arab countries. You can help support future students by attending this Friday's Melodies of the Middle East concert at the Bijou Theatre at 7:30 PM (doors open at 7:00).

Very please to see that Hanna Cancer Associates has become a Gold sponsor for the upcoming Melodies of the Middle East concert on Friday! Thank you for your generous support of UT students. Please check out our full list of sponsors.

https://artsci.utk.edu/melodies-of-the-middle-east/?fbclid=IwY2xjawNaeDFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHuLtkzOU51XtpWfEpGLX-WwM0kV1xtet-GHner2OzJ8dl4yfKkEutCE_1hu__aem_E7gh-bfKzF4mdXRh17kvaQ

Melodies of the Middle East - College of Arts and Sciences October 17, 2025 – 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m.) Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902 The Arab American Club of Knoxville (AACK) and the University of Tennessee’s Middle East Studies program invite you to a night of glamour, fun, and live Middle Eastern music. Free and open to...

Remember, this upcoming Friday is the Melodies of the Middle East concert at the Bijou Theatre!

We're happy to announce that Union Place Bar & Grill and Union Station-Rocky Hill have become Gold Sponsors of this event! Thanks for your generous support of UT student travel scholarships to Arab countries! See our list of sponsors below.

Melodies of the Middle East - College of Arts and Sciences October 17, 2025 – 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 7:00 p.m.) Bijou Theatre, 803 S. Gay St, Knoxville, TN 37902 The Arab American Club of Knoxville (AACK) and the University of Tennessee’s Middle East Studies program invite you to a night of glamour, fun, and live Middle Eastern music. Free and open to...

Two weeks until the Melodies of the Middle East concert on Friday, Oct. 17 at the Bijou Theatre hosted by the Arab American Club of Knoxville. Check out the new page at the Visit Knoxville events calendar! Come to this concert to support UT student travel scholarships to Arab countries for learning Arabic, participating in archeological digs, or other study abroad activities.

Melodies of the Middle East | Knoxville, TN The Arab American Club of Knoxville (AACK) and the University of Tennessee’s Middle East Studies program invite you to a night of glamour, fun, and live Middle Eastern music. Ramzi Aburedwan, Arabic Classical Music Composer from Palestine and his musical ensemble, Dal’Ouna present, "An Explorati...