Bio


Ramzi Salti was born in Lebanon in 1966. French educated in Beirut, he completed his high school education in Jordan by earning his British G.C.E. and Tawjihi degrees and, in 1983, moved to the United States where he earned his B.A. in French and English (1988) from Santa Clara University and his M.A. (1991) and Ph.D. (1997) in Comparative Literature (Arabic, French, English) from the University of California at Riverside.

Dr. Salti is an Advanced Lecturer for the Arabic Program, SLC, at Stanford University (since 1999) and is a fully Certified ACTFL Oral and Written Proficiency Tester of Arabic. He has also taught a wide array of courses in Arabic Language, Literature and Culture(s) at such institutions as Santa Clara University, U.C. Riverside and Sijal Institute (Jordan). Since 2000, he has continuously organized and emceed various events--at Stanford and elsewhere--that center on various Arabic cultural productions, postcolonial theory, Pop Culture, and the use of technology to enhance language proficiency in the classroom.

In addition to teaching at Stanford, Dr. Salti authors his own blog at www.arabology.org and hosts a popular podcast titled 'Arabology' which initially aired on KZSU Stanford 90.1 FM (Podcasts at soundcloud.com/arabology/sets) and is now available on all music streaming platforms. A video podcast was added in 2020 with episodes at youtube.com/RamziSalti.

Salti has amassed several prestigious awards during his years at Stanford, including the Stanford Dean's Award for Distinguished Teaching (2004-5), the ASSU's Honorable Mention for the Teacher of the Year Award (2009) and the Knight Favorite Professor Award by the John S. Knight Fellowships Program for Professional Journalists in 2005, 2009, and 2013. He also received special recognition in 2019 for his 20 Years of Academic Service at Stanford.

Over the past two decades, Salti has received multiple grants from the Stanford Arts Institute to bring such Arabic cultural icons as Mashrou Leila's Hamed Sinno, Yasmine Hamdan and Pierre Dulaine to the Stanford campus. He also co-founded the Stanford Middle East Ensemble over a decade ago and has since then organized countless cultural and musical events at Stanford--including Arabic film screenings (ft the Arab Film Festival); cultural workshops at Stanford's Markaz Resource Center; annual audio-visual presentations about Arabic music (by invitation from Stanford Global Studies); and concerts by such iconic/indie musicians as DAM, Omar Offendum, Mike Massy, and "Emel Mathouthi at the Bing" (in conjunction with Stanford Live).

Dr. Salti's collection of short stories, titled 'The Native Informant & Other Stories: Six Tales of Defiance from the Arab World,' was published in 1994 to much critical acclaim and is now available on Kindle and Google Play. and he consistently publishes essays and articles in such journals as World Literature Today, The International Fiction Review, The Journal of Arabic Literature, and Notes on Contemporary Literature; he was a also a regular reviewer of Arabic literature for "World Literature Today" and his Doctoral thesis, which surveys the (mis)representations of marginalized sexualities in Arabic Literature, has been (re)published in various scholarly journals.

In addition to his academic writings, Dr. Salti has worked as an Entertainment writer and has published numerous articles in "The Los Angeles Times," "The West Hollywood Weekly," and "4-Front Magazine." He is also an avid Olivia Newton-John biographer, known for his critically acclaimed biography and discography of Newton-John which was published in in "DISCoveries" magazine; he has also interviewed such artists as Debbie Harry (Blondie), academy award winning actress Marlee Matlin, and many other cultural icons in the US and abroad.

Salti currently resides in the San Francisco Bay area where he devotes his time to public speaking, writing, broadcasting, and teaching at Stanford University.

Academic Appointments


Honors & Awards


  • Academic Service Award (20 Years at Stanford), Stanford University (2019)
  • Outstanding Mentor, The Native Community at Stanford University (2018)
  • Knight Favorite Professor Award, John S. Knight Fellowships Program for Professional Journalists (Stanford) (2013, 2009, 2005, 2004)
  • ASSU Teacher of the Year Honorable Mention Award, Associated Students of Stanford University (2009)
  • Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching, Stanford University, 2004--5, Stanford University (2005)

Boards, Advisory Committees, Professional Organizations


  • Board Member, Arabian Shakespeare Festival (2016 - Present)
  • Film Reviewer, Arab Film Festival (2014 - Present)
  • Member, Arab Studies Table, Stanford University (2013 - Present)
  • Contributor + Book Reviewer, World Literature Today (1989 - 2009)

Professional Education


  • Ph.D., University of California at Riverside, Comparative Literature (Arabic, French, English) (1997)
  • MA, University of California at Riverside, Comparative Literature (Arabic, French, English) (1991)
  • BA, Santa Clara University, English & French (1988)

Research Interests


  • Assessment, Testing and Measurement
  • Diversity and Identity
  • Gender Issues
  • Immigrants and Immigration
  • Literacy and Language
  • Professional Development
  • Race and Ethnicity
  • Technology and Education

Current Research and Scholarly Interests


1. Developing additional material for my 2021-22 courses at Stanford including "Arabic Conversation" and "Colloquial Arabic."
2. Regular writer and contributor to "Arabology"--a blog that highlights and analyzes various cultural productions from/about the Arab world. Includes over 400 of my published articles, essays, radio interviews and podcasts that center on (alternative) Arabic music, Egypt's Golden Age, Arab Divas, Arab American identity, marginalized sexualities and postcolonial literature. Over 1.8 million readers as of June 2021. Go to www.arabology.org
3. In-production for upcoming 12th season of my Arabology program: Currently recording and editing various audio-visual interviews with some of the Arab world's most groundbreaking musicians, writers, poets, and media personalities.

Projects


  • My 'Arabology' Radio Program on KZSU 90.1 FM, Stanford University
  • My Arabology YouTube Channel, KZSU 90.1 FM

    Location

    Stanford University

  • Utilizing Interactive Media to Improve Language Proficiency in the Classroom, Stanford University (2015 - Present)

    This project explores the way in which the use of interactive technology has contributed towards moving Y2 Arabic students at Stanford to the Advanced Proficiency (ACTFL) levels. This aim has been largely realized when it comes to students in my Y2 Heritage Arabic courses--a fact that I attribute to the generous use of multi-media interactive sources in those sections. Below are some ways in which I have successfully employed multi-media tools in the classroom, coupled with observations about language proficiency levels that I am making in my capacity as a Fully Certified ACTFL Tester of Arabic (both written and oral):

    Location

    Stanford

All Publications


  • Arabic Music: An Interview with Dr. Ramzi Salti Qahwa Salti, R., Hmood, Z. 2017: 25-32
  • Q&A with Ramzi Salti, DJ of Arabology Stanford Daily Villa, A., Salti, R. 2016: 1
  • The Ambassador of 'Arabology': Stanford DJ and Lecturer Champions the Music of the Middle East Palo Alto Weekly Kane, K., Salti, R. 2016; XXXVIII (10): 2
  • Islamic Voices: Music of the Arab Spring Stanford Live Journal Salti, R. 2016
  • A different leader of men: Yusuf Idris against Arab concepts of male homosexuality WORLD LITERATURE TODAY Salti, R. 2001; 75 (2): 246-256
  • Oppressive Spaces: A Critical Examination of the Life and Works of Nawal el-Saadawi Journal of Arabic Literature Salti, R. 1994; 25 (2): 152-174
  • A Note on Mahfouz's Effort to Strike a Balance Between East and West International Fiction Review Salti, R. M. 1990; 17 (2): 3
  • El Far3i Completes His Acoustic Trilogy with “Nas Min Khashab” Salti, R. Arabology. 2022

    Abstract

    After a decade of unequaled creativity and challenges, El Far3i has just completed his acoustic trilogy with his new album “Nas Min Khashab” [People Made of Wood]. See https://www.arabology.org/2022/03/elfar3i.html

    CD Review
  • Ramzi Salti's Arabology Radio Show Counts Down Top 20 Indie Arabic Songs of 2018 Arabology Salti, R. 2019
  • Queering Orientalism [Ramzi Salti relates homophobia and gender discrimination to the critique of colonialism] Immigrant Narratives: Orientalism and Cultural Translation in Arab American and Arab British Literature Hassan, W. S. Oxford University Press. 2014
  • THE 'NATIVE INFORMANT' AND OTHER STORIES - SALTI,RM (Book Review) WORLD LITERATURE TODAY Book Review Authored by: Kadhim, H. 1995; 69 (4): 863-863