Please join us in welcoming Garrison Doreck, one of MPAC’s new Media & Communications interns for the summer! Doreck just finished his first year as a Ph.D. student in anthropology at the University of California at Irvine (UCI). In addition to pursuing doctoral research on civic engagement in the American Muslim community, Doreck also teaches about Islam at Northern Arizona University.

Doreck is a happily married father of two young daughters, who recently moved his family to California from the Chicago area in 2011. In the post-9/11 climate, Doreck shifted his interest from studying Muslim majority societies to highlighting American Muslim voices that are often excluded from discussion in media and political domains. During his first year at UCI Garrison conducted research on the politics of Muslim hip-hop, American Muslim Twitter humor and the role of American Muslim media in public diplomacy.

“I sought out MPAC for an internship to begin building relationships and knowledge about how American Muslims develop civic engagement initiatives within their own communities, as well as interface with interfaith, government and media organizations,” Doreck said.

In his first week at MPAC, Doreck immersed himself in the public role of religion. He gained firsthand experience of both the support for and contention surrounding Islam in America at an Islam 101 event with Dr. Hathout at The Guibord Center - Religion Inside Out.