Welcome our new Jeffrey B. Plevan Professor of Israel Studies, Dr. Anat Balint
Dr. Anat Balint will be the inaugural holder of the Jeffrey B. Plevan Chair in Israel Studies. Dr. Balint is currently an Israel Institute Visiting Scholar and Coordinator of the Jewish Studies Program at San Jose State University. A media scholar who specializes in the political economy of the media and the politics of Israeli media, Dr. Balint received her PhD in Media and Communication from the University of London. Prior to her faculty appointment at SJSU, she was a journalist for Ha'aretz and an adjunct lecturer in the Department of Communication at Tel Aviv University. Thanks to the amazing generosity, support, and encouragement of the Plevan family. Betsy (z"l) and Ken provided the kind of visionary leadership that enabled us to create this position in memory and honor of their beloved son our dear student Jeff (z"l), whom we lost much too early. Jeff had a passion for Israel and a sincere interest in our Center; we miss him dearly and cherish his memory deeply. Although he is no longer with us in person, his spirit and values will live on in part due to all that Anat will accomplish in this position. Anat and her family will be moving to Tucson over the summer and will begin her appointment as the Plevan Chair in August. Her appointment comes after a very competitive search, and we owe the search committee (David Graizbord [chair], Anne Betteridge, Beth Nakhai, and Uri Maimon) our deepest thanks for their professional conduct, careful attention to detail, and incalculable hours of hard work. Anat will have a great impact on our campus and in our community.