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 Ph.D. 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.  

We have this opportunity 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 and 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.