Stacy Fahrenthold

Assistant Professor

College/School/Department: College of Letters and Science, Department of History

What made you choose Davis?

I’ve been in the area for a few years now, working in the CSU system in the Central Valley. One thing I really appreciate about UC Davis is the culture of student/faculty research here. There are amazing opportunities for students and faculty to work together on projects that matter, but in the classroom and beyond it.

What research are you currently working on? What makes it unique?

I’m currently researching Middle Eastern immigration to the Americas during World War I. Though these migration stories are a century old, I’m continually challenged by the role Islamophobia played in the U.S. attitudes about immigrants and refugees from the region. A project I’m developing identifies hundreds of Arab, Assyrian and Ottoman immigrants who were detained at the U.S.-Mexico border on “public safety” suspicions in the 1920s, for instance. Popular U.S. misperceptions about Islam played a role in who was allowed into the country, even then. This suggests we should rethink the historical origins of the Islamophobic rhetoric we still experience today.

If you could impart one piece of advice to our undergraduates seeking a course of study/career path, what would it be?

Take some time to try out courses outside your area of interest. It’s easy to focus on satisfying requirements first, but that can close you off to some really cool experiences. I didn’t start college as a history major, but I took a chance on an upper-division history course that changed my life.

Have you found your favorite spot on campus yet?

Definitely the T. Elliot Weier Redwood Grove. After lunch, it’s so nice to walk along the river under the shade of those big trees.