Eunice Youmans is the Keston Research Fellow focusing on U.S. public diplomacy in the Middle East. In that capacity, her current research examines the contrast between Arab attitudes toward America and U.S. policy and Arab behavior toward America and U.S. policy. As part of this effort, she is tracking such variables as the frequency of anti-American protests, the content of regional book sales, and the receptivity to American products and U.S. educational opportunities of Arab markets and audiences.
Prior to joining the Institute, Ms. Youmans served as coordinator for Vanderbilt University's Cal Turner Program in Moral Leadership for the Professions, an interdisciplinary professional ethics think tank. In addition to her work for the Turner Program, Ms. Youmans worked in public relations for Management Recruiters International and Midwest Apparel Group.
A theologian by training, Ms. Youmans received her bachelor's degree in religious studies from the University of Georgia and her master�s degree in Islamic studies from Vanderbilt University. Her Master's thesis, "Islamic Law into the Modern Period: Ijtihad according to Ibn Taymiyya and Tariq Ramadan," examined the juridical role of ijtihad as a tool of reform in Islamic law.
Expertise: American public diplomacy in the Middle East
Current Research: Anti-American sentiment in the Middle East
