Member Spotlight: David Zeglen

DAVID ZEGLEN

Ann Arbor

International Studies

What is your area of specialty?

Globalization, Colonialism and Cultural Identity, Political Economy of Imperialism, Global Climate Justice, Nationalism, Palestine, Marxist Political Theory, Post-Colonial Theory, Cultural Studies, History of Global Capitalism, Strategies of Decolonization

What are you proud of related to your role as a lecturer?

In International Studies, our program is cause-driven, so many of our students graduate and go on to work for international organizations, non-profits, the foreign service, human rights law, community organizations, or social movements. I'm proud to have taught and mentored so many wonderful students who are passionately committed to global social justice and international solidarity. I love hearing from them months or years later about what they are doing in their post-graduate life. It is wonderful to know that we do have a positive impact on their development later in life.

What is something you are proud of outside your role as a lecturer?

I'm a proud democratic socialist who is running for Ann Arbor City Council in Ward 4. I'm running on a working class platform that prioritizes the workers who make this city run. I'm focused on building more social housing, strengthening union power, protecting our immigrant neighbors from ICE, and municipalizing the electricity grid. We also need to build a working class coalition to fight the data centers that are being built. Please visit my campaign website for more information: www.davez4thepeople.com

Fun Fact: What is something people might not know about you?

I taught internationally for several years before teaching here at U-M. I taught at a Buddhist university in South Korea, and I speak some Korean. I also taught drama and theater to Palestinian children in two refugee camps in the Occupied West Bank.