Grace Kurzweil is a senior at the University of Notre Dame majoring in History and Arabic with a minor in Computing and Digital Technologies. As a developing researcher at the Kellogg Institute, Kurzweil is interested in expanding her global perspective through research focused on topics within foreign affairs, Middle Eastern history, and cybersecurity; upon graduation, Kurzweil looks forward to continuing to build upon the research skills she cultivated through the Kellogg Developing Researchers program by engaging in foreign policy research. Studying abroad in Israel in summer 2023 enabled Kurzweil to gain a better understanding of the influence of religious identity in Middle Eastern cultures and political interactions. Traveling to The Hague and Brussels with the Nanovic Diplomacy Scholars in spring 2024, Kurzweil learned about foreign service as well as the complexities of issues facing the international arena today.
Currently, Kurzweil is writing her Honors History thesis analyzing the ways in which the roles of women at court changed during the transition from the medieval ‘Abbasid caliphate to the Seljuq sultanate. Moving forward, Kurzweil is interested in exploring research related to the future of cybersecurity, investigating the ways in which the U.S.’s historical involvement in the Middle East has impacted the American public’s perception of Arab culture, and analyzing the Middle East as an arena for great power competition.
KDR Leader