Orian Zakai holds an M.A. (Tel-Aviv University) and a Ph.D. (University of Michigan) in Comparative Literature. She specializes in Modern Hebrew literature and culture and gender studies. Her current research interests include gender and nation in Hebrew women’s literature, and intersections of gender and ethnicity in Israeli culture. She has taught Hebrew language, literature and culture, as well as courses in Judaic studies, Women’s studies and Comparative Literature at the University of Michigan and at Middlebury College. In her teaching, she takes an interdisciplinary approach to literature and culture, exploring their intersections with history and politics. Her language acquisition methodology emphasizes communication in meaningful contexts and attention to the diversity of learners and learning styles.