Name: Dr. Haydar Badawi Sadig

Title: Associate Professor of Communication.

Last Book Read: “Infidel” by Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a brilliant Somali-Dutch who became a member of parliament in Holland after just 10 years of setting foot in the Netherlands (fleeing a civil war in her native land of Somalia, Africa). In this wonderfully written memoir, Ayaan Ali talks about her journey from Islamic faith to atheism (to becoming an unbeliever, an “infidel,” in the mind of fanatic Muslims). She describes the horrendous experiences she had been through as a little girl, an adolescent, and as a young woman, before she decided to leave God (and after experiencing life in the Netherlands, the most liberal of all liberal societies). Her rise from a refugee to a being one of the most influential members of parliament -in record time- is one of the most fascinating socio-political narratives ever told.

Last movie watched? The last movie I watched was “Elegant Universe,” a documentary that describes the basics of String Theory (a new construct in physics that tries to explain new dimensions of the universe, building on, but going beyond, relativity and quantum physics).

Favorite TV Show? My favorite TV show is 60 Minutes.

What do you enjoy most about the start of the semester? What I enjoy most about a new semester (especially Fall) is meeting new people, especially new students, who come beaming with enthusiasm, curiosity and inquisitive minds.