Luther sophomore and faculty member to present Paideia Texts and Issues lecture Feb. 27

Ashalul Aden and Pedro dos Santos to present Paideia Texts and Issues lecture Feb. 27

Since 2011, the arrival of refugees from the Syrian conflict has provoked anti-refugee and pro-refugee movements that either “demonize” or “idealize” them. Ashalul Aden, Luther sophomore, and Pedro dos Santos, assistant professor of political science, will present the first Paideia Texts and Issues lecture of the spring semester at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 27, in the Center for Faith and Life Recital Hall on the Luther campus.

The event is open to the public with no charge for admission. A reception will follow in Qualley Lounge.

In the presentation, “What’s to Be Done? Humanizing the Syrian Refugee Crisis,” Aden, daughter of two Somali refugees, will detail her experience growing up in a refugee community in America. Working with dos Santos’ expertise in gender and politics, Aden’s story provides insight into the loss of dignity felt by Syrian refugees.

Aden is a sophomore from Rochester, Minnesota, majoring in political science. In the Diversity Center, she works as a student outreach assistant. On campus, Aden also holds various leadership positions as vice president of Interfaith in Action, secretary for the Black Student Union, and diversity representative for Student Senate.

As an assistant professor of political science and the director of the international studies program at Luther College, dos Santos teaches courses in global politics, comparative politics, and international organizations.

His main research focus is gender politics in Brazil, particularly the legislative and executive branches. He examines gender quota laws and connections between evangelical religions and politics in Latin America.

dos Santos received a Bachelor of Arts in political science and international business from Baker University. He then earned a master’s degree and Ph.D. in political science from the University of Kansas. Publishing articles on Latin American politics, gender and society, dos Santos is currently co-authoring a book-length project which examines the impact of Dilma Rousseff’s presidency on women’s representation in Brazil.

A national liberal arts college with an enrollment of 2,050, Luther offers an academic curriculum that leads to the Bachelor of Arts degree in more than 60 majors and pre-professional programs. For more information about Luther visit the college’s website: http://www.luther.edu.