Naila Al Atrash

[2] Currently she is a visiting assistant professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies in New York University with the help of Scholars At Risk.

[1] Born in Syria, Al Atrash became interested in activism as a teenager,[4] claiming that this is when she started her membership in the communist party.

During her time in the communist party, she began to show interest in political, social, and justice issues, shaping her world view from a young age.

At HIDA, Al Atrash directed a show titled "Fire and Olives" by the Egyptian playwright Alfred Farag.

Al Atrash's home was an important part of her life; Syria was where all of her loved ones resided and she felt a need to be there despite the country's increasing instability.

she is a Vivian G Prins Scholar at NYU's Department of Drama, teaching Syrian theater and file, and directing plays with ETW/Tisch School of Arts.

However, because of the increasing power of the Assad regime and their assault against Syrian pro-democratic protesters, opportunities for working in the resistance movement were slowly disappearing.

To combat this, Al Atrash and her friends created volunteer relief groups; their goal was to provide support to the displaced and others that were affected by the events.