Marwa Shalaby
"Professor Shalaby is the embodiment of what UW-Madison seeks in professors. She will find ways to support you even when you find yourself struggling and not performing at your best. During the writing of my senior thesis, I faced several obstacles. But she supported me every step of the way, even accommodating by scheduling extra meetings to further assist my writing process. One particularly memorable moment I have of her is when I was struggling to polish one of my empirical thesis chapters, and she helped me by recalling moments when she struggled in her writing process and comparing them with mine. Listening to the parallel experiences of such an accomplished academic made me feel seen and gave me the final push to finish and polish that chapter. She is the only professor I have come across who continuously pushes her students, often providing exceptionally detailed feedback, while always exercising patience and a willingness to provide students with the tools to thrive. In addition to her unparalleled instruction guiding my thesis, she also expertly instructs other Honors students in seminar settings. While taking POLI SCI 435, when Professor Shalaby was lecturing, she quickly noticed that many students did not have a background in Islam, an important facet of Middle Eastern politics. Upon making this observation, she swiftly shifted her lesson schedule to include a lecture detailing Islamic thought. Therefore, she always adjusts to meet her students' needs, many of whom succeeded in that class."
Political Science