Thomas Hefter
Thomas Hefter

Instructional Assistant Professor
Department of Modern and Classical Languages
thhefter@central.uh.edu
Office: Agnes Arnold Hall, Room 448
Office Phone: 713-743-4752
Office Hours: Wednesdays: 2:30-3:30 and Thursdays: 11:30-12:30 or email to make an
online appointment.
Biographical Summary
Tom Hefter is Instructional Assistant Professor of Arabic in the Department of Modern
and Classical Languages. He received a PhD in Classical Arabic Literature and Islamic
Studies from the Department of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations at the University
of Chicago in 2008. He has taught both Classical and Modern Arabic Literature and
Culture courses and all levels of Arabic Language at a number of institutions, including
American University in Cairo, the College of Willian and Mary, the University of Oklahoma
and Princeton.
His scholarly research has focused mainly on the writings of the ninth-century theologian,
linguist, humorist and polymath al-Jāḥiẓ (d. 869 CE). Lately he has been concentrating
on translating some of al-Jāḥiẓ’s works to English.