Rachel Havrelock
Professor of English; Co-founder and Director of the Freshwater Lab
Biography
Rachel Havrelock’s interest in water sharing as an approach to Middle East peacemaking was reinforced while completing her book “River Jordan: The Mythology of a Dividing Line,” which considers the Jordan River as a border in the Bible, Judaism, Christianity and Jewish and Palestinian national movements.
Her current research is on the role of oil extraction and infrastructure in the militarization of the Middle East and examines how regional water management could transform the landscape.
Havrelock addresses local matters as co-founder and principal investigator for the Freshwater Lab, a UIC-based consortium for humanities and social science research that examines issues related to water, energy and natural resources in the Great Lakes region.
Other scholarly interests include biblical literature, energy and culture, and cultural geography.
Watch Havrelock’s 3-minute talk on elevating a new generation of climate change leaders delivered at SparkTalks, UIC’s take on faculty lightning talks.
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In the News
Plan calls for recycling wastewater to avoid Chicago region water crisis
July 17, 2023
Chicago River event, public art project aim to raise environmental awareness
September 2, 2022
New website features Lake Michigan stories, education and activism
November 3, 2017