My name is Heba M Khalil, and I am a public sociologist, legal ethnographer, and educator working at the intersections of law, social movements, democratic backsliding, and social change.

Most of my research asks a simple but urgent question: How do people confront power in their everyday lives — and how does law shape their struggles?

I study the ways that law is mobilized, challenged, and reimagined in contexts of authoritarianism, inequality, and political transition. Much of my research focuses on Middle Eastern and North African societies, where I examine how legal professionals, feminist activists, and marginalized communities engage and resist systems of legal and political control.

I began my career as a human rights researcher and organizer in Egypt, working alongside grassroots movements advocating for social and economic rights. That experience continues to shape how I teach, write, and relate to the world. Today, I am an Assistant Professor of Sociology and Criminology at Nebraska Wesleyan University, where I teach courses on race, law, social inequality, social theory, gender, and research methods.

This site, Public Sociologist, is a space where I share resources for educators committed to liberatory teaching, critical inquiry, and public engagement. I created it as a way to support those of us who see sociology not just as an academic discipline, but as a tool for justice, a language for change, and a bridge between classroom and community.

Whether you're an educator, student, activist, or curious reader: welcome & ahlan wa-sahlan.