Jeff Hayden

Student NameJeff Hayden

Faculty Mentor NameMatthew Jacobs

CollegeCollege of Liberal Arts and Sciences

MajorHistory & International Studies

MinorArabic Language & Literature

Research InterestsMiddle East, Politics, State-building, Political Ideology, Political Violence

Academic AwardsBright Futures w/ Academic Distinction 2018, UF President’s List 2018, UF CLAS Dean’s List 2018-2019, University Scholars Program 2020

OrganizationsPhi Alpha Theta History Honor Society, Students Organizing for Syria, Beyond120 Experiential Scholars, International Scholars, Humanities Scholars

Hobbies and InterestsReading (sci-fi, fantasy), writing, weight-lifting, and cooking

Research Project

In the Shadow of Babylon: Authority and the Last Decade of Ba’athist Iraq?

A study of the last ten years of Saddam Hussein’s rule, beginning with the aftermath of the First Gulf War in 1993 and ending with his capture by U.S. forces in 2003. The research focuses on the methods and means by which Hussein’s Ba’ath Party exerted its authority over Iraq in the context of Kurdish dissent, Shi’a uprisings, and UN sanctions. How were control methods enacted by the party leadership and how were they received by the people? How did Iraq change or stagnate under the heel of UN scrutiny? How can we see the consequences of Hussein’s policies in our contemporary Iraq?