Basma Ibrahim DeVries, Ph.D.

Basma is assistant professor of communication studies at Concordia University in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA. She specializes in teaching intercultural and interpersonal communication courses, facilitating campus-wide intercultural/diversity sessions and integrating service learning into the classroom. As an Egyptian-American, Basma has spent much time traveling and living in Egypt, Europe and the USA, and leading annual student travel and service-learning groups to Egypt, Mexico and Russia. Her previous teaching and curriculum development experience involved working with a variety of Arabic and ESL programs.

In addition to teaching, Basma conducts intercultural training with educational, community and corporate groups and co-authored, with Barbara Kappler Mikk and Dianne Hofner Saphiere, Communication Highwire: Leveraging the Power of Diverse Communication Styles (Intercultural Press 2005). She sits on the national board of SIETAR-USA (Society for Intercultural Education, Training, and Research) and is an active member of the Egyptian American Society, NCA (National Communication Association), and several other professional and cultural organizations. She focuses on living up to the root of her Arabic name, Bes—an ancient Egyptian god of fun and happiness.

Basma earned her Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota in Communication Studies, focusing her dissertation on Arab-American bicultural identity. She holds a M.A. from the University of Wisconsin and a B.A. in Psychology and Communication Studies from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Co-author of Cultural Detective Egypt, and Trainer of Facilitators