Bret Windhauser, originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, graduated from Sewanee: The University of the South with a BA in International and Global Studies and a BA in French and French Studies.  While at Sewanee, Bret studied both Arabic and French which he used while interning in the “Jungle” migrant camp in Calais, France in 2016.  Based on his experiences in Calais, he wrote two theses on the illicit economy and smuggling networks created among migrant populations.  Bret also attended an intensive Arabic study abroad program in Jordan which also focused coursework on the refugee situation in the Middle East.  

After graduating from Sewanee, Bret directly entered the master’s program in Near Eastern Languages and Civilization program at the University of Washington in Seattle.  Bret studied Arabic as his primary language and modern Turkish as his secondary language.  In addition to these languages, he also took courses in Hebrew, Ottoman Turkish, and Gəˁəz.  Bret’s MA thesis investigated how food and SIM card smuggling networks between Israel and Palestine can benefit both communities.

Since his graduation in the spring of 2020, Bret continues working with the Svoboda Diaries Project with the University of Washington which researchers travel logs from Europeans in 19-20th century Iraq. 

In summer 2020, Bret began working for PEMM, using his knowledge of Gəˁəz to work on typing and identifying Gəˁəz miracle stories.