PORTSMOUTH, Ohio – Shawnee State University’s Dr. Amr Al-Azm, Associate Professor of Social Sciences, was selected as one of Good Magazine’s “2016 Good 100” List.

The “2016 Good 100” select individuals who are acting right now and tackling pressing global issues in extraordinary and innovative ways.

Dr. Al-Azm was selected and featured in this month’s issue of the magazine for his work in trying to save the cultural history of his homeland, Syria.

Dr. Al-Azm is a member of a network of academics, archaeologists, and Syrian activists who have banded together to preserve a cultural history at risk of being obliterated at the hands of thieves and militants with little regard for the country’s historical culture. Dr. Al-Azm coordinates information and operations, trains on-the-ground agents and raises funds for this cause.

“People regard my efforts as admirable but my passion stems from wanting to save the cultural history of my homeland because without history, we would be a group of lost people, and a history without its people is meaningless and has no context,” said Dr. Al-Azm. “It is easy for me to do the work I do because I am in no danger of putting my life on the line here in America, but it is my colleagues in Syria who are working on the ground that are truly admirable in trying to preserve our cultural history.”

On top of being featured in Good Magazine, Dr. Al-Azm has been interviewed by many other media channels for his work on Syria, including BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service, NPR The Takeaway, NPR Here and Now with Kelly McEvers, Guardian Newspaper, ABC News and VOX.

To read the full article, go to https://www.good.is/features/issue-36-amr-al-azm.

For other interviews featuring Dr. Al-Azm, check out http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03p8jcn, http://abcnews.go.com/International/cameras-capture-extent-destruction-ancient-syrian-town-palmyra/story?id=37975016, or http://www.wnyc.org/story/new-fighting-palmyra.