Zahra Abedinezhad is a Ph.D. candidate in Comparative Studies at The Ohio State University, where she also pursues a Graduate Interdisciplinary Specialization in Folklore. Her research combines archival work, autoethnography, and digital ethnography to examine how ritual practices circulate in online environments and how these digital transformations foster new cultures of resistance.
She teaches Introduction to Folklore at Ohio State and takes a collaborative, interdisciplinary approach to teaching. By designing interactive class activities and incorporating diverse materials—such as films, book chapters, and scholarly articles from disciplines including religion, history, and literature—she introduces students to folklore as a dynamic and integrative field of study.