▁Angeles ▁( U CLA ). ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 8 5 , ▁she ▁began ▁teaching ▁at ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁Florida . ▁Prior ▁to ▁being ▁h ired ▁in ▁Florida , ▁B am ia ▁taught ▁at ▁various ▁univers ities ▁in ▁Al ger ia . ▁Later , ▁B am ia ▁purs ued ▁and ▁received ▁American ▁citizens hip ▁and ▁she ▁cons iders ▁herself ▁an ▁Arab ▁American . ▁ ▁B am ia ' s ▁research ▁has ▁focused ▁especially ▁on ▁Muslim ▁women ▁writers ▁from ▁the ▁Middle ▁East . ▁She ▁has ▁found ▁that ▁women ▁have ▁contributed ▁to ▁culture ▁and ▁literature , ▁even ▁in ▁early ▁Islam ic ▁times ▁and ▁she ▁hopes ▁to ▁combat ▁s tere ot ypes ▁about ▁these ▁women ▁through ▁her ▁writing ▁and ▁research . ▁She ▁has ▁also ▁focused ▁her ▁research ▁efforts ▁on ▁the ▁or al ▁poetry ▁trad itions ▁of ▁Mag h rib i ▁women ▁of ▁North ▁Africa . ▁ ▁She ▁was ▁the ▁editor ▁of ▁Al - A rab iy ya , ▁the ▁journal ▁of ▁the ▁American ▁Association ▁of ▁Te ach ers ▁of ▁Arab ic ▁( A ATA ). ▁She ▁was ▁also ▁a ▁president ▁of ▁A ATA ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 3 . ▁ ▁She ▁is ▁the ▁author ▁of ▁The ▁Gray ing ▁of ▁the ▁R aven : ▁Cultural ▁and ▁Soci opol it ical ▁Sign ific ance ▁of ▁Al ger ian ▁Fol k ▁Po etry ▁( A UC ▁Press ▁ 2 0 0 1 ). ▁The ▁Gray ing ▁of ▁the ▁R aven ▁won ▁the ▁Middle ▁East ▁Award ▁from ▁the ▁American ▁University ▁in ▁C airo ▁Press ▁in ▁ 2 0