Dr. Sara Hillman is an Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics and English in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences at Hamad Bin Khalifa University. She holds a PhD in Second Language Studies from Michigan State University, where her research centered on identity formation and community building in an Arabic heritage language classroom. Before joining HBKU, Dr. Hillman taught for nine years at Texas A&M University in Qatar and served as the foundation English program coordinator. 

Dr. Hillman’s research examines the intersections of language, identity, and communication in educational and multilingual contexts, with a focus on Qatar. Her main areas of research include: 

• Language, identity, and intercultural communication in the Gulf region
• Sociolinguistics and language practices in the Gulf region
• Linguistic landscapes and Islamic identities
• Emotions and belonging in English-medium education in multilingual university settings
• Language policy and planning in multilingual contexts

Her work has been published in top-tier academic journals, including TESOL Quarterly, System, Linguistics and Education, International Review of Applied Linguistics in Language Teaching, Language Learning Journal, Journal of Multilingual and Multicultural Development, and many others. She has also contributed numerous chapters to edited volumes focused on language, identity, and higher education in the Gulf and Arab world.