Jasper Azizeh Teresa Saah

Jasper Azizeh Teresa Saah, MLIS

Jasper Azizeh Teresa Saah is a Palestinian-American archivist, historian, cultural worker, and community organizer based in Washington, DC. She is currently Coordinator for the State of Maryland Collections at the University of Maryland’s Special Collections and University Archives, the Archivist-in-Residence at the People’s Forum, and the lead curator for postamerican.ist, a research collective investigating socialist futurism through speculative art, architecture, culture, and technology.

She received her Masters in Library and Information Science with a certificate in Museum Scholarship and Material Culture from the University of Maryland in December, 2024 and her BA in History, with dual minors in Arabic and Fine Art from Temple University in 2019. Jasper has years of experience in the archival and cultural heritage sector across a variety of contexts and roles from academic institutions to grassroots volunteer work. 

Education

Masters in Library and Information Science, Certificate in Museum Studies and Material Culture | University of Maryland College Park, 2024 | GPA 3.9 | Practicum: Community/Archives, Social Movements, and the Question of Palestine.
Advised by Dr. Paul Yeager, UMD and Julia Pitner, MPP

B.A. in History, Minors in Arabic Language and Studio Art | Temple University, 2019 | GPA 3.86 | Honors Thesis: Gentrification, Neocolonialism, and Displaced Histories: Global Class Struggle in Philadelphia’s Urban Geographies.
Advised by Dr. Benjamin Talton

Work History

Coordinator, Maryland and Historical Collections at University of Maryland Special Collections and University Archives | May 2024-Present, Contract

  • Managed a staff of five conducting reference, retrieval, research consultation, digitization, accessioning, arrangement, outreach, instruction, and related tasks necessary to the operations of a research archive.
  • Worked closely with Maryland and Historical Collections curator Dr. Joni Floud on special projects including donation, preservation, metadata, quality control, and event planning.
  • Represented MDHC in the Maryland History and Culture Collaborative Continuity Committee.
  • Planned and conducted instruction sessions for undergraduate, graduate, and community members.

Archivist-in-Residence, The People’s Forum NYC  | August 2024-Present, Volunteer

  • Arranged, described, and processed existing archival collections.
  • Developed plans for digitizing and making accessible archival collections.
  • Consulted with and developed training for labor, peace, immigrant, women’s, and other progressive organizations on in-house archival best practices.
  • Developed oral history programs for progressive organizations

Community Archivist, Museum of the Palestinian People | May 2024-January 2025, Contract; January 2025-Present, Volunteer

  • Ingested open-source documentation of the ongoing genocide in Gaza for the museum’s collections.
  • Created metadata for said open source documentation for integration into a Geographic Information System.
  • Worked with colleagues to develop an action plan for expanding community archival work in alignment with the museum’s mission.
  • Continued work in a consultative volunteer capacity since funding expired in January 2025.

Assistant Director | Philadelphia Liberation Center | 8/2022-8/2023

Assistant Manager | Plaza Artist Materials and Picture Framing, Philadelphia | 4/21-8/23

Sales Associate | Plaza Artists Materials and Picture Framing, Silver Spring | 5/20-3/21

Sales Associate | Blick Artists Materials, Philadelphia | 10/19-3/20

Youth Arts Instructor | Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture, Philadelphia | 9/2018-5/2019

Darkroom Studio Monitor | Temple University Rome | 9/17-5/18

Intern | Museum of the Palestinian People | 5/18-8/18

Intern | Jerusalem Fund and Palestine Center | 5/18-8/18

Gallery Attendant | National Museum of Asian Art | 5/16-8/16

Co-Director | Twin Moon Arts Collective | 2/14-10/18

Publications and Exhibitions

“Queer Palestine,” pub. Pinko Magazine 2024
Guest Editor with Eman Abdelhadi and Kaleem Hawa

« e, salpate le ancore | تَارِكِينَ إِيَّاهَا فِي الْبَحْرِ »
Quadrilingual artist’s book (Arabic, Maltese, Italian, English) featured in “Strutture Aperte: Libri d’Artisti,” a group show at Temple University Rome, 2018. Curated by Devin Kovach.