Rabab El-Mahdi's talk will examine the tumultuous path of Egypt's revolutionary process through the lens of the Ultras soccer fan groups. The story of the Ultras represents a microcosm of Egypt's recent travails and poses questions about class, agency and the formulation of politics in a changing moment of history.

Rabab El-Mahdi is aAssociate Professor of Political Science at the American University in Cairo and a Carnegie Centennial Fellow at Columbia this fall semester. Her work focuses on social movements and mobilization, including women, labor and political Islam. She is a member of a number of opposition groups in Egypt and is a frequent media commentator.