Dr. Fariba Enteshari - Founder & Executive Director
Fariba Enteshari, EdD, Founder and Executive Director of Rumi Educational Center is an international educator, specializing in Rumi. Through her years of teaching Rumi to a wide variety of students, she has researched the beneficial and healing effects of Rumi’s poetry on the lives of her students. Born in Iran, she is fluent in Rumi’s native language and culture, allowing her to share with you the original melody and cadences of his language. Her diverse background will help the participants draw from many cultural and religious traditions, while developing their own personal voice for growth.
To read more about Dr. Fariba Enteshari, click here.
Taryna Hollinger - Associate Director
Taryna has been working with the Rumi Educational Center since 2019. Initially seeking to gain more experience in the nonprofit world through an internship, Taryna’s role quickly grew as she worked more closely with Dr. Enteshari and contributed to the development of the organization. Taryna manages our day to day operations, coordinates publicity, and provides all administrative support to Dr. Enteshari and the organization.
Minyi Jiang - Media Intern
Minyi first learned about Rumi through a historical lens, then found his poetry through the Rumi Educational Center. Her interest in Rumi sprung from her interest in international relations, specifically between the Middle East, the U.S. and China. Minyi manages the Rumi Educational Center LinkedIn is involved in marketing research, helping to promote the center and its mission. Her role in the center has helped her to understand the inner workings of a non-prophet as well as learn more about Middle Eastern culture and history. She is currently studying Statistics and Middle Eastern Studies as a third year at UCSB, and hopes to continue her studies of the Middle East through her Graduate Education & potential travels. Through Rumi, Minyi has gained insight on her relationship with herself, others, and the environment.
Alice Fulmer - Programs Intern
Alice Fulmer (she/her) is an MA/PhD student at the University of California, Santa Barbara and poetess, pursuing a Medieval Studies emphasis. After her MA was conferred in June 2024, she is now planning her prospectus on the poetry of Geoffrey Chaucer. Her debut collection Faunalia (2023), on Ritona Press (soon tobe Sul Books), is a love letter to the great god Pan. In 2020, she was the Honorable Mention for the Fred & Edith Herman Memorial Prize, the designated Academy of American Poets’ College & University Prize for UCLA. Academic publications include a book review in Science Fiction Review Association (SFRA) and an article on Sir Launfal (c.1400) in UCLA’s Comitatus. She was recently made a member of the 2024 cohort for the Medieval Academy of America’s Summer Mentorship fellowship, for doctoral students. She was exposed to Rumi during her teenage years and has been a lover ever since.