When Nada Shabout was studying modern Arab art as a graduate student, she didn't have all of the resources she needed. She has made it her mission to promote that field.

Now the art history professor is co-editing the book Modern Art in the Arab World: Primary Documents for the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. And, Artsy.net named her as one of "Eight Influential Female Art Historians You Should Know," citing her for "increasing the visibility of art from communities that often go overlooked in the contemporary art world."

"It's been a great ride," says Shabout, who also is coordinator of the Contemporary Arab and Muslim Cultural Studies Institute at UNT. "To be recognized with art historians who've done great work is an honor."