Abiya Ahmed

Abiya Ahmed (she/her) is a researcher-practitioner whose work examines the intersection of religion and education, with a focus on Muslims and Islam. Her doctoral dissertation presents the case of Muslim students as a critique of conventional narratives of religion and secularity in higher education. She has also written about religious pluralism and politics on campus, racial and religious minorities in higher education, American Islam and Muslims, and Islamophobia in higher education. Her work has been published in academic journals as well as local newspapers. At Stanford, Abiya enjoys working with Markaz students, staff, faculty, and alumni to create a vibrant and empowered community. A product of three continents, Abiya has a BA in Mass Communication & Journalism from the American University of Sharjah (AUS), UAE, an MA in Islamic Studies from the University of Aberdeen, Scotland, and an PhD in Anthropology of Education from Stanford University. She lives in San Jose with her husband and children, and is always on the hunt for authentic shawarma spots and board gamers (Settlers of Catan fans, get in touch!)