Dr. Zahra Nasiruddin Jamal is Associate Director at Rice University's Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance, where she oversees strategy, operations, and outreach. She has served on the faculty at Harvard, MIT, University of Chicago, Michigan State University (MSU), and Palmer Trinity. Dr. Jamal founded and directed the Civil Islam Initiative at University of Chicago and the Central Asia and International Development Initiative at MSU. She was previously Associate Director of the Center for the Study of American Muslims at The Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she is currently a Fellow. Dr. Jamal has consulted for the UN, State Department, Aga Khan Development Network, Swiss Development Cooperation, and Aspen Institute on issues of philanthropy and civic engagement, education, positive youth development, migrant labor, gender-equity, food security, and refugee settlement in North America, Europe, the Middle East, South Asia, and Central Asia. She has published in academic and popular venues, including *I Speak for Myself*, a volume of autobiographical accounts of 40 American Muslim women leaders, which has been positively reviewed by Nobel Prize Winner Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Her Majesty Queen Noor, Deepak Chopra, and others. Dr. Jamal received a Ph.D. in Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies from Harvard, and double B.A. in Slavic Studies and in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies from Rice. She joined the Institute in 2015.

Zahra Jamal

Associate Director at Rice University's Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance, overseeing strategy, operations, and outreach

About

Publications

Book Review: I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim

International Journal of Multicultural Education / Mar 21, 2013

Isik-Ercan, Z. (2013). Book Review: I Speak for Myself: American Women on Being Muslim. International Journal of Multicultural Education, 15(1). https://doi.org/10.18251/ijme.v15i1.634

World Religions and their Missions

Feb 17, 2022

Ghiloni, A. J. (Ed.). (2022). World Religions and their Missions. https://doi.org/10.3726/b18717

Encyclopedia of Islam in the United States. 2 Vols. by Jocelyne Cesari, Ed

The Journal of American Culture / Jun 01, 2008

Browne, R. B. (2008). Encyclopedia of Islam in the United States. 2 Vols. by Jocelyne Cesari, Ed. The Journal of American Culture, 31(2), 221–222. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1542-734x.2008.00674_16.x

Education

Harvard University

Ph.D., Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

Harvard University

M.A., Social Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States of America

Rice University

Double B.A., Slavic Studies & Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies

Houston, Texas, United States of America

Experience

Rice University

Associate Director, Boniuk Institute for Religious Tolerance / July, 2015 — Present

Run strategy & operations for international, premier research institute on the study and advancement of religious tolerance. Expanded religious inclusion & interfaith leadership education policies, programs at Rice, eg YoY o Ma’s Silk Road Ensemble. Advise & train government, corporate, and nonprofit leaders on including religion & belief in diversity & inclusion agendas. Expanded programming held by 800%, overall attendance by 2600%. Expanded media reach to 200+M people. Procured 80+ institutional partners; personally trained directly or indirectly 1M government, corporate, education, and faith sector leaders at local, state, and national levels. Addressed 300 leaders from 50+ nations at invitation of Ambassador Brownback, State Dept. & Former UK PM Tony Blair. Addressed G-20 IF Summit. Featured on BBC, ABC, NYT, German press, CBS’s Hidden Heroes, Slate, Religion News, Think Progress, Freedom’s Ring, Interfaith Youth Core. Recognized by Canadian Senator Mobina Jaffer, President Obama’s Interfaith and Community Service Campus Challenge, the Alliance for Compassion and Tolerance, Rice’s Hudspeth Award. Secured Institute’s recognition in The Atlantic, National Geographic, World Architects, Saudi Aramco World, Charter for Compassion, State Dept, Congress, UNHCR.

Institute for Social Policy and Understanding

Fellow

Assistant Director, Center for the Study of American Muslims

University of Chicago

Senior Research Associate, Dept of Political Science & Center for the Study of Gender and Sexuality

Ismaili Tariqah and Religious Education Board for USA

Director of Strategy & Research

USAID

Gender Specialist

University of Chicago

Mellon Fellow, Dept of Anthropology & Center for Gender Studies

Michigan State University

Program Director, Central Asia and International Development

Assistant Professor at Michigan State University James Madison College

Aga Khan Foundation Tajikistan

International Research Lead: Marginalized Populations

Aga Khan Social Welfare Board for USA

Director of Strategy and Operations

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Lecturer in Anthropology

Harvard University

Lecturer in Anthropology and Middle Eastern Studies

The Aga Khan Academies

Ethnographic Consultant: International Education

Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University

Research Analyst & Consultant: Global Youth Issues & Social Media

The Aspen Institute

Expert Research Analyst & Consultant: Civic Engagement

Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation

Research Analyst & Consultant: Human Rights

Links & Social Media

Rice University (current employer) Profile

LinkedIn Profile

The Inclusion Expert (self-run consulting company; website being updated)

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