Name: Abiya Ahmed

Recipient Year: 2018

Major: MA in Religious Studies / PhD in Education (Minor in Anthropology)

Description: Abiya Ahmed holds a PhD from the Graduate School of Education (GSE), and received an MA from the Department of Religious Studies. Using anthropological and sociological perspectives, she studied how people learn religion and practice religiosity. Her work addresses various American religious communities, with a focus on the American Muslim and American Jewish experience. Her dissertation research explored the ways in which Muslim college students negotiate Islamic commitments in largely secular settings and times. Abiya earned her B.A. in Mass Communication /Journalism at the American University of Sharjah, UAE, and her M.A. in Islamic Studies at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland. When not immersed in academia, she plays board games and hunts for authentic shawarma spots.

School Name: Stanford University

Sponsor: Islamic Cultural Center of Fresno (ICCF) Scholarship

LinkedIn Profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/abiya-ahmed/