Khanum Shaikh is a Professor of Gender and Women’s Studies at CSUN. She also serves as the Director of the Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies program. She earned her Ph.D. in Gender Studies from UCLA in 2009, after completing her B.A. at UCLA and M.A. at the University of Oregon. Her research and teaching focus on gender, Islam, and Middle Eastern studies, with an emphasis on social justice. She also co-directs CSUN’s Civil Discourse and Social Change initiative, fostering interdisciplinary dialogue and activism.