Core Affiliated Faculty

Hasan Davulcu is a Professor in the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence, specializing in data mining and machine learning. He has developed several patented artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms.

Ahmed Ewaisha is a Lecturer in the School of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering. His research focuses on wireless communications and networking, with an emphasis on algorithms that ensure quality of service for real-time audio and video applications.

Andrea Shaheen Espinosa is an Associate Professor of ethnomusicology with a joint appointment in the School for Social Transformation and the School of Music. Her research examines how migration, nostalgia, and trauma shape tradition and performance practices among displaced Syrian musicians.

Kashif J. (KJ) Farooqi is the Graduate Student Coordinator at the International Students and Scholars Center at Arizona State University. He supports international graduate students through programming focused on career development, cultural adjustment, and immigration compliance.

Shyla Gonzalez-Dogan is an Assistant Professor in the Division of Educational Leadership and Innovation at Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College. She is a community-based scholar whose work centers on community organizing as a pathway to sustainable and equitable social change.

Faheem Hussain is an Assistant Professor in the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and Chair of the MS in Global Technology and Development program. His work focuses on digital solutions for refugees, ICT for sustainable development, digital rights, gender empowerment through STEM, and the Sustainable Development Goals.

Hamza Iqbal is an Assistant Teaching Professor at Barrett Honors College at Arizona State University. His research interests include South Asian comparative literature, Islamic studies, and aesthetics.

Farhan Karim is an Associate Professor in The Design School at Arizona State University. His research explores modern art and architecture in South Asia through themes of climate justice, decolonization, radical pedagogy, and participatory design.

Hamed Khodadadi Tirkolaei is an Assistant Professor in the School of Sustainable Engineering and the Built Environment. He holds a PhD in geotechnical engineering from Eastern Mediterranean University and focuses on nature-inspired, eco-friendly geotechnical solutions, including biocementation, biomineralization, soil stabilization, and sustainable foundation systems.

Han Hsien Liew is an Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies in the School of Historical, Philosophical, and Religious Studies. His research focuses on medieval Islamic political thought, premodern scholarly culture, Qur’anic exegesis, and Islam in Southeast Asia.

Alex Ma is the interim associate director of the Media and Immersive eXperience (MIX) Center and an associate professor at the Sidney Poitier New American Film School. As a scholar-practitioner in entertainment management and innovation, his academic interests lie at the intersection of creative content, business, and technology. His expertise is informed by extensive creative and managerial experience, including over eight years of service in the international film production division of Warner Bros.

Fabiha Naumi is Associate Director of ASU’s Learning Enterprise. She is a marketing professional with experience in strategic marketing, analytics, education management, and consulting for small businesses.

Lila Sharif is an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Transformation, where she teaches courses on Indigenous ontologies, race and ethnicity, Arab and Muslim experiences in the United States, food studies, and global feminisms. She holds a dual PhD in Sociology and Ethnic Studies, and her research and creative work explore land, food, and culture through a global Indigenous perspective.

Ali Zain is an Assistant Professor at the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. His research examines how strategic message features influence public perception, engagement, and behavior across health, science, misinformation, and social equity contexts.

Samina Salim is an Associate Professor of Pharmacology at the University of Houston whose research examines how stress, trauma, and displacement shape behavior and biology. Her interdisciplinary work bridges neuroscience, genetics, psychology, and community-based research, with a focus on refugee and underserved populations. She is internationally recognized for her scholarship and commitment to purpose-driven, compassionate science.