Mariam Rashid is the associate director of Racial Equity and Justice at American Progress. Rashid comes to American Progress skilled in policy analysis, geospatial analysis, data and research management, quantitative and qualitative analysis, and evaluation research. Prior to joining American Progress, she held various positions at Rutgers University research centers. As an academic, Rashid studied federal tobacco regulation policies at the Center for Tobacco Studies and substance misuse prevention efforts in New Jersey at the Center for Prevention Science, resulting in numerous publications and presentations associated with this work. With a passion for teaching, Rashid has also served as an adjunct lecturer at Rutgers University since 2017, teaching courses on gender, race, and sexuality.
Before her doctoral studies, Rashid completed multiple fellowships. Notably, as a U.S. Agency for International Development fellow, Rashid received funding to study the sanitation issues in informal settlements in Cape Town, South Africa, 20 years after the dismantling of apartheid. This research earned her multiple awards. Ardent to bridge the gap between science and politics, she then graduated from the Eagleton Institute of Politics’ Graduate Fellowship Program, where she received the Governor’s Executive Award and interned at the New Jersey Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services. Much of Rashid’s work has and continues to focus on addressing inequity within law and policy, promoting social justice, and advocating for women and children.
Born and raised in New Jersey, it is fitting that Rashid received all her degrees from Rutgers University. She holds a Ph.D. in social policy analysis from the Rutgers School of Social Work, a master’s degree in public health focused on health policy from the Rutgers School of Public Health, and a Bachelor of Arts in biology from Rutgers University, Newark.