Deanna A. Ibrahim

Deanna A. Ibrahim is an Assistant Professor of Critical Youth Development in the Department of Health and Human Development at the University of Pittsburgh. Her research focuses on critical consciousness development in youth through arts-based programming and out-of-school contexts. She has collaborated with organizations like the Guggenheim Museum’s Teen Program and Partners for Youth Empowerment to design interventions fostering sociopolitical awareness.

Dr. Ibrahim holds a Ph.D. in Applied Psychology from NYU’s Steinhardt School and a BA in Psychology and Theatre from Muhlenberg College. Her interdisciplinary work bridges education, developmental psychology, and creative youth development.

Her recent research explores arts-based youth programming’s role in promoting critical consciousness, with studies funded by grants from the Huntington Arts Council and NYSCA. She has authored or co-authored six peer-reviewed publications, focusing on topics like structural inequities, juvenile justice systems, and early childhood interventions.

• Awards:
• Statewide Grant for Creative Learning (2023)
• Chein-Lehmann Dissertation Proposal Award (2023)
• Felix M. Warburg Memorial Award (2021)

Dr. Ibrahim advises EastLine Theatre, developing inclusive youth programming, and serves as a reviewer for journals like American Journal of Community Psychology and Developmental Psychology.