Maryam Rafieifar

Dr. Maryam Rafieifar is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington School of Social Work, specializing in immigration and child welfare. Her work focuses on underserved populations, particularly immigrant families and refugees, addressing trauma, resilience, and policy impacts. She employs community-based participatory methods and has collaborated with international organizations like the UN and the International Committee of the Red Cross.

• Education: PhD in Public Health and Social Work (Florida International University, 2022); MS in Urban and Regional Planning (Stockholm University, 2013); MSS in Social Science Research (Islamic Azad University, 2009); BSS in Statistics (Allameh Tabatabaei University, 2005).

Her research interests include forced migration, systematic reviews/meta-analyses, and the intersection of immigration policies and child welfare. Recent projects examine family separation planning among undocumented immigrants and comparative efficacy of online vs. in-person group interventions.

• Awards:
  • Interdisciplinary Groups Award (2023)
  • Initiative for Cross-Institutional Student Collaboration (2022)
  • Dean’s Award for Academic Excellence (2022)

Dr. Rafieifar has secured grants totaling over $40,000, including studies on Florida’s immigration policy impacts and resilience among African women repatriated from UAE. She teaches courses on research methods and human behavior in social environments.

She co-founded PhD Peer Power in Miami and serves on committees addressing children and families in social work education.