معرفی
Ehsan Zaffar is a civil rights lawyer, educator, and social innovator currently holding faculty positions at Arizona State University's School of Social Transformation and Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law. He serves as the Chief Difference Engineer of The Difference Engine at Arizona State University. Previously, he taught at George Washington University and George Mason University. Zaffar served for a decade as a Senior Advisor on Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, advising the Secretary on civil rights implications of national security policies.
Zaffar received his law degree from Pepperdine University School of Law with a certificate in Dispute Resolution from the Straus Institute. His background as a child refugee fleeing war has profoundly shaped his commitment to civil rights and serving vulnerable communities.
Zaffar's research focuses on the critical intersection of civil rights, civil liberties, and national security policy. His work examines how to build resilient communities while maintaining civil liberties in homeland security contexts. He has pioneered approaches to community engagement that balance security needs with fundamental rights, particularly in surveillance, privacy, and religious freedom. His scholarship addresses economic insecurity issues and develops practical solutions to inequality, including the Women's Power & Influence Index.
His publications reveal an unusual interdisciplinary breadth spanning civil rights/security policy and software engineering. In policy, he authored 'Understanding Homeland Security: Foundations of Security Policy' (2019). In technology, he published eight research papers from 2009-2021 covering architectural decay, software quality, and self-adaptive systems, demonstrating rare expertise across both domains.
Zaffar has received significant recognition for his public service:
- U.S. State Department's Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy
- Department of Homeland Security Secretary's Award for Excellence
As an educator, Zaffar has taught over 100 courses on civil rights, civil liberties, and privacy. His advising extends to government policy where he implemented UN Human Rights Council Resolution 16/18 on religious intolerance. He has secured millions for The Difference Engine's initiatives including the Distinguished Innovation Fellows program. His founding of the Los Angeles Mobile Legal Aid Clinic represents an innovative approach to legal services for vulnerable communities.
Zaffar directs The Difference Engine at Arizona State University, building models to combat inequality nationwide. He serves on influential boards including the ACLU of California, Team Rubicon, and The Non Profit Partnership. His 'UnfairNation' podcast explores power, inequality, and civil justice, extending his educational mission beyond traditional academic settings.
