Faheemah Mustafaa

Faheemah Mustafaa is an Assistant Professor of Education in Learning and Mind Sciences at the University of California, Davis, and a faculty member of the Human Development Graduate Group. She is also a research affiliate with the Center for Poverty & Inequality Research. Her work focuses on interdisciplinary interventions supporting African American students and other marginalized groups, with a strong emphasis on STEM representation for Black girls and women. Prior to her current role, she held postdoctoral positions at UC Berkeley and Vanderbilt University’s Peabody College. She earned her Ph.D. and M.A. from the University of Michigan and holds a B.S. in Biobehavioral Health from Penn State (2005), where she was a Bunton Waller Fellow and recipient of the Senior Volunteer Service Award.

Her research explores social justice in postsecondary education, K-12 educators’ racial attitudes, and holistic student well-being. She maintains a commitment to bridging educational access and health outcomes, rooted in her early career as a middle school science teacher in Miami, Florida.

• Key Affiliations:
• Human Development Graduate Group, UC Davis
• Center for Poverty & Inequality Research

Achievements:

• Co-Principal Investigator of NSF-funded project on Black women’s STEM representation
• Recipient of 2005 Senior Volunteer Service Award (Penn State)

Teaching & Mentorship:

• Focus on inclusive pedagogy and postsecondary social justice
• Prior experience as a middle school science teacher