Katharina Azim

Katharina Azim is an Associate Professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies, affiliated with the School of Consciousness and Transformation and the Human Sexuality PhD Program. She identifies with pronouns she/her and they/them.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Educational Psychology (University of Memphis, TN)
• M.A. in Education & Media (University of Hagen, Germany)
• M.A. English Language Education & Communication (Utrecht University, Netherlands)
• M.Ed. German Language Education and Culture (Fontys University, Tilburg, Netherlands)

Research Interests include reproductive health justice, biopsychosocial factors of painful sex, intersectional identities of MENA/Arab women, and feminist explorations of motherhood. Her work critiques institutional frameworks (medical, religious, educational) shaping reproductive agency. Recent publications focus on racialized pain disparities, pandemic-era academic motherhood, and religiosity’s impact on sexual health.

Scientific Awards & Distinctions:

• 2019 SUNY at Buffalo Gender Institute Research Grant
• 2017 Editorial Board’s Invited Article, Journal of Midwifery Science
• 2016 Editor’s Choice, Women & Birth
• 2015 Outstanding Graduate Award in Educational Psychology Courses

Advising & Advocacy: Katharina co-founded the Motherscholar Collective, a global coalition of 100+ academic mothers addressing pandemic-era parenting challenges through participatory feminist research.