Dr. Mahjabeen Dhala as Assistant Professor of Islamic Studies and Director of the Madrasa-Midrasha Program, a collaborative effort of the Center for Islamic Studies and Center for Jewish Studies the Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California (GTU).

Dr. Dhala received her MA in Islamic Studies from GTU in 2017 and is part of the Class of 2021 for her PhD from the GTU’s Department of Sacred Texts and their Interpretation. Prior to her matriculation at the GTU, she pursued traditional Islamic seminary studies for over seven years and has led Muslim communities worldwide for nearly two decades.

Her interdisciplinary research features an integration of Islamic theological texts with feminist theories. She has also demonstrated a commitment to advancing interreligious and intersectional dialogue through her research, teaching and mentoring, and through her global travels, presenting on topics such as Muslim diversity and leadership, religious and cultural understanding, women’s empowerment, and social justice.

In 2019, Dr. Dhala received the Arthur Vining Davis Foundation Grant for interreligious research and was awarded a prestigious Newhall Fellowship to co-teach the Women’s Studies in Religion seminar, becoming a member of the first international, interreligious team to lead the course. Dr. Dhala also received the Haas Research Grant in 2017 for collaborative Jewish-Muslim research.

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