Dr. Abdalla Idris Ali is a pioneering North American Muslim community leader, Imam, fundraiser and public speaker. He holds a Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Toronto. As a pioneer of Islamic education, he founded the first full-time Islamic school in North America where he served as principal for seventeen years and was integral in implementing Islamic and Arabic studies syllabuses for elementary and junior high students.
Dr. Nadeem Memon
Dr. Nadeem Memon is a Senior Research Fellow in the Centre for Islamic Thought and Education (CITE) in the School of Education at UniSA. His research focuses on teacher education with particular emphasis on Islamic Pedagogy, comparative faith-based schooling, philosophy of religious education, and culturally relevant and responsive teaching. In the past decade, Nadeem has published a number of books about Islamic education and continues to contribute his research to Islamic schools in Canada.
Dr. Leila Shatara
Dr. Leila Shatara is the President of the Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA). She completed her Ph.D. in the Department of Educational Leadership and Research Methodology at Florida Atlantic University. Leila served in leadership positions in public and Islamic schools for 17 years and has been in education for 29 years. She is a published researcher and has presented at national conferences on leadership. She is designated as a national Clark Scholar of Ed. Leadership.
Dr. Shaza Khan
Dr. Shaza Khan received her PhD in Teaching and Curriculum from Warner Graduate School of Education and Human Development at the University of Rochester. Her research looked at De-MIST-ifying the adolescent development of Muslim American high school students. She currently serves as the Executive Director of the Islamic School League of America, which works in partnership with educators, organizations, and universities to foster the development, growth, and quality of Islamic education.
Yahya Van Rooy
Yahya Van Rooy is a steering committee member for the GAIS. He also serves as the director of community development for the ISLA. He completed a Master's Degree in international education with a concentration in curriculum development and supervision. His research interests include Islamic pedagogy, reading motivation and engagement, social justice education, and critical issues facing Muslim youth. Yahya is currently the elementary principal at Next Generation School in Dubai, UAE.
Sufia Azmat
Sufia Azmat is currently the Executive Director of the Council of Islamic Schools in North America (CISNA) which specializes in Islamic school accreditation and providing professional development. She is a certified teacher with over 20 years of experience in education. Her administrative experience includes serving as the principal for a K-12 school and a middle school division head. She is the co-chair of the ISNA Education Forum Programming Committee which runs two national conferences.
