Meira Neggaz
Executive Director
Meira Neggaz is the Executive Director at ISPU, where she is responsible for the institution’s overall leadership, strategy, and growth. Meira works to build and strengthen ISPU, to cultivate relationships with community leaders, policy makers, scholars, partner institutions and stakeholders, and to broaden the reach and impact of ISPU’s research. Before joining ISPU, Meira served as Senior Program Officer for Marie Stopes International (MSI), a leading, UK-based organization working in 42 countries. There, she led and managed programs in multiple countries, developed partnerships with key stakeholders and partner institutions, provided technical advice, and managed key grants and donor relationships. Formerly, Meira was the first Executive Director of WINGS in Guatemala, where she grew the organization from its infancy to become a national leader in the health sector, and the Guatemala Country Representative for Curamericas, establishing country presence and leading a USAID funded child survival project. She holds a BA from Huron University in London and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Learn more about Meira’s work→
Dalia Mogahed
Director of Research
Dalia Mogahed is the Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, where she leads the organization’s pioneering research and thought leadership programs on American Muslims. Mogahed is former Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, where she led the analysis of surveys of Muslim communities worldwide. With John L. Esposito, she co-authored the book Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think. President Barack Obama appointed Mogahed to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2009. She was invited to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations about U.S. engagement with Muslim communities. Her 2016 TED talk was named one of the top TED talks that year. She is a frequent expert commentator in global media outlets and international forums. She is also the CEO of Mogahed Consulting. Learn more about Dalia’s work→
Nadia Ahmed
Director of Finance
Nadia Ahmed is the Director of Finance at ISPU. She had previously served as the Business Manager, Board Treasurer, and Finance Committee Chair for Friends School in Detroit, a nonprofit private elementary school. Before that, she had worked for over 11 years in the public accounting field as an international tax consultant for Ernst & Young in Detroit and Arthur Anderson in Chicago and New York. She has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from DePaul University and a master’s degree in Non-Profit Management.
Katherine Coplen
Director of Communications
Katherine Coplen is the Director of Communications at ISPU, where she coordinates media engagement and outreach, assists with the research publication process, and measures ISPU’s impact. She is formerly the editor of Indianapolis-based alt-weekly NUVO Newsweekly, where she oversaw reporting on statehouse politics, music, arts and culture, and environmental affairs. She is a graduate of Indiana University with a BA in English Literature and History.
Jennifer Tepper
Director of Development
Jennifer (Deng) Tepper is the Co-Founder of Lam Lha, LLC, the umbrella company that hosts LiveMudita—a consulting agency; Sapillo Creek Escape – a retreat destination and vacation getaway; and Transient on Purpose, a lifestyle brand on how to live, intentionally unsettled. She is also the founding chairwoman of People and Planet—a nonprofit dedicated to supporting grassroots projects around the world.
Previously, Jennifer worked as a Senior Account Executive at boodleAI and held the position of Interim VP of Development and Communications/Senior Advisor, while working at SOS Children’s Villages USA. Before this, Jennifer held the position of Director of Development and Communications, while working at Trees for the Future. She completed an MBA in Business from the University of Maryland – Robert H. Smith School of Business, in 2009. Additionally, Jennifer received an MA in Peace and Development Studies, in 2001, from the University of Limerick. Jennifer also earned a BA in International Studies, Spanish from Austin College in 1999.
Petra Alsoofy
Outreach & Partnerships Manager
Petra Alsoofy is the Outreach & Partnerships Manager at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she strengthens valued partnerships and forges new ones with organizations who share ISPU’s goal of strengthening Muslim communities and building understanding. Petra’s work includes working with ISPU’s large network of scholars and sharing research with policymakers, community leaders, faith leaders, educators, and the general public to equip them to make informed decisions about American Muslims. Petra is a Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL) Racial Equity Fellow and an alum of New Detroit’s Multicultural Leadership Series. She also serves as the vice president of the Michigan Center for Civic Engagement’s Board of Directors and as a member of the American Association for State and Local History’s Religious History Committee. Petra has been a leader in interfaith work and public education for more than 15 years and is a graduate of Grand Valley State University where she earned a BA in political science. Learn more about Petra’s work→
Tahirah Blanding
Communications Campaigns Specialist
Tahirah Blanding is the Communications Campaigns Specialist at ISPU. In this role, she strategically creates and communicates the organization’s content to the public—including ISPU’s research, impact, education, and events.
Tahirah holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and currently has over a decade of writing experience. Before joining ISPU, she worked for a healthcare marketing agency that developed content for leading healthcare systems and cancer treatment centers.
Rebecka Green
Communications and Creative Media Manager
Rebecka Green is the Communications and Creative Media Manager at ISPU. In this role, she oversees the visual communications for the organization in regards to graphics, videos, newsletters, ISPU’s podcast, and the website. She works closely with all departments in leading print and virtual communications materials. Prior to joining ISPU, Rebecka worked in communications at Hamline University and Islamic Resource Group—both in St. Paul, Minnesota—and she holds a BA in English and religion from Luther College.
Erum Ikramullah
Research Project Manager
Erum Ikramullah is a Research Project Manager at ISPU, where she manages the activities of multiple research projects from initiation through dissemination. Erum has also served as co-author on ISPU’s American Muslim Poll report and has authored several other analysis pieces. Previously, she worked at Child Trends as a Research Analyst on both quantitative and qualitative research studies on topics related to child and family well being. Erum has experience with statistical analysis in SPSS, SAS, and STATA, has co-authored several academic journal articles, and has presented research at the Society for Research on Adolescents and the Population Association of America. She has a BA in Sociology from the University of Maryland. Learn more about Erum’s work→
Nancy Titus
Administrative Assistant
Nancy Titus is the Administrative Assistant at ISPU, where she specializes in data and information management, administration, and logistics coordination. Nancy brings to ISPU over four decades of administrative and organizational experience, ranging from FEMA grant management to the coordination of humanitarian social service programs. After working for 14 years for the West Virginia Department of Transportation coordinating the documentation of multi-million dollar disaster projects, she moved to Michigan to raise her family. Since that time, Nancy’s skills for creating effective operating procedures and establishing professional and efficient office work environments have served her well at two Detroit-area Islamic schools, Zaman International, and now ISPU.
Meira Neggaz
Executive Director
Meira Neggaz is the Executive Director at ISPU, where she is responsible for the institution’s overall leadership, strategy, and growth. Meira works to build and strengthen ISPU, to cultivate relationships with community leaders, policy makers, scholars, partner institutions and stakeholders, and to broaden the reach and impact of ISPU’s research. Before joining ISPU, Meira served as Senior Program Officer for Marie Stopes International (MSI), a leading, UK-based organization working in 42 countries. There, she led and managed programs in multiple countries, developed partnerships with key stakeholders and partner institutions, provided technical advice, and managed key grants and donor relationships. Formerly, Meira was the first Executive Director of WINGS in Guatemala, where she grew the organization from its infancy to become a national leader in the health sector, and the Guatemala Country Representative for Curamericas, establishing country presence and leading a USAID funded child survival project. She holds a BA from Huron University in London and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. Learn more about Meira’s work→
Dalia Mogahed
Director of Research
Dalia Mogahed is the Director of Research at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding, where she leads the organization’s pioneering research and thought leadership programs on American Muslims. Mogahed is former Executive Director of the Gallup Center for Muslim Studies, where she led the analysis of surveys of Muslim communities worldwide. With John L. Esposito, she co-authored the book Who Speaks for Islam? What a Billion Muslims Really Think. President Barack Obama appointed Mogahed to the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships in 2009. She was invited to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Foreign Relations about U.S. engagement with Muslim communities. Her 2016 TED talk was named one of the top TED talks that year. She is a frequent expert commentator in global media outlets and international forums. She is also the CEO of Mogahed Consulting. Learn more about Dalia’s work→
Nadia Ahmed
Director of Finance
Nadia Ahmed is the Director of Finance at ISPU. She had previously served as the Business Manager, Board Treasurer, and Finance Committee Chair for Friends School in Detroit, a nonprofit private elementary school. Before that, she had worked for over 11 years in the public accounting field as an international tax consultant for Ernst & Young in Detroit and Arthur Anderson in Chicago and New York. She has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from DePaul University and a master’s degree in Non-Profit Management.
Katherine Coplen
Director of Communications
Katherine Coplen is the Director of Communications at ISPU, where she coordinates media engagement and outreach, assists with the research publication process, and measures ISPU’s impact. She is formerly the editor of Indianapolis-based alt-weekly NUVO Newsweekly, where she oversaw reporting on statehouse politics, music, arts and culture, and environmental affairs. She is a graduate of Indiana University with a BA in English Literature and History.
Jennifer Tepper
Director of Development
Jennifer (Deng) Tepper is the Co-Founder of Lam Lha, LLC, the umbrella company that hosts LiveMudita—a consulting agency; Sapillo Creek Escape – a retreat destination and vacation getaway; and Transient on Purpose, a lifestyle brand on how to live, intentionally unsettled. She is also the founding chairwoman of People and Planet—a nonprofit dedicated to supporting grassroots projects around the world.
Previously, Jennifer worked as a Senior Account Executive at boodleAI and held the position of Interim VP of Development and Communications/Senior Advisor, while working at SOS Children’s Villages USA. Before this, Jennifer held the position of Director of Development and Communications, while working at Trees for the Future. She completed an MBA in Business from the University of Maryland – Robert H. Smith School of Business, in 2009. Additionally, Jennifer received an MA in Peace and Development Studies, in 2001, from the University of Limerick. Jennifer also earned a BA in International Studies, Spanish from Austin College in 1999.
Petra Alsoofy
Outreach & Partnerships Manager
Petra Alsoofy is the Outreach & Partnerships Manager at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU), where she strengthens valued partnerships and forges new ones with organizations who share ISPU’s goal of strengthening Muslim communities and building understanding. Petra’s work includes working with ISPU’s large network of scholars and sharing research with policymakers, community leaders, faith leaders, educators, and the general public to equip them to make informed decisions about American Muslims. Petra is a Detroit Equity Action Lab (DEAL) Racial Equity Fellow and an alum of New Detroit’s Multicultural Leadership Series. She also serves as the vice president of the Michigan Center for Civic Engagement’s Board of Directors and as a member of the American Association for State and Local History’s Religious History Committee. Petra has been a leader in interfaith work and public education for more than 15 years and is a graduate of Grand Valley State University where she earned a BA in political science. Learn more about Petra’s work→
Tahirah Blanding
Communications Campaigns Specialist
Tahirah Blanding is the Communications Campaigns Specialist at ISPU. In this role, she strategically creates and communicates the organization’s content to the public—including ISPU’s research, impact, education, and events.
Tahirah holds a Bachelor of Arts in English from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and currently has over a decade of writing experience. Before joining ISPU, she worked for a healthcare marketing agency that developed content for leading healthcare systems and cancer treatment centers.
Rebecka Green
Communications and Creative Media Manager
Rebecka Green is the Communications and Creative Media Manager at ISPU. In this role, she oversees the visual communications for the organization in regards to graphics, videos, newsletters, ISPU’s podcast, and the website. She works closely with all departments in leading print and virtual communications materials. Prior to joining ISPU, Rebecka worked in communications at Hamline University and Islamic Resource Group—both in St. Paul, Minnesota—and she holds a BA in English and religion from Luther College.
Erum Ikramullah
Research Project Manager
Erum Ikramullah is the Research Project Manager at ISPU, where she manages the day-to-day activities of the organization’s research studies. Previously, she worked at Child Trends as a Research Analyst on both quantitative and qualitative research studies on topics related to reproductive health, risky adolescent behavior, and fatherhood. Erum has co-authored several academic journal articles and has presented research at the Society for Research on Adolescents and the Population Association of America. She has a BA in Sociology from the University of Maryland. Learn more about Erum’s work→
Nancy Titus
Administrative Assistant
Nancy Titus is the Administrative Assistant at ISPU, where she specializes in data and information management, administration, and logistics coordination. Nancy brings to ISPU over four decades of administrative and organizational experience, ranging from FEMA grant management to the coordination of humanitarian social service programs. After working for 14 years for the West Virginia Department of Transportation coordinating the documentation of multi-million dollar disaster projects, she moved to Michigan to raise her family. Since that time, Nancy’s skills for creating effective operating procedures and establishing professional and efficient office work environments have served her well at two Detroit-area Islamic schools, Zaman International, and now ISPU.