Petra Alsoofy
Petra Alsoofy is the senior outreach and partnerships manager at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding (ISPU). ISPU, a nonprofit applied-research organization, provides objective research and education about American Muslims to support well-informed dialogue and decision-making. Alsoofy’s work at ISPU includes strengthening valued partnerships and creating new ones, ensuring ISPU’s research reaches the public and critical stakeholders such as policymakers, community and interfaith leaders, media professionals, and educators.
Alsoofy is a former educator at the Arab American National Museum, where she led Smithsonian-affiliated programs, facilitated conversations on integrating and interpreting religion in the museum, and co-led a Museums Connect international project for young women, an initiative of the US Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs administered by the American Alliance of Museums.
She has developed and conducted various trainings and programs, including briefings on Capitol Hill, researchers’ convenings, major conference and media appearances, and subject-area-expert meetings on American Muslim communities.
Alsoofy currently serves as an appointed commissioner on the Michigan Board of Social Work and several state and national boards. She holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Grand Valley State University.
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