Aesha Mustafa
Education
● PhD, Higher, Adult, and Lifelong Education, Michigan State University
● MSW, University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
● BA, Psychology (with Honors) and Sociology – University of Michigan – Ann Arbor
Biography
Dr. Mustafa (she/her) is a scholar and clinical practitioner. Her research focuses on how Black tenure-track faculty at predominately White research one institutions describe and enact their personal and professional commitments while navigating their institutions’ priorities and reward structure. Through her research, Dr. Mustafa amplifies Black faculty’s stories of brilliance and resistance.In 2024, she received EMU’s Cornerstone Award for her commitment to enhancing the academic and social progress of marginalized students. Her approach to teaching is to bring her whole self and intersecting identities into the classroom. In bringing her whole self into the classroom, she teaches about social inequality and injustice from a place of wellness, wholeness, and joy.
Finally, Dr. Mustafa is the Resident Mental Health Expert on EMU’s “Enlighten U,” a podcast that addresses mental health topics. Her college student mental health expertise draws from her work as a licensed clinical social worker and co-owner of Integrative Empowerment Group, a Ypsilanti-based group private practice focused on serving marginalized populations.
In her spare time, she can be found spending time with her family, cooking for her rescue dog-ter, Bailey, and roaming around Costco.
Interests and Expertise
Research Interests
- Academic wellness
- Black tenure-track faculty
- Faculty work, careers, and promotion and tenure
- Predominately White Research One Institutions
Clinical Interests
- BIPOC and 2SLGBTQIA+ adults
- Gender-affirming care
Publications and Presentations
Selected Publications
- Sloboda, A., Mustafa, A., & Schober, J. (2017). An approach to discussing personal and social identity terminology with patients. Clinical Anatomy.
- Alexander, A., Mustafa, A., Emil, S., Amekah, E., Engmann, C., Adanu, R., & Moyer, C. (2013). Social support during delivery in rural central Ghana: A mixed methods study of women’s preferences for and against inclusion of a lay companion in the delivery room. Journal of Biosocial Science.
- Moyer, C. A., & Mustafa, A. (2013). Drivers and deterrents of facility delivery in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review. Reproductive Health, 10(1), 40.
Selected Presentations
- Mustafa, A., Mackerl–Cooper, K., & McCallum, C. (2024). Fostering aNourishing Action Plan (NAP): A workshop for Black tenure-track womenat PWIs. Submitted workshop to the National Women’s Studies Association.
- Mustafa, A. (2024). What Burden? Black Tenure-Track Faculty’s Collective Sense of Responsibility at Predominantly White Research One Institutions. Accepted to the American Educational Research Association, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unable to attend the conference.
- Mustafa, A. (2023). Centering Black faculty voices: A qualitative study of Black tenure-track faculty’s priorities and commitments. Paper accepted to the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, IL.
- McCallum, C & Mustafa, A. (November 2023). Building Authentic Relationships. Bovine Leukemia Virus Conference at Michigan State University.
- Mustafa, A. (December 2022). Moving toward decolonizing gender-affirming care: Micro and macro approaches toward the collective care of BIPOC Trans and Non-binary folks, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign—School of Social Work.
- Mustafa, A. (March 2022). Reimagining self-care for Black women. Invited keynote speaker at the Women Lift Project’s Empower HER Tea Luncheon, Canton, MI.
- Mustafa, A. (April 2019). Being an effective student leader: How to prioritize your mental health. The talk was presented at Eastern Michigan University’s Eagles Leaders Institute, Ypsilanti, MI.