Afra Ahmed Hersi is a professor of teacher education and Interim Dean of the School of Education at Loyola University Maryland. Dr. Hersi has published and presented award-winning research in the areas immigration and education, literacy and language development for bilingual/English learners, culturally and linguistically responsive literacy practices, teacher education, and urban school-university partnerships. An engaged scholar committed to equity in education, Dr. Hersi increased sponsored grants in STEM teacher education, and school-university partnerships.