Layla Abdullah-Poulos

Layla Abdullah-Poulos attained a B.A. in Historical Studies and Literature at SUNY Empire State College. She is presently a student in the School for Graduate Studies’ Masters of Arts in Liberal Studies program.

The knowledge she acquired in both her undergraduate and present graduate studies afforded Abdullah-Poulos numerous opportunities to present her research to fellow students at SUNY Empire State College Student Academic Conferences as well as professionals in her field, including: the Milton Plesur Graduate History Conference and  PCA/ACA National Conferences.

Abdullah-Poulos’ current research focuses on the emerging Islamic-American hybrid culture and endeavors to shed a critical cultural lens on native-born African-American, Euro-American, and Latino-American Muslim identities.  Her master’s final project will explore the diverse works of Native-born American (NbA) Muslim  women authors as cultural artifacts and utilize them as signifying representations of the divergent NbA Muslim culture in American society.

Abdullah-Poulos received the Edwin and Ruth Decker Scholarship for Academic Excellence in 2008. In 2014, she was awarded the Empire State College Student Service award as well as the Foner Fellowship in Work, Culture, and Social Change. Abdullah-Poulos is also a multi-year recipient of the UUP Joint Labor Management Individual Development Award (2014, 2015).

Abdullah-Poulos is a staff writer for SUNY Empire State College’s The Student Connection student-run newsletter, where she focuses her writing on articles that will help students successfully navigate the collegiate environment.

Recognizing issues of academic estrangement many minority students experience, Abdullah-Poulos founded the Minority Students in Action student group at her college. As president of the club, she envisions it as a space where students can be encouraged to gain the skills and abilities necessary for scholastic success and develop a voice to improve their academic experiences.

Contact

Email: nbamuslimwomenwriters@gmail.com