Badia Ahad
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Badia Sahar Ahad | |
|---|---|
 Ahad in 2022 | |
| 12th Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs of Emory University | |
| Assumed office November 1, 2025 | |
| Preceded by | Ravi V. Bellamkonda |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 28, 1974 |
| Education | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (BA) University of Notre Dame (MA, PhD) |
| Website | Ahad at Emory University |
Badia Sahar Ahad (born January 28, 1974) is an American academic, author, educator, and higher education leader. As of November 1, 2025, she is the Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at Emory University.[1] Her scholarship is in African-American literature. As an academic leader, she has experience in faculty mentorship and development, institutional capacity-building, and advancing university commitments to academic excellence and equity.[2]
Early life and education
Ahad earned her B.A. in English literature from the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign and a M.A. and Ph.D. in English language and literature from the University of Notre Dame.[3]
Career
Ahad began her academic career as a postdoctoral fellow in African American studies and Black studies at Northwestern University.[4] She then joined Loyola University Chicago in 2005 as an Assistant Professor and became a full Professor of English in 2021. Her research focuses on African American literature, cultural memory, psychoanalytic theory, positive psychology, and human flourishing.[2]
National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity
From 2011 to 2020, Ahad served as Director of Academic Training and Master Faculty Development Coach for the National Center for Faculty Development and Diversity (NCFDD).[3] She developed programming for faculty professional growth and led curriculum development, program evaluation, coach management, and business development.[4]
Her short course, How to Craft a Winning Book Proposal, is part of NCFDD's core offerings.[5] She also served as co-host of the "Professor-ing" podcast and facilitated development workshops at institutions across the United States.[6]
Loyola University Chicago
Ahad was Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs at Loyola University Chicago from June 2020 to August 2023. She oversaw strategic planning, faculty recruitment, and data governance for over 2,000 faculty members. As Principal Investigator, she secured a nearly $1 million NSF ADVANCE Adaptation grant to support mentoring and equity among underrepresented STEM faculty.[7][8] Before this, from 2018 to 2020, she directed the University Core Curriculum, increasing interdisciplinary course offerings and leading curriculum initiatives focused on preparing students for engaged citizenship and complex problem-solving.[9]
Oxford College of Emory University
In August 2023, Ahad was appointed dean of Oxford College of Emory University, one of the nine academic divisions of Emory University.[10] As dean, she was the college’s chief academic, administrative, and fiscal officer, overseeing a student population of approximately 1,000.[11]
During her tenure, initiatives included the launch of a compensation equity framework for faculty and staff, the establishment of the Global Oxford office[12], and the creation of the Oxford Fall Launch: London program.[13] Under her leadership, Oxford received a planning grant from the Teagle Foundation for humanities curriculum development and expanded mental health and internship opportunities for students.[14]
Provost of Emory University
In October 2025, Emory University appointed Ahad as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs.[15] She began her two-year term on November 1, 2025. As chief academic officer, she manages academic affairs across Emory’s nine colleges and schools, emphasizing collaboration, transparency, and excellence.[2]
Selected publications
- Ahad, Badia (August 21, 2024). "Chapter 24: Agfro-Nostalgia". In Becker, Tobias; Trigg, Dylan. The Routledge Handbook of Nostalgia. Routledge. ISBN 9781032429205. Search this book on
- Ibrahim, Habiba; Ahad, Badia (2022). Introduction: Black Temporality in Times of Crisis. Durham: Duke University Press. Search this book on
- Ahad, Badia Sahar (2016). "Post‑Blackness and Culinary Nostalgia in Marcus Samuelsson's Yes, Chef". American Studies. 54 (4): 5–26.
- Ahad, Badia Sahar (2015). Aubry, Timothy; Travis, Trysh, eds. Confessions. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. pp. 85–95. Search this book on
- Ahad, Badia Sahar (2015). "Imagining Communities in Dave Chappelle's Block Party". Journal of Popular Culture. 48 (6): 1108–1129. doi:10.1111/jpcu.12351.
- Ahad, Badia Sahar (2013). "The New Normal: Black Psychic Subjectivity in Antwone Fisher". CR: The New Centennial Review. 13 (3): 139–162. doi:10.1353/ncr.2013.0028.
Selected media features and interviews
- Neal, Mark Anthony (2021). "Interview with Mark Anthony Neal – Left of Black". YouTube. Duke University. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- Harris-Perry, Melissa (2021). "Let's Celebrate Black Joy". The Takeaway. NPR/WNYC Studios. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- Simons, Sasha-Ann (2021-04-30). "New Book on Afro-Nostalgia Re-imagines the Black Experience". Reset with Sasha-Ann Simons. WBEZ Chicago. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
Honors and awards
- Loyola University Chicago Edwin T. and Vivijeanne F. Sujack Award for Teaching Excellence[16]
References
- ↑ "Oxford College Dean Badia Ahad named Emory University's next provost". Emory University. October 15, 2025.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Badia Ahad Appointed Provost of Emory University". The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education. October 20, 2025.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Provost Badia Ahad". provost.emory.edu. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Badia Ahad to be new Dean of Oxford College at Emory University". University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "Some Thoughts on Writing a "Winning" Book Proposal". NCFDD. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "The "Professor-ing" Podcast & Diversity Discussion with Badia Ahad-Legardy, PhD and Anthony Ocampo, PhD". Sabbatical Homes. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "An Intervention to Increase Belonging and Support Retention for Faculty of Color and Women Faculty". Journal of Social Issues. 81 (2). May 25, 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "Project Grant". USASpending.gov. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "Meet Our Facilitators" (PDF). NCFDD. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "Q&A with Dr. Badia Ahad, Oxford College's new dean". The Covington News. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "Life at Oxford". Oxford College of Emory University. Retrieved 12 December 2025.
- ↑ "New faculty, programs and initiatives to highlight Emory's academic year". Emory News Center. August 27, 2024. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "Oxford College at Emory University kicks off 2025-26 academic year". The Covington News. September 3, 2025.
- ↑ "Oxford College and ECAS Awarded $275K Teagle Implementation Grant". The Teagle Foundaton. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "Emory University promotes undergraduate dean to provost". Atlanta Business Chronicle. October 15, 2025. Retrieved 11 December 2025.
- ↑ "Loyola Department of English Faculty Awards". Loyola University Chicago. Retrieved 2025-12-11.
Category:Emory faculty
Category:University of Notre Dame alumni
Category:University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign alumni
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