Dr. Fatima T. Zahra is an Assistant Professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and a prominent scholar at the nexus of artificial intelligence, human development, and evaluation. Her research explores the future of learning and work, with a focus on advancing equity-driven program and policy evaluations, culturally responsive methodologies, and innovative approaches to addressing systemic inequality, poverty, and forced migration. Dr. Zahra’s work generates practical insights into leveraging emerging technologies and data to reshape education systems and labor markets, fostering equitable opportunities worldwide.

As the founding director of the Artificial Intelligence, Race, and Evaluation Lab (AIRELab), established in 2023, Dr. Zahra leads cutting-edge research on AI-powered interventions and evaluations. AIRELab’s mission is to design solutions that are equitable, transparent, and inclusive, reimagining education and workforce development for a rapidly changing global landscape.

Dr. Zahra earned her Ph.D. in Interdisciplinary Studies in Human Development from the University of Pennsylvania and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Harvard Business School and the T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She has held leadership roles as a research scientist at New York University and as Research Director at UPenn’s PDRI-DevLab. Currently affiliated with the Mittal Institute at Harvard, she also serves on the editorial board of the American Journal of Evaluation.

Dr. Zahra’s community-engaged research with global organizations, including UNESCO, Save the Children International, and the World Bank, has shaped policies addressing education, migration, and workforce equity. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges fields to critically analyze and design ethical, technology-driven solutions for global challenges. Through her work, Dr. Zahra is influencing the discourse on how AI and evaluation can drive transformative change for marginalized communities and build sustainable futures.

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