Nadia Ahmad appointed to the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Museum committee of scholars

March 1, 2023

Nadia Ahmad, a Graduate Research Assistant (GRA) at the Yale Center for British Art, was recently appointed to the Smithsonian’s American Women’s History Museum committee of scholars. The committee of fifteen scholars represents an array of academic disciplines, such as American history, anthropology, law, and women’s and gender studies, among other fields. Together the scholars will advise the forthcoming museum about content, review potential exhibitions, and discuss long-distance learning and digital-engagement initiatives. The first in-person meeting will take place this month in celebration of Women’s History Month.

As the oral history GRA at the YCBA, Ahmad conducts oral history interviews with significant individuals involved in the museum’s early history and exhibitions. She completes scholarly research and formulates questions in preparation for interviews, which are added to the YCBA Archives’ holdings. By gathering firsthand comprehensive testimonies that explore and shed light on the museum’s early years, Ahmad contributes to the scholarship on British art.

Ahmad is a second-year PhD student at the Yale School of Environment and was recently a Kerry Fellow (2022–2023) at the Yale Jackson School of Global Affairs. Her dissertation focuses on leveraging advanced machine learning for climate evacuations using satellites and drones. Earlier, she served as a visiting associate professor at Yale Law School. Ahmad holds a master's in law from the University of Denver, a law degree from the University of Florida, and an undergraduate degree in comparative literature from the University of California, Berkeley. With a diverse background that includes academia, journalism, law, and nongovernmental organization work, she brings a multidisciplinary approach to her research.