Dr. Kenja Hassan

As Assistant Vice President for Cultural Relations in the Office of Government and Community Engagement at Arizona State University, Dr. Kenja Hassan is a liaison to civic, leadership, and advocacy organizations throughout Arizona. Her Ph.D. is from the Edson College of Nursing and Health Innovation with an emphasis on the influence of patient-provider relationships in alleviating health disparities related to HIV and improving overall health outcomes.  Her dissertation focused on the unique experiences of African American women with HIV in Phoenix, seeking to understand how this population engages with medical providers and revealing the underlying role providers play in their ongoing engagement in care.  She currently serves on the City of Phoenix Fast Track Cities ad hoc committee to end HIV as an epidemic and adds emphasis on how to support community organizations working on HIV prevention as well as provider education on engaging people with HIV.  Hassan previously served on the board of Asian Pacific Community in Action seeking to increase access to care and reduce chronic conditions among hard-to-reach communities in the Phoenix Metro Area. Hassan holds an A.B. in Religion from Princeton University and a M.A. in Religious Studies form Arizona state university both with an emphasis on American Indian traditions.  Her prior research explores the interplay of identity and land ties in Native American religious claims to land, particularly scenarios in which tensions arise between tribal sovereignty and the US legal system.