The Islamic STEM Association (iSTEM), a new registered student organization on campus, hosted its kickoff event, “Chai & Chat,” at the Center for Interfaith Dialogue on February 12th. Khadijah Dhoondia, a sophomore studying Biology on the pre-med track, founded the club along with Norah Al-Sharif, a sophomore studying Mechanical Engineering, to address what they saw as a perceived divide between religion and science, as well as a lack of Muslim representation in the field of STEM.
“Being able to navigate these two intersecting identities can often be challenging and … helping [students] to achieve excellence in both their spiritual and professional identities was the goal here,” said Khadijah.
