Afnaan Qayyum

Afnaan Qayyum has a diverse work experience, starting with an internship at EngenderHealth in 2023, where they focused on diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. They then joined the RGK Center for Philanthropy and Community Service as a CONNECT Fellow, providing technical consultancy services for the West Texas Food Bank and developing strategies to increase efficiency. Afnaan also worked as a Graduate Teaching Assistant and Graduate Intern at The University of Texas at Austin, where they assessed the effectiveness of "Mental Health First Aid" and formulated proposals for expanding the program. They also served as a Graduate Research Assistant at the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health, preparing policy briefs and analyzing the impact of Medicaid expansion on racial and ethnic health disparities. Prior to that, Afnaan worked as an Advocacy Officer at the Justice Project Pakistan, liaising between stakeholders and developing advocacy strategies. They also held positions at Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi as a Communications Manager, where they designed advocacy campaigns, and at Lahore University of Management Sciences as a Teacher Assistant and Chairperson of the Students Council. Additionally, Afnaan was a member of the LUMS Adventure Society.

Afnaan Qayyum completed a Master's degree in Global Policy Studies from The University of Texas at Austin from 2021 to 2023. Prior to that, they obtained a Bachelor's degree in Politics and Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences from 2014 to 2018. In 2016, they attended The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) to study Economics of Gender. In 2012, they completed A levels in Economics from The City School Capital Campus Islamabad. Afnaan Qayyum also briefly studied Human Physiology at Brown University in 2013.

In addition to their formal education, Afnaan Qayyum has obtained several certifications. Afnaan completed courses on Diversity and inclusion in the workplace, Inspiring and motivating individuals, Managing talent, and People Analytics from Coursera in 2022. Furthermore, in 2022, they attended the Inclusive Classrooms Leadership Certificate Seminar for Excellence in Teaching at The University of Texas at Austin.