Kali-Ahset Amen

Kali-Ahset Amen, PhD, serves as the Civic Engagement Director at the Bloomberg Center for Public Innovation at Johns Hopkins University since September 2025, focusing on enhancing public sector innovation through research and practice. As Chair of the Maryland Commission on African American History and Culture since July 2023, Kali-Ahset Amen actively promotes African American historical and cultural education to foster social change. Previously, Kali-Ahset held roles such as Executive Director of the Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard University and Assistant Research Professor in the Department of Sociology at Johns Hopkins University. With a background in sociology and a commitment to public engagement, Kali-Ahset has contributed to various institutions, including the CDC Museum and the James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race. Academic qualifications include a BA in African Studies from Columbia University, a PhD in Sociology from Emory University, and a professional graduate certificate in Museum Studies from Harvard Extension School.