Provost Khadijat Rashid wins American University’s alumni achievement award

Dr. Khadijat K. Rashid, ‘90, Gallaudet’s Provost, became one of the first Black Deaf women ever to earn a doctorate when she received her PhD in International Relations from American University (AU) in 2004. Now AU is honoring her with the 2025 Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award, which recognizes graduates who have distinguished themselves through their professional accomplishments. She is the first Deaf AU alum to receive this award.

It will be presented at a ceremony and dinner on May 15 at AU’s Washington College of Law, hosted by the Alumni Board and the Office of University Advancement.

When Rashid learned she would be receiving the award, she was honored — and “truly flabbergasted.” “Because truth be told, I had no idea I was even being considered for it,” she says. “But more than that, I was humbled that so many people from my community considered me deserving of this award and sent in letters of support.”

Rashid, who arrived in the U.S. as a profoundly deaf teenager from her native Nigeria, has dedicated her career to ensuring that deaf and hard-of-hearing students around the world can access the education they need to succeed. Her academic background — undergraduate studies at Gallaudet, an MBA from the University of Maryland, and the PhD from AU — has allowed her to develop expertise in multiple fields, including anthropology, critical theory, politics, and economics.

She has published and presented widely, including at the World Bank, the United Nations, the State Department, the U.S. Agency for International Development, the World Federation of the Deaf, and the White House. Along with Dr. Audrey Cooper, who directs Gallaudet’s International Development MA Program, Rashid co-edited the volume Citizenship, Politics, Difference: Perspectives from Sub-Saharan Signed Language Communities (2015).

In 2010, under President Barack Obama, she became the first Deaf person ever to be selected as a White House Fellow. She focused her platform on small business opportunities and brought this experience and knowledge back to her work at Gallaudet as a Professor in the Business department. Rashid has served on numerous boards, both in the United States and abroad. In 2018, she received the National Association of the Deaf’s “Spirit of NAD” Award for demonstrating exemplary commitment, dedication, and service to the American deaf and hard-of-hearing community.

At Gallaudet, Rashid has served as Dean of the Faculty, Dean of the School of Education, Business and Human Services, Chair of the Department of Business, and Chair of the University Faculty Senate. She was the recipient of Gallaudet’s Dedicated Faculty Award and an Academic Freedom Award from Gallaudet’s AAUP chapter.

Rashid’s extraordinary accomplishments and her dedication to service are what inspired Norma Morán, associate director of Gallaudet’s Center for Latine Deaf Studies, to nominate her for this honor. “I have witnessed firsthand how Dr. Rashid consistently goes above and beyond in various capacities — supporting initiatives, leading projects, and uplifting individuals,” she says. “As an AU alum, I came to realize that Dr. Rashid was a hidden gem whose impact deserved broader recognition.”