Retired Director of The Fairfax Institute at International Institute of Islamic Thought (IIIT), Dr. Unus has served as President of MSA in 1975 and as Secretary General of ISNA in the 1980s. He presently serves on ISNA Board of Directors and is Director-at-Large at United Nations Association of the National Capital Area. He has received life-time service awards from CAIR and ISNA. Dr. Unus holds a PhD from Emory University.
Former, long-time Chair of ISNA Founders Committee. Former President of Muslim Society of Memphis. Thoracic and Cardiac Surgeon who serves multiple hospitals in Memphis.
Chaplain Shazeeda Khan has an economics degree from New York University. She began her career as a commodities accountant at a Wall Street firm. She is currently a volunteer chaplain at the United States Federal Correctional Institution in Danbury, CT since 2005 where she serves Muslim women. She also serves as the Director of Islamic Education and teacher for the Baitul Mukarram Masjid of Greater Danbury. There she develops the Islamic Studies curriculum for the youth ages 5 to 18 and supervises a team of teachers. She also develops halaqa programs for the women. Since 2000, Chaplain Khan has served on the board of the Association of Religious Communities (ARC), an interfaith community service organization. She is currently President and one of the founding board members of the Muslim Endorsement Council of Connecticut (MECC, Inc.).
President and CEO of United Muslim Relief. PhD International Development. In 2010, he was appointed by the US Agency for International Development to serve on its Advisory Committee on Voluntary Foreign Aid. He also is serving a second term on the US State Department’s Religion and Foreign Policy Working Group.
Dr. Mona Islam is an educator, published author, a youth worker and community builder who holds a Doctorate in Curriculum and Institution. She is a transformational curriculum developer with extensive knowledge of the classical Islamic disciplines. She has studied under numerous scholars in various subjects of Islamic Sciences. She has written curriculum, engaged in youthwork, and facilitated community education through administering and teaching both academic and Islamic classes. She has organized various community programs and events and partaken in various humanitarian aid efforts.
Nosheen Khan ’24 was voted on the TISA Board at its annual meeting on May 31, 2024. This historic appointment adds the voice of the students to the Board’s deliberations. Dr. Iqbal Unus, Board Chair, stated that “Alum Nosheen Khan’s addition to the Board marks a new era in the Board’s development. As we plan for the future of this educational institution, we need to make sure that all stakeholders are at the table.”
Nosheen Khan currently lives in Sacramento, CA, where she volunteers at Islamic organizations in various capacities. In one of her roles, she serves as a community chaplain. She aspires to keep growing intellectually and spiritually while challenging herself to develop a grounded and well-established intellectual outlook. During the June 1st TISA graduation, she was awarded TISA’s Dean Prize as an outstanding graduate for the class of 2024.
Nazish Mithaiwala graduated with a Master’s in Islamic Studies from TISA in 2025. An Atlanta native, she resides in Maryland, where she supports new Muslims and teaches Arabic at local masajid. She also homeschools her two children, Maryam and Ibrahim. She also graduated from Al Azhar with a Bachelor’s in Arabic and Islamic Studies. As an attorney, she hopes to synthesize Islamic sciences with the practice of both family and estate planning law. During the May 17, 2025, TISA graduation, she was awarded TISA’s Dean Prize as an outstanding graduate for the class of 2025.
Michael Wolfender graduated with a Master’s in Islamic Studies from TISA in 2025. He is of French and American descent and currently lives in Wylie, Texas. He is the Quran Department Head at Good Tree Academy in Plano, Texas. Michael offers a contextually relevant approach to learning the Quran with his Quran Intuitive project and aspires to be a competent advisor to guide American Muslims in their quest for a more meaningful bond with Allah’s word.
Dr. A Rashed Nizam is an Ophthalmologist, completed residency training at Brown University and fellowship training at the University of Missouri. He is the founding Director, Mid Missouri Eye Center, LLC, established in 2000. He was awarded as Physician of the Year (2003) by the National Republican Congressional Committee, National Leadership Award (2003) by Physicians Advisory Board, Service Award (2002) Moberly Chamber of Commerce, Moberly, Missouri Fogerty Fellowship Award, Brown University School of Medicine, Providence, Rhode Island (1996), Momose Afro Asian Scholarship, Institute of Clinical Ophthalmology, Kiryu, Japan (1989), Achievement Award, Sylhet MAG Osmany Medical School Alumni Association of North America (2012). Dr. Nizam served as NABIC president from 2014 to 2017, and he also served as NABIC president from 2008 to 11. He has been a member of the ISNA Founders Committee since 2005 and was a member ISNA Majlis Shura until 2015. He is currently serving as the chair of the ISNA development funding committee.
Manzur Mahmud is a long-standing Muslim community leader and professional engineer from the DFW metroplex, with over 30 years of experience in both the corporate and non-profit sectors. He currently serves as a Program Manager at Texas Instruments, where he leads global engineering projects across three continents. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Manzur has dedicated decades to community service, including his tenure as Ameer and Shura member of the Islamic Association of Collin County (Plano, TX), where he oversaw large-scale operations, budgets, and community initiatives. He also serves on the board of Al-Ihsaan Foundation USA and advises the Sabrina Memorial Foundation on global charitable projects primarily based in Bangladesh.
A Marifa graduate under Taqwa Seminary at IACC, Manzur has pursued advanced studies in Fiqh, Tazkiya, Aqeedah, and Qur’anic analysis. His educational background includes an MBA from the University of Dallas, an M.S. in Electrical Engineering from Tuskegee University, and a B.S. in Electronic Engineering Technology from Fort Valley State University.
