Iman Said, a doctoral student in criminology in the College of the Liberal Arts at Penn State, is the recipient of the University’s 2021 Jackson Lethbridge Tolerance Award.
The award recognizes a junior, senior or graduate student for outstanding efforts to enhance the understanding of diverse cultures and create a community where all individuals are accepted and valued equally.
Nominators said Said is an exceptional leader and advocate who goes above and beyond to increase diversity awareness to the benefit of those around her. She’s a first-generation Egyptian American who is active in the Muslim community, so she’s familiar with the challenges facing religious, ethnic and racial minority groups in the United States.
Said’s research looks at religious conversion and community re-integration among previously incarcerated Black men. Said researches the impact religious programming can have on rehabilitating former prisoners. Her research will offer a more scientific view of prison religious programs and a holistic understanding of how religious conversion affects prisoners once they are released.
Read more on Iman Said’s research and student leadership and advocacy in the Penn State News article here.