Before joining Princeton University, Hanifa received her MS from the University of Pennsylvania and earned her BA from Trinity College. Her professional experience includes research roles with organizations like the Consortium for Policy Research in Education, Penn Early Childhood and Family Research, and Relief International. Hanifa is committed to assisting distressed communities. In line with this passion, she has contributed to refugee resettlement programs, including working with the Integrated Refugee and Immigrant Services in Hartford, CT. Hanifa founded an online library for children as well as a physical library (one of the first children’s libraries) in her hometown of Kabul, Afghanistan.