Zayd Abukar, EdD
Dr. Zayd Abukar (he/him/his) is a two-time EHE alum (2014, 2022) and serves as the Director of Academic Services for the OSU Department of Teaching and Learning. He has worked in higher education for over 15 years in roles ranging from federal work-study student employee to academic administrator. A first-generation college student, Dr. Abukar believes strongly in the role education can play in mitigating social inequities and creating opportunities for marginalized populations. A native of Louisville, KY (by way of Montreal, Canada), he is an avid basketball player and enthusiast, as well as enjoys watching documentaries, and spending time with his wife, Dr. Jasmine Abukar – a clinical assistant professor in EHE and two-time alum of the college herself. Dr. Abukar holds a B.A. in Communication with a sociology minor from the University of Louisville, a M.A. in Educational Studies (Higher Education and Student Affairs) from The Ohio State University, and an Ed.D. in Educational Studies (Higher Education and Student Affairs) with a graduate minor in Public Policy and Management from the The Ohio State University.
As a higher education scholar and professional, Dr. Zayd Abukar is interested in how institutions and practitioners can rethink or leverage existing resources to better support their students, particularly those from underserved populations. He has authored and presented on topics related to this theme in local, state, and national outlets, such as the Columbus African American News Journal (CAANJ), the Ohio College Personnel Association (OCPA), the American College Personnel Association (ACPA), and the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA). Some of Dr. Abukar’s accomplishments include: -Recipient of the OSU Higher Education and Student Affairs Master of Arts program Robert F. Rodgers Outstanding Graduating Student Award (2014) -Recipient of the Todd Anthony Bell National Resource Center on the African American Male Distinguished Graduate Student Leadership and Service Award (2014) -Recognized as an “Emerging Leader” in the Who’s Who in Black Columbus annual publication (2016). -Led the organizational restructuring and provided leadership for the OSU Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s Scholarship and Supplemental Academic Services (S-SAS), a student services unit that provides academic and financial aid support services to roughly 3,000 predominantly underrepresented students participating in ODI programs (2021-2022). -Co-authored College Student Affairs Journal article “Financial Wellness of First-Generation College Students,” the first published peer-reviewed manuscript exploring FGCS’ sources of educational funding, levels of financial knowledge, levels of financial optimism, levels of financial strain, and financial self-efficacy (2022).
