Our Faculty

CPOI 2025 Faculty

Dr. Shenila Khoja-Moolji

Associate Professor of Muslim Societies — Georgetown University
Dr. Shaista Patel

Assistant Professor — University of California San Diego
Dr. Jamel Velji

Associate Professor of Religious Studies — Claremont McKenna College
Dr. Mariam Durrani

Professorial Lecturer — American University
Dr. Arjun Shankar

Assistant Professor — Georgetown University
Dr. Celene Ibrahim

Groton School — Department of Religious Studies and Philosophy
Alyjan Daya

PhD Student, Islamic Studies – Harvard University

CPOI 2025 Staff

Dr. Shenila Khoja-Moolji

LEAD FACULTY
Professor Khoja-Moolji is the Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani Chair of Muslim Societies and an Associate Professor at Georgetown University. She is an award-winning author whose research explores the interplay of gender, race, religion, and power in transnational contexts. She explores this theme particularly in relation to Muslim populations in South Asia and the North American diaspora. Professor Khoja-Moolji has served as Faculty and Academic Director for many CPOI camps, most recently as the Lead Faculty for CPOI 2024.
Alyjan Daya

NATIONAL PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Alyjan is an incoming PhD student in Islamic Studies at Harvard University. He earned his Master of Theological Studies in Islamic Studies from Harvard University in 2023 and his Bachelor of Arts in Islamic Studies with Departmental & Special Honors from UT Austin in 2018. He is trained in Classical Arabic, Persian, and Syriac. Alyjan served as the Program Director for CPOI 2024 and as an instructor & facilitator for CPOI 2023.
Nadim Pabani

ITREB USA EDUCATION OFFICER

Alwaez Nadim Pabani earned a Master’s degrees in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Edinburgh, as well as in Muslim Societies and Civilizations and Teaching from the Institute of Ismaili Studies and University College London (UCL). Alwaez Nadim formally worked as a STEP Teacher in the UK for five years, and now serves as the ITREB USA Education Officer for College and Young Adult programs, overseeing camps like Al-Ilm and CPOI.
Kiran Peerwani

NATIONAL PROJECT MANAGER
Kiran Peerwani is an educator with seven years of experience teaching the Secondary Teacher Education Programme (STEP). Kiran holds a double master's degree from the STEP program at the Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, specializing in Muslim Societies and Civilizations as well as Teaching. Her teaching journey spans across various locations, including Houston, Spring, Dallas, as well as international settings in the UK, Sweden, and Germany. Kiran served as Lead Facilitator for CPOI 2024 and as a facilitator for CPOI 2023.
Ayra Noor Maknojia

MARKETING & PARTICIPANT EXPERIENCE LEAD

Ayra Noor Maknojia holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Business Economics from Georgia State University. She has served as a National Project Team: Inclusive Experience Coordinator and Content Facilitator for Camp Mosaic, and as a content mentor/counselor for numerous youth programs and camps. Ayra attended CPOI 2023 as a participant and served as Operations Lead for CPOI 2024.