Dr. Sepideh Mahani is the Associate Dean (Education) and Chair of Educational Leadership at Yorkville University. With over 20 years of experience in K–12 and higher education across both national and international contexts, she brings a global and inclusive perspective to educational leadership and curriculum development. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, followed by a Master’s and Ph.D. in Educational Leadership. Dr. Mahani is deeply committed to fostering inclusive, innovative, and research-informed teaching practices. She is particularly passionate about advancing curriculum and designing learning environments that are socially responsive, equity-driven, and responsive to the evolving needs of diverse student populations. Her research interests span a wide range of topics, including social justice, diversity in education, humanizing pedagogy, culturally responsive teaching, support for first-generation students, and gender equity in education. Her work has been published in leading academic journals such as Qualitative Inquiry, The Journal of First-Generation Student Success, Cultural and Pedagogical Inquiry, and The Journal of International Education Research. She is also the co-author of Sister Scholars: Untangling Issues of Identity as Women in Academe (DIO Press, 2021).