Biography

Dr. Altaf Husain was appointed by Dean Sheara Jennings as the new Associate Dean for Academic and Student Advancement in the Howard University School of Social Work in January, 2025. Upon being appointed Associate Dean, Dr. Husain stated: "It is the honor of a lifetime to serve my alma mater through this appointment as Associate Dean for Academic and Student Advancement. I owe much to Howard University, and to the School of Social Work, specifically and hope to serve the School with excellence as we mark the 90th anniversary of our founding."

A son of Howard, Dr. Husain received his PhD from the Howard University School of Social Work (HUSSW), while serving in the Office of the Provost and Chief Academic Officer, under Dr. Richard A. English. Dr. English served as Dean of HUSSW from 1985 -- 2003, until he was appointed Provost. Dr. Husain first served as Special Assistant to the Provost, and was promoted to the position of Executive Assistant for Academic Affairs. Dr. Husain continued serving as Executive Assistant during the tenure of the late Provost Jim Wyche. While working in the Provost office, Dr. Husain also taught Research Methods as an adjunct faculty member at HUSSW. He was blessed to have an all-star dissertation committee led by his adviser, Dr. Fariyal Ross-Sheriff, then Director of the Doctoral Program at HUSSW, Dr. Richard A. English (chair), Dr. Soleman Abu-Bader (Methodologist), subject matter expert, the late Dr. Sulayman Shehu Nyang (former Gambian Ambassador to Saudi Arabia and Professor in the Department of African Studies at HU) and external examiner, Dr. Zahid Bukhari, at the time the Director of the Muslim Americans in the Public Square (MAPS) project at Georgetown University. How did he even end up at Howard? Dr. Husain notes, "I was blessed to have amazing mentors while I completed my MSW degree at the Mandel School for Applied Social Sciences at Case Western Reserve University. The Dean at the time, the nationally renowned Dr. Darlyne Bailey wrote my recommendation letter for admission to Howard University, and I was encouraged by both Ms. Delores Lynch, the executive director of my placement site, Senior Outreach Services, and my field supervisor, Ms. Patricia Britt (HUSSW MSW alumna) to apply to Howard University".   

In 2010 Dr. Husain was appointed by Dean Cudore L. Snell as an Assistant Professor in the School of Social Work. In 2012, Dr. Husain was appointed to serve as co-chair of the Human Behavior and the Social Environment (HBSE) Sequence, and in 2014, he was appointed by Dean Sandra Edmonds Crewe to serve as Chair of the Community, Administration and Policy Practice Concentration (CAP Practice), while continuing to co-chair the HBSE (macro) Sequence. During his leadership as Chair of CAP Practice over the last ten years, there has been consistent growth in the number of students who select the macro concentration, and the number of students from both CAP Practice and Direct Practice who have participated each year in the Student Advocacy Day on the Hill, organized by the Congressional Research Institute for Social Policy (CRISP) and in Campaign School organized by the School of Social Work at the University of Connecticut, a program designed to train social workers to run for public office.

In Spring 2015, Dr. Husain was promoted to the rank of Associate Professor, with tenure and that same semester, he received the "Faculty of the Year," award from the DC chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW). Upon the recommendation of Dean Crewe, Dr. Husain was appointed as Chair of the Curriculum Committee and served in that role from 2016 to 2021. During his tenure as Chair, the Curriculum Committee worked very closely with Associate Dean Tracy Whitaker, and recommended and the faculty and Dean Crewe approved major program innovations including launching the MSW/MBA, MSW/MDiv, and MSW/MPH, dual degree programs, the Advanced Standing Accelerated Program (ASAP), which reduced the time to degree completion for select students from 1.5 years to just 1 year and the Generalist Curriculum, providing all students with balanced exposure to macro/micro social work practice.

Dr. Husain's research interests include the intersection of religion and spirituality in the lives displaced populations, the emerging nonprofit infrastructure to support immigrant and refugee youth and families, and the development and funding of that infrastructure. He is concluding research as the Principal Investigator on a two-year study funded by the Templeton Religion Trust, exploring faith trends among Muslim American youth. He has teaching responsibilities in the Masters and PhD programs. He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Social Work and as an Assistant Editor of the journal, Mental Health, Religion and Culture. 
 

Since 2016, Dr. Husain has served as the Adviser to the Eta Eta Chapter of the Phi Alpha National Honor Society. He coordinates two induction ceremonies each academic year, with support from student officers and graduate assistants. Dr. Husain has also represented HUSSW through his service to the social work profession.  He was selected as a Fellow with the Society for Social Work and Research (SSWR) in 2020. The late President Mildred "Mitt" Joyner appointed Dr. Husain to serve as a member of the National Ethics Committee of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), for the term 2020-2023. He was recently appointed by the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE) as the 2024-2025 faculty scholar for the Center for Diversity and Social and Economic Justice. For nearly fifteen years, Dr. Husain has maintained an ongoing collaboration with the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands, serving as a guest lecturer and adviser to graduate students focusing on the adaptation of immigrants and refugees. 

Dr. Husain's service and leadership to the University on very integral, University-wide initiatives, is extensive. He served as a staff member on the Presidential Commission for Academic Renewal, then as a faculty site visitor on the Program Prioritization Task Force, and currently serves as a Hilltop Architect on the efforts to develop a new strategic plan under the leadershi of President Ben Vinson III. Since 2010, Dr. Husain has served as a member of the Howard University Interfaith Advisory Council, under the leadership of the Dean of the Chapel, Dr. Bernard Richardson. 

Dr. Husain's community involvement includes serving as President and a Founder of the National Association of Muslims in Social Work (NAMSW), founding Vice President of the Yaqeen Institute for Islamic Research (YIIR), a founding board member of The Conscious Kid Library, a former Vice President and then two-term national President of the Muslim Students Association of the US and Canada (MSA National) and Vice President of the Islamic Society of North America (ISNA). He also serves as an advisory board member of the Peaceful Families Project (PFP), dedicated to preventing domestic violence.