Soraya Ahyaudin

Soraya Ahyaudin is the Assistant Director of Learning Design and Programs at the USC Center for Religion and Civic Culture, where she designs research-informed adult learning experiences and leadership development programs that translate the center’s scholarship into practical resources for religious leaders, practitioners, and communities. She also oversees special initiatives, including the American Muslim Civic Leadership Initiative (AMCLI), and is an alumna of AMCLI West II.

Before joining CRCC, Ahyaudin worked in public diplomacy, educational exchanges, and capacity building. She served as program assistant at the USC Center on Public Diplomacy, where she managed event programming, professional training opportunities, and office operations. Her previous experience also includes serving as assistant registrar at the international office of Universiti Sains Malaysia and assistant director with the Public Service Department of Malaysia. Her work has cultivated interests in organizational change, adult learning, and the intersections of religion, civic leadership, and global engagement.

Ahyaudin serves on the Board of Directors of Rabata and on PBS SoCal’s Community Advisory Board. She earned an Ed.D. in Organizational Change and Leadership from the USC Rossier School of Education, a Master of Public Diplomacy from the USC Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, a Master of Science in Environmental Journalism from Universiti Sains Malaysia, and a Bachelor of Communication (Journalism) from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia. She has also received ijazahs in the Forty Hadith of Imam al-Nawawi and the Forty Hadith of Palestine.