Dr. Arati Maleku is an Associate Professor at the College of Social Work at The Ohio State University. She is a community-engaged scholar and a mixed methodologist investigating the social, cultural, and structural contexts of migration, social rights, and health equity among transnational communities, including immigrants, refugees, and international students. Transformative research practice is central to her research orientation. She employs multilevel participatory research approaches, using research as an intervention and leveraging community partnerships to build community capacity and promote community resilience. As such, her mixed methodology seamlessly integrates the transformative approach of her research philosophy.

Dr. Maleku is originally from Nepal and has over a decade of social work practice experience across various settings, from grassroots organizations to philanthropic sectors. Dr. Maleku serves as the President of Nepal Rising, a non-profit she co-founded to support community resilience in Nepal after the 2015 devastating earthquake. Over the course of her academic career, Dr. Maleku has held national leadership roles, including the Board of Directors for the Society for Social Work and Research, Chair of the South Asian Social Work Educator’s Association, and Member of the Council on Social Work Education’s Diversity Commission. Currently, she serves as the Secretary for the Executive Council of Nepali Academics in America. Dr. Maleku is the Associate Editor for The British Journal of Social Work, a leading international journal.