Shanaz describes herself as a servant leader and is committed to helping the community. Serving as the National President of the Women’s Auxiliary of the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community for 10 years, Shanaz mobilized 68 chapters across USA to dispel myths about Muslim women through education and community volunteerism. Shanaz contributed a chapter in “America’s Jihad,” where she explored the changing attitudes towards Muslim Women pre- and post-911 and frequently speaks on topics dealing with social and religious justice at interfaith venues. She directed the “Feed the Hungry in America,” program under Humanity First USA, and encourage the adoption of food pantries to service the needs of the hungry. She became the founding President of the Ahmadiyya Women Science Association, aimed at mentoring Muslim women to enter, and excel in various science disciplines.
More recently, as the Global Strategic Leader for Humanity First International, Shanaz developed best practices for their Knowledge for Life Programs across the world. Her passion for justice shaped several initiatives for underprivileged women and children. She established the Khadijah Scholarship to help adult women go back to school to learn new employable skills.

Recently, Shanaz co-founded a new start-up non-profit organization, Resources for the Education and Employment of Women (RENEW). RENEW was established to help refugee women improve their English fluency skills, as a stepping-stone towards social integration, community engagement and improved opportunities for vocational training and economic self-sufficiency. Shanaz presently serves as the President of RENEW.

Shanaz received her BS and MS degrees in Chemistry from the University of Mumbai, India, her Ph.D.in Medicinal Chemistry from the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond, post-doctoral training in Neuropharmacology from the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia and a few decades later, an MBA degree in Business and Healthcare from the University of the Sciences.

Shanaz Tejani-Butt is a tenured Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology at the University of the Sciences in Philadelphia. Her research efforts on developing an understanding of the neurobiological mechanisms of psychiatric disorders have resulted in over 200 publications, and presentations atlocal, national, and international conferences.