America at 250: Empire, Democracy and Global Power

Saeed Khan is a cultural historian and commentator based at Wayne State University in Detroit, where he teaches in the departments of History and Global Studies. His academic expertise includes Islamic and Middle Eastern history, Islamic political thought, and transnational identities. Alongside his academic work, he is a frequent analyst for international media outlets. Saeed is the founder of the Center for the Study of Trans-Atlantic Diasporas, a policy institute focused on ethnic and immigrant communities in North America and Europe.

British by birth, Pakistani by heritage, American by choice, Biochemist by training, Lawyer by profession, lesbian by love, Muslim by faith, activist by passion.

Prior to her position as Vice President for Legal and Intellectual Property at biopharmaceutical company Cullinan Therapeutics, Dr. Rasheed served a similar role at Amunix Pharmaceuticals Inc, and worked on the M&A activities leading to the acquisition of that company by Sanofi, Inc.

She started her in-house corporate career as Section Head of IP at AbbVie. Before going in-house, she gained over two decades of experience in private practice as a senior partner at law firms such as McAndrews Held & Malloy, and Marshall, Gerstein & Borun, where her practice focused on counseling biotechnology and pharmaceutical clients in intellectual property related issues. She has also served on the Chicago Commission on Human Relations. She is presently vice-chairperson on Chicago House Social Services Agency, an agency focused on providing housing and wrap around services for people affected by HIV/AIDS. Dr. Rasheed believes in being a patient advocate for all of the communities that she serves following the adage that “service to others is the rent that we pay for being on this earth.”

Growing up in rural Australia, Melissa watched families and communities around her trying to manage change. As a journalist, then a university researcher, Melissa has tried to understand what makes the difference. Working with people from all walks of life, in countries around the world, she is now a leading voice in understanding the link between social conflict and how we manage change.
Melissa’s latest research on freedom and political polarization in the USA continues this focus. Her writing captures complex social issues in everyday stories, creating findings that have been used in policy and practice.