Dr. Aminah McCloud is the founder and chair of the Islamic World Studies Program at DePaul University, and she is one of the preeminent scholars on Islam in America.  Her research, writing, and teaching focus especially on global Muslim cultures, Islam in America, Islamic law, African American Islam and Muslim women in the United States.  Among her many published books and articles, she has most recently edited a multi-author volume entitled An Introduction to Islam in the 21st Century (published by Blackwell, 2012).  McCloud is currently editing The Handbook on African American Islam (pending publication from Oxford University Press in 2014).  McCloud founded the Journal on Islamic Law and Culture in 1995, and she remains its Editor-in-Chief.  She serves on various editorial and community boards including as an American Editor for Brill, a board member of the Center for Feminist Ethics at Brandeis University, a member of the Advisory Council for the American Islamic College, and a board member at the Inner-City Muslim Action Network (IMAN), among others.

In addition to McCloud's research interests and university responsibilities, she remains an active and engaged member of the communities she writes about.  She founded and convened the Conference on Islam in America in 2011 - a gathering that brought together American Muslims from various national and professional backgrounds for discussion on the state of Islam in America.  McCloud regularly advises non-profit organizations and government agencies on the realities of Muslims in the United States, and she serves courts regularly as an expert witness in Islamic law.

Dr. McCloud recently received a IIIT Research Grant for her project "

History of Arab Americans: Exploring Diverse Roots."

Dr. McCloud's website