Dr. Sonya Sharififard (she/her) is a member of the Board of the Agriculture, Food, and Human Values Society and faculty at Pepperdine University. Her research focuses on leadership development and global food systems. In 2024, she completed a fellowship with the CWFL. Dr. Sharififard previously served as a postdoctoral research fellow and Managing Editor of The Scholarship without Borders Journal at Pepperdine University and a Lecturer at California State University, Sacramento.

Dr. Sharififard's book Community, Food Insecurity, and a Global Perspective on Campus Food Pantries examines the role of campus food pantries around the world and their impact on student development and environmental issues. She has co-authored book chapters in New Horizons in Positive Leadership and Change (Springer 2020) and Workplace Spirituality and Fulfillment (Palgrave 2018) and presented at major international conferences. Additionally, she serves on the review panel of various organizations in North America, Europe, and Asia, including the American Educational Research Association (AERA), the Academy of Management (AOM), and the International Leadership Association (ILA).

Dr. Sharififard holds a PhD in Global Leadership from Pepperdine University where she teaches courses in social entrepreneurship. She is fluent in Farsi and was recently invited by the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General to serve as a reviewer for the journal Public Health Reports.