Ava Majlesi

Professor Majlesi is the Chief Operating Officer of the Rutgers Democracy Lab and an Associate Professor of Professional Practice in the Department of Political Science at Rutgers–New Brunswick. She previously served as Director of the Center for Critical Intelligence Studies (CCIS) and Associate Director of the Miller Center on Policing and Community Resilience. Until January 2025, she developed and led the minor in Critical Intelligence Studies and served as Program Director for the Rutgers Intelligence Community Center for Academic Excellence (IC CAE).

A three-time Rutgers graduate, Professor Majlesi earned her undergraduate degree summa cum laude from Rutgers College and her Juris Doctor from Rutgers Law School, where she served as co-editor-in-chief of the Women’s Rights Law Reporter. She also holds a Master of Public Administration, summa cum laude, from the Rutgers School of Public Affairs and Administration. 

Professor Majlesi has held a range of leadership roles across the university, including Director of Development at Rutgers Law School and Associate Director of the Institute for Emergency Preparedness and Homeland Security. She began her career as a research associate at the Institute on Education Law and Policy, where she conducted research on urban school governance and developed training curriculum on New Jersey education law.

In recognition of her commitment to teaching, she received the Rutgers School of Arts and Sciences 2022 Award for Distinguished Contributions to Undergraduate Education in 2022. She is admitted to the bar in New Jersey and New York.