Meet the Fellows: Isabella Irtifa

UROC awarded the Dr. Josie R. Johnson Dissertation Fellowship to three University of Minnesota graduate students whose dissertation research strongly aligns with Dr. Johnson’s enduring legacy as a scholar and social justice leader. Get to know Fellowship recipient Isabella.

Name: Isabella Irtifa

Department: Department of Sociology, College of Liberal Arts

Hometown: Beaverton, Oregon

Hobbies: Kayaking/Paddleboarding, traveling, making art, long walks with my dog Jelly

Dissertation Study: Community-based project developed in partnership with the Hope Act, a campaign within the Incarcerated Workers’ Organizing Committee (IWOC), that expands pathways for release for people serving Life Without Parole (LWOP) sentences.

Isabella’s Definition of Community  
I define community not as a fixed place or identity, but as a practice and something we build through care and accountability. As a bi-racial Pakistani immigrant and community organizer working in asylum clinics and mutual aid spaces, I’ve experienced community as something we create in real time by showing up for one another in moments of joy, as well as in times of uncertainty and harm. For me, community is rooted in solidarity. It is about recognizing our interconnectedness and committing to collective liberation.