Afnaan Qureshi joins MPAC as a Fellow with the First Amendment Center, where he serves as a policy analyst. Currently pursuing his Master of Public Administration at Northeastern University, Afnaan balances graduate coursework with his work at MPAC to advance First Amendment protections and amplify the voices of the American Muslim community. At MPAC, Afnaan leads the Congressional Leadership Development Program (CLDP), preparing the next generation of American Muslim leaders for Capitol Hill internships while deepening his understanding of how grassroots advocacy shapes federal policy.  

Afnaan brings deep expertise in Supreme Court jurisprudence and the role of dissent in democratic institutions. His undergraduate thesis, "Through Legitimate Dissent, the Supreme Court Repairs Itself," examined landmark dissents from four pivotal civil rights cases and argued that "legitimate dissent is the solution to the crisis of confidence facing the Supreme Court today." He earned his BS degree in Philosophy and Political Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology, where he completed the Honors Program and served as commencement delegate for his college. His academic work has focused extensively on constitutional repair mechanisms, the marketplace of ideas, and how free speech protections evolve through judicial interpretation.  

Beyond the classroom, Afnaan has demonstrated a commitment to bridging communities and creating meaningful impact. He partnered with Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services and RIT to design and co-teach a groundbreaking course connecting refugee students with first-year honors students. Through co-op experiences at the Rochester District Attorney's Office and Rochester Refugee Resettlement Services, he developed a deep understanding of how policy intersects with justice and community wellbeing.