Saba Waheed
Saba Waheed is the Director of the UCLA Labor Center. Prior to this role, she spent 11 years as the center’s research director. With nearly 20 years of experience developing community-led research projects for labor advocacy organizations, Waheed’s work is grounded in the research justice framework, which she co-developed to address structural inequities in research.
During her time at the UCLA Labor Center, Waheed established a research infrastructure and led over 40 studies in partnership with low-wage workers. For six years, Waheed led the Labor Summer Research Program, a UCLA Labor Center applied research course that places students in community organizations, unions and immigrant rights groups to learn real-world research, organizing and campaign skills. In addition to her research work, Waheed is an award-winning radio producer and writer; her short stories are regularly featured in literary magazines, anthologies, and live readings.
Previously, Waheed was part of the shared leadership team and the research director of DataCenter, and a researcher at the Urban Justice Center. Waheed received an MA in Anthropology from Columbia University and a BA in English and Religious Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
During her time at the UCLA Labor Center, Waheed established a research infrastructure and led over 40 studies in partnership with low-wage workers. For six years, Waheed led the Labor Summer Research Program, a UCLA Labor Center applied research course that places students in community organizations, unions and immigrant rights groups to learn real-world research, organizing and campaign skills. In addition to her research work, Waheed is an award-winning radio producer and writer; her short stories are regularly featured in literary magazines, anthologies, and live readings.
Previously, Waheed was part of the shared leadership team and the research director of DataCenter, and a researcher at the Urban Justice Center. Waheed received an MA in Anthropology from Columbia University and a BA in English and Religious Studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
