Mustafa Rfat

Mustafa Rfat is a second-year PhD student in social work at the Brown School.

Mustafa Rfat came to the US as a refugee with disabilities in 2011 and completed his BA and MA in Social Work with an emphasis on mental health at West Virginia University. He began working at the Center for Excellence in Disabilities as a passionate community advocate. Mustafa then pursued an MPA with an emphasis on healthcare policy and community work.

In 2021, Mustafa was admitted into the Social Work PhD program at the Brown School at Washington University in St. Louis and was awarded the McDonnell Academy Scholar that same year. At the Brown School, Mustafa’s research focuses on exploring the needs and barriers refugees/immigrants with disabilities experience. Mustafa works on multiple projects with Dr. Mitra to improve the lives of refugees and immigrants. Internationally, he works with Dr. Trani on education equity in Afghanistan and Pakistan. In Turkey, he works with Dr. Orhan Kocak to research the unique needs of persons with disabilities and their caregivers.