Mekhribon (Mika) Abdullaeva is a 2025 Millennium Leadership Intensive participant and leads a global portfolio at the US Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, focusing on ending modern slavery through research-driven, context-specific interventions. Prior to her current role, she worked across Central Asia, Eastern Europe, and the United States, designing and evaluating programs that address complex challenges in human trafficking, governance, and gender equality. She has advocated for women’s rights at the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and contributed to policies affecting immigrant communities in the United States. She earned her PhD in educational policy, research, and administration from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Her dissertation offered critical insights into culturally responsive engagement strategies that strengthen trust and communication between Central Asian immigrant families and US schools.