Farhat Popal (she/her) is the Assistant Director of Refugee and Immigrant Health. She is a passionate servant leader dedicated to promoting human dignity and prosperity, with subject matter expertise in human rights, gender equality, immigrant and refugee affairs, and government affairs.

Farhat previously served as the Immigrant Affairs Manager for the City of San Diego, where she worked to advocate for the immigrant and refugee community and facilitate greater communication and collaboration to promote equity, inclusion, and wellbeing. She was recognized for her commitment through the Ashley L. Walker Social Justice Award in 2022.

In prior roles at the U.S. State Department, Farhat served as a policy advisor on gender-based violence in the Secretary’s Office of Global Women’s Issues, and managed human rights programs in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor in Washington, DC. She also evaluated development projects in Afghanistan with the Office of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction. Farhat started her career evaluating the effectiveness and efficiency of local government programs at the City of San Diego’s Office of the City Auditor.

Outside of local and federal government, Farhat served as Senior Program Manager of the Women’s Initiative at the Bush Institute in Dallas, TX, where she directed a leadership development and economic training program for women from the Middle East, North Africa, and Afghanistan, and served as the Institute’s policy advisor on issues affecting Afghan women and girls.

Farhat studied Political Science/International Relations and History of the Near East at the University of California, San Diego and earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley.

Farhat joined the Center for Community Health in 2025.