Project Description

Executive Director of Blue Ridge Literacy

Dr. Ahoo Salem is the Executive Director of Blue Ridge Literacy (BRL), a non-profit organization housed in the Roanoke Main Library Building that offers adult literacy services to foreign and native-born residents of Roanoke Valley.

As a sociologist with a passion for integration initiatives, Ahoo is especially interested in how differential access to resources shapes and impacts everyday life experiences for immigrants in different host settings. Ahoo currently serves on the Emergency Management Equity Working Group (EMEWG), which ensures that emergency management programs address the needs of vulnerable populations. She previously served on the Virginia Office of New Americans Advisory Board (2020-2024), where she co-led efforts to support the linguistic and cultural integration of New Americans in Virginia. Originally from Iran, Ahoo holds a PhD in sociology from Universita Degli Studi di Milano (Milan University) in Milan, Italy.