Abdrabu Abu Alyan graduated with a PhD in education from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

His dissertation focused on intercultural communicative competences. His interest in this subject was shaped during his teaching experience while earning his masters from the US.

Abdrabu earned his master’s degree in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Saint Michael’s College in Vermont after being awarded a Fulbright scholarship in 1996.

He notes, “Teaching of culture has become a pivotal part of teaching education. Language teachers ought to receive both experimental and academic training, with the aim of becoming mediators in cultural teaching”.

Abdulnaser Arafat was born in Nablus city and comes from a family that deeply values education. He earned his master’s degree in civil engineering and structural engineering from Al- Najah University.

In fall 2011 Abdulnaser received his PhD degree from the University of Florida, Gainesville, and College of Design Construction.

A visit to San Diego University in 1999 changed his career direction from engineering to planning. After learning computer programming, drafting, and GIS there, Abdulnaser later took up geographic information systems and planning as a career.

Abdulnaser plans to continue working in the field of research and to teach at the department of Geography at Birzeit University. He also hopes to publish papers and join future academic conferences.

Abeer Shaheen was one of the first female faculty members in Birzeit University’s Political Science Department. She also worked as the administrative director for the Ibrahim Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies.

As a student and administrator, Shaheen helped draft the Institute’s five-year strategic plan and produced highly regarded research papers with practical policy recommendations on conflict resolution in Northern Ireland and Sri Lanka. As a teacher, she has integrated her research on conflict resolution into classes such as the “Arab World in International Affairs” and “Modern and Contemporary European Civilization.”

Abeer is pursuing her PhD at Columbia University’s Department of Political Science. She plans to complete her PhD dissertation on the neoliberal politics of Iraq after Saddam. She feels that her study will have key policy implications for how democratic transitions within the Arab world can be managed in ways that lead to positive political change. Abeer also notes, “I will be able to teach courses in international relations theory, comparative foreign policy, regional conflicts, area studies, and other relevant courses.” Abeer plans to defend her dissertation in Fall 2013.

Ahmed Abu Awad is from Hebron and has taught courses in linguistics and discourse analysis at Birzeit University for the last three years. He is now a doctoral student in comparative and international education and anthropology at Teachers College, Columbia University.

Ahmed notes, “My passion for teaching, I am sure, will only increase with the new knowledge I will acquire… I will also be able to offer a more multidisciplinary approach to education and language, and the teaching of language (particularly English as a second language) and perhaps create a future hybrid program at Birzeit University.”

Ahmed was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship and earned an M.A. in applied linguistics from Boston University (BU) in 2004, and he got a B.A. in English language and literature from Birzeit University.

Ahmed is currently preparing a dissertation titled Genres of Govern mentality: The Role of the Intifada Appeals in the Palestinian National Imaginary, which he plans to defend in spring 2013.

Ahmed Al Noubani was raised in a rural West Bank village among a family that highly values education.

Ahmed has been a faculty member in the Geography Department at Birzeit University since 2004 where he has taught courses in remote sensing, biogeography, and the environment. Ahmed also has NGO and government experience at the Ministry of Planning’s Palestinian Geographic Center and the Land Research Center as a GIS and land cover expert. When asked to describe a life changing event, Ahmed explained, “Bee keeping is a major life event that changed my career direction. Before that I had not seen the beauty and benefits of wildlife. Bee keeping turned me into a guard to my local environment and affected my decision to study and teach environmental remote sensing.”

Ahmad successfully completed his PhD in August 2010 from University of Washington-Seattle and returned back to Birzeit University. His dissertation was about land use and land cover dynamics, using Palestine as a case study.

Akram Ijla has a master’s degree from An-Najah University in urban and regional planning.

His involvement in the field of preservation of historical buildings and rehabilitation motivated him to get his second masters from Plymouth University in England.

As an expert in urban and growth planning, Akram was given a senior role during and after the Israeli disengagement from the Gaza Strip in the summer of 2005. This extraordinary experience influenced and inspired Akram’s Ph.D. study, which he successfully completed in urban planning and economic development from the Maxine Goodman Levin College of Urban Affairs at Cleveland State University of Ohio.

He notes “I am looking forward to being part of changing Gaza into a metropolitan vision that makes integration of the limited land with the built-up areas, economic enhancement, job creation, and institutional building of local authorities.”

Alma Othman has a master’s degree in digital media from Luebeck University, Germany. She has been a faculty member at the Fine Arts School at Al -Najah University, and is now attending the University of Florida’s College of Design, Construction and Planning.

Teaching at Al-Najah University made a great difference in her life as she realized the value of being a teacher. She hopes to work as a professor there when she returns. She also aspires to launch new research fields at Al-Najah University linked mainly to architecture, digital media, and social science.

Alma accredits the efforts of her parents for constantly encouraging her and supporting her in achieving her higher education. She expects to graduate in fall 2013.

Ammar Al-Dwaik earned a degree in law from Al Yarmouk University in 1994. At the age of twenty-two, he was a first lieutenant commanding the Birzeit Police Station. He later worked for the Palestinian Independent Commission for Citizens’ Rights, eventually becoming the head of the legal department there.

Ammar has also worked for the UN Office of the High Commission for Human Rights, and was one of the founders of the Central Elections Commission (CEC). In 2004 he was appointed CEO of the Commission where he was credited with successfully managing what some have argued to be the most free and transparent election in the Arab world. As a USAID-funded Clinton Scholar, Mr. Al-Dwaik earned a Masters of Law degree focusing on good governance and judicial reforms from The American University, Washington College of Law.

Recently, he completed his PhD studies in social policy and management from Brandeis University and has returned back to Palestine.

Ayhab Saad started teaching at the age of 26 as a full time instructor for the Department of Economics at Birzeit University.

His passion for economics began early in his life and he finds great pleasure in teaching with excellent performance reviews from his students. His eagerness to learn pushed her to apply for the PhD fellowship, which enabled him to study Political Science and Economics at the University of Michigan.

Ayhab expects to return to Birzeit University upon finishing his degree. He hopes to continue teaching at the Department of Economics in Birzeit University. He also wishes to get involved in applied and theoretical research.

Ayman Khalifah After four and a half years of hard work, Ayman Khalifah has graduated from the University of Massachusetts – Amherst with a PhD in international education.

Dr. Khalifah’s research focused on finding ways to improve educational research in developing countries and particularly in Palestine. Dr. Khalifah returned to Al-Quds University--his alma mater— where he received an MA in Education and the Methods of Teaching Science.

Dr. Khalifah now serves as an Assistant Professor and teaches Arabic Composition at The Honors College for Liberal Arts and Sciences of Al-Quds Bard Partnership located in Al-Quds University in Abu Deis, Palestine. In addition, he teaches “Identity, Culture and the Classroom” as part of the Al-Quds Bard Master of Arts program.

Dr. Khalifah reports that the knowledge he gained from his studies helped him sharpen his critical consciousness and equipped him with the skills required to serve the Palestinian higher education community in developing advanced educational teaching practices and research methods.

Bilal Younis has a master’s degree in science teaching methods from Al-Quds University.

In January 2012 Bilal successfully completed his PhD degree from Southern Illinois University, Carbondale with a specialty in instructional technology/ e-learning. His research concentration was serious video games and the design of instructional virtual environments.

Bilal received a grant from PFDP to conduct a training course on modifying commercial video games from instruction and virtual environments design for teachers and students at the Palestinian Technical College- Aroub.

Dua’ Nakhala has bridged two lives since moving from Gaza, where she grew up, to Birzeit to attend university in 1995. Separation from her family in Gaza sometimes lasted years as it became harder and harder for Gazans to travel to the West Bank. However, this separation also conditioned her to be more independent and motivated to succeed.

In 2003 she graduated with a master’s degree in international studies from Birzeit University and also started teaching, initially English and subsequently political science courses. Before departing to the US Dua’ worked full time as the Activities Coordinator for the Abu-Lughod Institute of International Studies at Birzeit University. Recognizing the dearth of Palestinian academics with such expertise, Dua’s interests lie in researching euro-Mediterranean relations. Upon returning to Palestine she wishes to resume teaching at Birzeit University and broaden the depth of course offerings by drawing on the knowledge gained through earning a PhD. in the Department of Government at the University of Texas at Austin.

Dua’ successfully completed her coursework and comprehensive exams, and has begun working on her dissertation on the construction of walls between nations. She plans to defend her dissertation in fall 2013.

Emad Dawwas has a master’s degree from An-Najah University in transportation and highway engineering, as well as a second master’s degree from Lecee University in Italy in space systems on earth observation.

Emad has taught courses in remote sensing, engineering mechanics, and transportation at An-Najah University since 2000. He has a passion for using advanced technology towards practical ends, and has worked on several projects focusing on transportation problems and planning in the West Bank. He has used both remote sensing (RS) technology and geographic information systems (GIS) to conduct urban monitoring and route selection for highways. He is an innovative teacher whose students laud his efforts to actively engage them in their work, such as an assignment that required them to physically monitor traffic patterns in Nablus.

Emad Successfully completed his PhD program in urban planning at the University of Washington- Seattle. Emad now has an understanding of how GIS can be used in municipal strategic planning, and thereby introduce new tools for city and regional planning to policy-makers and students at An-Najah University where he is working now.

Fida Yaseen visited Europe for the first time in 1998 during a trip to Greece. This experience taught her “you can learn much more by traveling and dealing with people from different cultures.

Fida earned her PhD at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. She is interested in exploring women’s use of open space in Palestinian cities, noting, “men typically regard open space as a setting for their own activities, whereas women see it as a place for their children.” Her unique interests stem from being married with children and a lecturer in An-Najah’s Center for Urban and Regional Planning. Fida intends to also explore the differences in women’s use of open space in the surrounding villages of Nablus as opposed to the city center.

Fida successfully completed her PhD and graduated in August of 2010 .She returned to An-Najah University upon the completion of her degree and she is now teaching courses in landscape architecture, and urban design.

Hasan El-Nabih worked as a school teacher for several years before being awarded a Fulbright scholarship to obtain his master’s degree in linguistics from California State University, Fresno.

Hasan successfully completed his PhD in education at Boston College in 2010. He believes in the effectiveness of exchange programs noting “exchange programs have a very important role as a vehicle of peace, security, and mutual respect among the nations of the world”.

Hasan’s dissertation was on the problem of learning English inchoatives in the Palestinian context. He gathered data from the Gaza Strip which he used to successfully defend his dissertation with honors.

Hasan Ayyoub has served as a part time teacher of Palestinian studies at Al-Najah National University.

Hasan takes great pride in coming a long way from living in deprivation in a refugee camp to becoming a professional with status and a potential to contribute to the good of his community. He wishes that his father were alive to witness his accomplishments. Hasan has a master’s degree in political planning and development from Al-Najah University.

In June 2012, Hasan obtained his PhD degree in political science from the University of Denver, Colorado, Graduate School of International Studies (GSIS).

Ihab Daqqaq is one of only a few social work grantees within PFDP. Ihab served as an instructor and community service coordinator at the Faculty of Education at Bethlehem University. Ihab earned an M.A. degree in human rights and democratization from the University of Malta.

In an effort to develop his skills, and contribute to the shortage of social workers in Palestine, Ihab is pursuing a Ph.D. in social work at Columbia University. Upon returning from the US he will resume teaching at Bethlehem University. His first priority will be to put in action what he learned in theory, and to share the experience he gained in the US with his students through better informed teaching strategies. He will also assist Bethlehem University in upgrading its social work program by establishing a resource center to focus on the developmental needs of Palestinians, and thus provide advocacy for social work agencies.

Ihab has successfully completed his comprehensive exams, and plans to defend his dissertation in the fall semester of 2013.

Jehad Alayasa was a part time faculty member at Al-Quds University and the Arab American University in Jenin before obtaining his PhD fellowship from AMIDEAST.

He has a master’s degree in Political Planning and Development from Al-Najah National University; he successfully completed his PhD at Portland State University in summer of 2012. Jehad hopes that he can contribute to building an academic organization that can participate in giving advice to decision makers on a political level. He also aims to work on reforming the education system in Palestinian schools and universities.

Jehad is looking forward to living in a multicultural society and wants to carry the message of tolerance and peace as an unofficial ambassador of Palestine.

Karam Adawi earned a master’s degree in public health from Al-Quds University, and did so with honors while simultaneously being a mother of six and working full-time. Since graduating in 2003 she has been a lecturer at Al-Quds University’s College of Health Professions.

She has taught courses in medical microbiology and research methods and engaged in various research projects addressing how best to prevent or control different communicable diseases in Palestine. During her doctoral program Karam has built her scientific background in health and expanded her understanding of health policies, specifically effective policies addressing infectious diseases. She sees herself as an important figure “in motivating students to be involved in the development of health in Palestine.” She recently returned with a PhD from Brandeis University’s Heller School of Social Policy and Management so that she is “able to apply modern teaching methods, skills, and knowledge as well as implement new courses that tackle Palestinian communities’ health needs.” Karam’s dissertation focused on the effect of cardiac rehabilitation programs on patients.

Kefah Barham was a full time teacher at UNRWA schools and a part-time lecturer at Al-Quds Open University.

Kefah pursued her Bachelor’s Degree immediately after having two children. She then obtained a master’s degree in curriculum design and teaching methodology from An-Najah National University. She is interested in improving the use of technology in Palestinian curricula. Her eagerness to learn pushed her to apply for the PhD fellowship, which enabled her to study educational policy at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, where she is currently developing a dissertation on the means of effectively integrating computers into Palestinian schools. Kefah plans to defend her dissertation in fall 2013.

Khitam Abu Hamad was responsible for Primary Health Care Information at the Palestinian Health Information Centre - Ministry of Health and was a part-time lecturer and technical instructor at the Community College for Applied Sciences and Technology.

Her professional experience has made Khitam aware of the health care situation in the Gaza Strip and the academic needs to help find future solutions. Khitam graduated with a PhD. in social policy and management from Brandeis University. Her dissertation focused on the use of contraceptives in the Gaza Strip. Khitam comes from a large family that lives in one of the highly populated areas in the Gaza Strip where health and educational services are in critical need of improvement.

This reason, among others, has made Khitam realize her community’s need for more focused research and education on public health issues relating to women and children. Khitam would like to establish her own research center.

Maysoon Abu El-Noor’s outstanding achievement in her undergraduate program provided her the opportunity to be hired as a teaching assistant at Islamic University’s Nursing Faculty.

Maysoon believes in Florence Nightingale’s famous quote “To stand still is to move backwards.” This belief, combined with an interest in teaching, motivated her to earn her master’s degree from Al- Quds Open University in nursing administration. She continued her teaching during her studies and immediately applied for a PhD fellowship through PFDP when she heard about the opportunity.

In March 2012, Maysoon received her PhD. from the University of Akron’s Department of Public Administration and Urban Studies where she focused her study on Palestinian health policy, particularly analysis and evaluation.

Maysoon would like to work on making significant changes to the nursing administration curriculum in terms of content and approach that reflect the rapid change in the world’s health care system on one hand, and Palestinian community needs on the other.

Mohammad Awad has an International MBA degree from Bar Ilan University and successfully completed his PhD in public affairs with a specialty in nonprofit management from the University of Texas at Dallas. His dissertation was on volunteerism in the non-profit sector, which he defended in April of 2010, after which he graduated and returned to Palestine.

Before traveling to US, Mohammad worked as a Grants Specialist for a USAID project in the south of The West Bank. He is currently working as the Development Program Manager at the World Vision while teaching part time at AlQuds Open University. He plans to integrate nonprofit management courses in the University curricula.

Muhammad Zayyad has successfully completed his doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction with an emphasis on learning disabilities and graduated from Boston College, Massachusetts in 2009. Prior to this, Muhammad received his master’s degree in learning disabilities from Saint Xavier University in Chicago. Dr. Zayyad is a college professor and pedagogical trainer in elementary and special education in Jerusalem. Muhammad’s background and skills are rare while also very much in need in Palestine. Since his return in 2010, Muhammad has been working on establishing a special education department at Al- Quds University, as well as assisting in curriculum design of special education courses and creating assessment tools for children who cannot progress in their traditional classes.

Dr. Zayyad has recently trained a group of faculty members of Al- Quds University, as part of the PFDP 2011-2012 faculty development grant in Instructional Design and Course Development which lasted for one academic year. Recently, Dr. Zayyad has received the 2012 Global Award Grant- Research Track II of the Open Society Foundation for a post doctorate research at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada. In this study, Muhammad will examine the processes and barriers of establishing a first B.A. program in special education in Palestine.

Najwa Safadi received her master’s degree in social work from McGill University, Canada. In spring 2012 she completed her PhD degree from Boston College, School of Social Work.

Najwa has vast experience in the field of social work. She has worked as a case manager with physically handicapped in the Jerusalem and Bethlehem areas. She has also worked as a coordinator with women and cultural programs in Jerusalem, and most recently worked as a lecturer and coordinator for the Department of Social Work at Al-Quds University.

Najwa hopes to be engaged in doing research, predominantly about social policy and poverty upon her return.

Recently, Najwa’s research project titled The Dynamics of Formulating Anti-Poverty Policies from the Perspective of International Donor Agencies and the Civil Society Sector received support from a PARC 2012-2013 Fellowship. She is planning to collect the data of this project in June from Palestine. She plans to join the social work department at Al-Quds University in academic year 2012/2013.

Naser Abu El-Noor earned his master’s degree in nursing administration from Marquette University in Wisconsin on a Fulbright Scholarship.

Naser earned a PhD in public administration and urban studies with a health administration focus from the University of Akron, Ohio. His dissertation was on the quality of life and barriers to health care for prostate cancer survivors residing in the Gaza Strip.

After getting his master’s, Naser worked as a faculty member in the Islamic University’s Nursing Faculty where he was promoted after two years to dean. Naser looks forward to increasing and improving his teaching and research skills.

He notes, “I am emphasizing the need for health research because I feel this area almost does not exist in the health care sector in the Gaza Strip.”

Ola Khalili successfully completed her Ph.D. in teaching professional development programs in Palestine at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.

She is currently teaching education courses for undergraduate and graduate students at Birzeit University where she earned her master’s degree in mathematics education. These courses include measurement and evaluation, curriculum designing, and recent research on teaching. She also served as a coordinator for the Math National Achievement tests and was the Head of Research and Follow-up Division at the Assessment and Monitoring Department of the Ministry of Education. These professional experiences have molded a philosophy that “teaching methods are the main factors affecting student performance.”

Ola has traveled to various countries including Finland, South Africa, Chile, and Egypt to attend educational workshops and conferences.

Sadeq Firwana has worked with the British Council as the official examiner of the International English Language Testing System (IELTS).

He has taught courses in advanced writing, phonetics and phonology. Sadeq describes his Master’s degree experience as the catalyst of his career because it helped him to change his attitudes and methods of English as a Foreign Language (EFL) teacher training. He completed his PhD studies at Boston College’s School of Education. Sadeq believes that this PhD experience in the US will not be limited to his formal studies, as he would greatly like to have first-hand knowledge of American culture. He notes “sometimes understanding a text does not depend solely on understanding the linguistic meaning of words, but on the cultural background of what is being said.”

Upon returning from the PFDP Fellowship, Sadeq wants to do his best to disseminate the culture of EFL teacher training in the Gaza Strip. “One important method for such a pursuit is devising a Master’s Program for EFL teacher training at one of the Universities in Gaza.”

Sahera Bleibleh has a master’s degree from Al-Najah National University in urban and regional planning. Sahera started her career working with the private sector then shifted towards working with international organizations such as UNDP, the EC, and the World Bank.

She has worked on different developmental projects targeting the Palestinian people mainly in infrastructure, damage assessment, capacity building, and urban planning. Most recently, she has worked as a part time lecturer at Birzeit University and as a Senior Architect at Khatib and Alami, a consolidated engineering company in Ramallah. She is currently enrolled at the University of Washington, Seattle, Department of Urban Design and Planning. In June 2012, she defended her dissertation entitled “Everyday Life: Spatial Oppression and Resilience under the Israeli Occupation: The Case of the Old Town of Nablus, Palestine.” After her defense, she was awarded the Department of Urban Design and Planning Faculty Medal Award 2011-2012.

Sahera is enthusiastic about expanding her acquired practical and theoretical experience. She wishes to contribute to local planning practices and curriculum within local universities and organizations, so as to improve living standards and to create a better environment for local communities.

Wael Dokhan earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Malta. For Wael, the period he stayed in Malta was a turning point in his life as he met hundreds of foreign students from many countries around the world.

Wael notes, “I developed a better understanding of other cultures and broadened my knowledge and education through extensive reading and research.” Ever since childhood, Wael was interested in politics and social activities. However, the first Gulf War and the start of the peace process in the Middle East influenced his decision to study international relations. He believes the United States is the most influential country in world politics and international relations. This motivated him to pursue a PhD at the University of Denver’s School of International Studies.

Wael expects to return to Al-Azhar University upon finishing his degree and establish an institute of international relations.

Wael Ramadan received his MBA from the Maastricht School of Management (MSM) Holland, where he got the best research grades for his MBA.

He has now successfully completed his PhD at Cleveland State University. His dissertation was on the role of organizational culture in increasing the sustainable competitive advantage of SMEs.

Wael has diverse work experience and knowledge consolidated from various posts he held within the private sector, such as the World Bank, AMIDEAST, and the EU.

Wael hopes to bring back to his country the knowledge he acquires abroad and use it to create a better future for his people. He will use his recommendations and dissertation results to further improve current SMEs in Palestine.

Wasim Al Habil earned his master’s degrees with honors in public administration from the University of Arkansas after being awarded a Clinton Scholarship by USAID in 2001.

After completing his masters, Wasim held various professional positions including working as a food monitor in the World Food Program and as an academic counselor for the Academy for Educational Development. He has also worked with the UNRWA as an Assistant Chief, Field Education Program, and as parttime lecturer at Al-Quds Open University. This last experience was perhaps the most influential as Wasim embarked on a Ph.D. at the College of Urban Affairs (public administration track) at Cleveland State University where he focused on human resource management.

Wasim successfully graduated from his Ph.D. program, and is now working at his university in Gaza to develop new courses that introduce cutting edge teaching methods in public administration. Wasim would also like to establish the first Palestinian academic journal noting, “I will dedicate my mental and physical efforts to initiate a respectable academic publication that tackles administration science.”

Ziad Zaghrout earned the title “best lecturer” from his students in the business and finance department at Birzeit University where he started teaching at the age of twenty-six. Ziad holds an MBA degree in finance from Coventry University in England.

In the fall of 2012 he will complete his PhD in public policy and management at the University of Washington in Seattle. Ziad believes that economic development and improving national institutions is the most important thing for Palestinians. As an instructor at Birzeit University, Ziad places himself in the frontline of enlightening the next generation of Palestinian students who need to be aware of the current challenges faced by today’s business leaders so that they can base their future decisions on firm ground.

After returning from the US, Ziad will work on improving teaching methods in the finance department, conducting research, and writing, as well as doing some private consulting with local and international organizations.