Dr. Hassan A.M. Abu-Jarad is a two-time alumnus of Ball State earning his MA in Linguistics and TEFL in 1983 and his Ph.D. in Applied Linguistics in 1986. After a rich academic journey, Dr. Abu-Jarad stayed in the world of higher education working within various universities from 1979 to the present. His work as a professor, dean, and chairman has led Dr. Abu-Jarad to his newest position as President of Gaza University.
Campus Update from 1982 featuring Hassan Abu-Jarad as a graduate student
From pursuing a B.A. in English Education from Alexandria University in Egypt, to studying linguistics at Ball State University, and eventually attending St. Johns College in Maryland to study Philosophy, Dr. Abu-Jarad has a vast educational experience. Amidst this experience, Dr. Abu-Jarad’s time at Ball State led to his dissertation on “English Interlanguage of Arab Students: An Analysis of Relative Clause and Verb Tense” and years of working in English studies. After achieving his Ph.D., he spent several years working as a Professor of Applied English Linguistics before becoming Dean of the Faculty of Languages and Translation at Al-Azhar University of Gaza. From there he continued to take on new roles, including Dean of Planning and Development, Head of Pchrd for Human Resource Development, Present Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and eventually becoming the President of Gaza University as of July 1, 2022.
When looking back at his time at Ball State, Dr. Abu-Jarad fondly remembers his professors and colleagues from the Department of English.
“I have always been proud of being a BSU graduate. I have carried all the academic and moral principles that I learnt from my great professors in the Department of English.”
In his new position, he hopes to work with Ball State to establish exchange programs and joint research. He is also interested in having academic relations for Applied English Linguistics, Journalism, Engineering, and Computer Science. Dr. Abu-Jarad’s work and goals are all aimed toward his academic objective: “Devoted to peace, human, and social development”.
The Cardinal Directions Series highlights recent alumni taking flight and making a difference. Read the full series here.