Hashemite Unviersity / Harvard University

Professor Dajani received her doctoral degree in molecular cell biology from the University of Iowa. She has also served as a Radcliffe Harvard Fellow, an Eisenhower Fellow, and was a Fulbright alumnus twice. She is currently an Associate Professor at Hashemite University in Jordan, where she was also the former Director of the Center of Studies. Her lab are the world experts on genetics of Circassian and Chechan populations in Jordan focusing on diabetes. She also spearheaded the establishment of a law for stem cell research ethics in Jordan.

Professor Dajani has served as a consultant to the higher council for science and technology in Jordan, and currently is on the United Nations women Jordan advisory council. She established a network for women mentors and mentees and received the PEER Award for the model “Three Circles of Alemat” which focuses on the advancement of education. She was appointed a Higher Education Reform Expert by EU-TEMPUS in Jordan, and has served as an Education expert consultant to the Islamic Development Bank. She is also the founder of the Center for Service Learning at the Hashemite University, where she advocates teaching through problem based learning, reading, drama and social media. She has developed a community-based model and philosophy “We love reading (WLR)” to encourage children to read for pleasure which received multiple awards. WLR has spread throughout Jordan, the Arab world and internationally reaching 33 countries.

Professor Dajani has spoken on several occasions, including the TEDx Dead Sea, the World Islamic Economic Forum and the World Science Forum in both 2015 and 2017. She has received several recognitions for her contributions, including being named one of the Most Influential Women Scientists in Islamic World, and receiving the WISE award and the King Hussein Medal of Honor in 2014. In 2015, she was given the Star Award, and was ranked 12th out of 100 Most Influential Arab Women, along with being inducted in the Women in Science Hall of Fame. More recently, Professor Dajani was given the Global Changemaker Award IIE/Fulbright in 2016 and the UNESCO International Literacy Prize in 2017.