Joanna Abdallah (pronouns: she/her) is the Associate Director of Student Life and International Services in the Office of Student Life, Diversity, & Leadership (SLDL) at Claremont Graduate University with over 8 years of experience in higher education working in multiple areas, including graduate student support services and programming, international student advising, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, professional development, and teaching.
Joanna started her journey as an international student in 2016, when she left her home country, Lebanon, to pursue her master’s degree in communication at the University of Dayton. Stemming from her own experience in the United States, she developed a strong interest in international student topics and challenges. She turned this interest into a deep passion and a quest to improve international student experiences by pursuing a career in higher education. Although this prompted a major shift from TV and Film graduate to dedicated educator, Abdallah transposed her communication skills and creativity to influence more inclusive policies and practices in higher education systems.
Currently, Joanna is a PhD candidate in the Educational Leadership doctoral program at the University of Dayton. In her dissertation she will be exploring faculty’s high impact practices that help international doctoral students, in social science programs, navigate their academic journey in the United States.
In her free time, Joanna likes painting, gaming, and spending time with her family and cats.