Dr. Hazar Shehadeh, associate professor at the University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC), believes education is more than a degree - it’s a form of empowerment.
“You can lose wealth or status, but no one can take your education from you.”
Her journey from the Middle East to the U.S., from English learner to accomplished researcher and faculty leader, is a testament to perseverance, purpose, and passion for student success.
“My education career began long before I earned my doctorate; it started when I was a young girl who believed deeply in the power of reading to change a life.”
While strong in her beliefs in the empowerment of reading and education, Dr. Shehadeh didn’t plan to become a professor. Her husband, then a teacher while pursuing his doctorate, inspired her to envision herself at the front of the classroom.
Education is not just my career, it is my story, my purpose, and my way of giving power to others the same way it empowered me.
It worked. Within two months of arriving in the U.S., she enrolled in a master’s degree program. A few months after graduating, she was teaching English in Texas — and loved it.
In those early years, she found her calling teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) in South Texas, a role she could relate to as a second-language speaker herself.
“Even though their first language was Spanish, and mine is Arabic, we understood each other.”
That shared understanding became the cornerstone of her teaching philosophy: a blend of empathy and high expectations.
Dr. Shehadeh went on to earn her PhD at 29, balancing family, motherhood, new responsibilities, and a world that often underestimates young women in academia.
“Today, when I speak to students who are juggling work, kids, aging parents, and everything life hands them, I don’t just empathize, I understand. I’ve lived the balancing act. And that is why I teach the way I do.”
“People Are Layered”
Dr. Shehadeh brings her multilingual background — English, Arabic, and French — into every course she teaches. Early in her career, one student questioned her ability to teach English as a non-native speaker. By semester’s end, the student wrote a letter apologizing for their assumption and thanking her for the lessons learned “not only about writing, but about life.”
“People are layered,” Dr. Shehadeh says. “Words matter. I tell my students: if my accent bothers you, this may not be your class. But if you stay, you’ll learn something you can use for life.”
This transparency builds belonging and trust while setting the tone for academic rigor.
Research That Moves the Needle
As a lifelong learner, Dr. Shehadeh’s passion extends beyond teaching into research. She has published extensively on topics including language instruction, student success, and minority achievement.
Check in daily. Communicate with your instructors. Take advantage of tutoring and advising. Be kind to yourself, but stay engaged. Consistency is the key - in education and in life.
Her most influential work examines how course modality and duration affect student outcomes. After the pandemic’s shift to online learning, she studied withdrawal and success rates across eight-week and sixteen-week courses. The results were clear: well-structured accelerated courses can be just as effective —or even more effective — than traditional formats, depending on instructor engagement and course design.
“The data confirmed what I observed in my classrooms,” she says. “Student success isn’t about seat time — it’s about quality design and meaningful instruction.”
Her findings led to invitations to present at national and international conferences, including accreditation summits. One of her studies even inspired college leaders to expand accelerated offerings campuswide.
Leading With Purpose at UAGC
Today, Dr. Shehadeh serves multiple roles at UAGC. She teaches graduate and first-tier writing courses, serves as an Institutional Review Board (IRB) reviewer, and co-leads curriculum design for general education courses and university-wide committees. Since joining UAGC full-time in 2023, she has also led several research projects. Her work continues to strengthen the academic experience and uphold the commitment of UAGC to quality and innovation.
“Designing curriculum that connects with learners’ realities, while maintaining high academic expectations, is deeply rewarding,” she says.
Education as Empowerment
Dr. Shehadeh’s approach to curriculum design is grounded in her own life experience as an immigrant, scholar, and parent.
“Education is not just my career, it is my story, my purpose, and my way of giving power to others the same way it empowered me,” she says.
Her courses balance real-world application with culturally responsive instruction and scaffolded skill development. Assignments mirror professional writing tasks such as charting patient notes or drafting police reports to help students see direct connections between classroom learning and workplace success.
She encourages students to embrace consistency as a lifelong skill.
“Check in daily. Communicate with your instructors,” she advises. “Take advantage of tutoring and advising. Be kind to yourself, but stay engaged. Consistency is the key - in education and in life.”
Beyond the Classroom
Outside of work, Dr. Shehadeh describes herself as “literally fighting for students,” a nod to her passion for kickboxing and weightlifting. She also enjoys interior design, gardening, and travel. She and her husband, a biologist and musician, have been married for more than 20 years. Their daughter studies biology on a pre-med track, and their son is in high school. The family’s dog, Echo, a Chihuahua-Lab mix, “brings so much joy” she adds.
Through her teaching, research, and mentorship, Dr. Hazar Shehadeh exemplifies what it means to lead with intellect and empathy. She transforms personal experience into professional excellence — showing students that with persistence, education, and heart, success is always within reach.
“Education empowers,” she says. “It changes how you see yourself—and what you believe is possible.”