The First Saudi Arabian Woman to Earn a Doctorate at the University of Hawaii

Hana Omar was recently awarded a doctorate from the College of Education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa. She is the first woman from Saudi Arabia to earn a doctorate at the University of Hawaii.

Dr. Omar earned her doctorate in educational technology with a dissertation entitled “A Grounded Theory Study to Evaluate the Use of Community-Based Technologies to Enhance the Educational Experience for Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing Students in Higher Education.”

While at the University of Hawaii, Dr. Omar was a graduate teaching assistant and founded and served as president of the university’s Islamic Society. She is fluent in Arabic, English, and French and has been selected for work in the diplomatic corps by the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.