Dr. Hala Salaam Maksoud Dr. Hala Salaam Maksoud was born in Beirut, Lebanon. Dr. Maksoud immigrated to the United States in 1947 and has remained a citizen since. Since immigrating to the United States from the Arab Nation of Lebanon, Dr. Maksoud has chosen a path of education in the academic world, as well as in the advocating for the civil rights of Arab-Americans. Dr. Maksoud's educational journey is marked by a Doctorate in political theory, and a Master's Degree in government from Georgetown University, as well as a Master's Degree in mathematics from the American University of Beirut. As a professor, Dr. Maksoud has taught courses on international relations and the Middle East at George Mason University and on Arab women's issues at Georgetown University's Center for Contemporary Arab Studies.

As an Arab born citizen of the United States, Dr. Maksoud realized early on that she felt strongly about the need to correct the misunderstandings in the United States about the Arab world and especially Arab women. Dr. Maksoud believes that these misunderstandings have translated into discrimination against Arab-Americans in all aspects of life. Armed with her education and her beliefs, Dr. Maksoud forged ahead and became a pioneer, helping to found the largest Arab-American grassroots organization in the United States: the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee. Dr. Maksoud has worked closely with the ADC, since its inception in 1980, becoming the President from 1996-2001. She is currently on the Board of Directors of the ADC and is working on a book entitled The Islamic Content of Arab Nationalist Thought to be published in the summer by the University of Florida Press.

Dr. Maksoud has published numerous articles in American journals and the Arab press, as well as several monographs. She lectures extensively on the Arab world, the condition of Arab Americans, Arab women, Islamic political thought, and the Arab-Israeli conflict. She has appeared on numerous television and radio shows in the United States, Europe and the Arab World.

As a prominent and active member of her community, Dr. Maksoud is Secretary of the American Committee on Jerusalem, Treasurer of the Committee for the Preservation of Palestinian Heritage, past president of the Association of Arab-American University Graduates, as well as a founding member and past president of the Arab Women's Council. She also serves a member of the advisory board of many journals on the Middle East.

Dr. Maksoud lives in Washington, DC with her husband, Dr. Clovis Maksoud, former Ambassador of the League of Arab States and current professor of International Relations at American University.

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