MARIA HABBOUSHI IS THAT PERSON AROUND CAMPUS WHO HAS A BIG SMILE ON HER FACE ALL DAY LONG.

If you haven’t met her, you should. Her cheerfulness is invigorating.
 
Dr. Habboushi joined the faculty of Azm University English-language program as a full-time senior lecturer this year and is happy she did.  She likes the “family” atmosphere and says that since “it’s a young university, I’ll be able to grow with it and make a difference in its development.”
 
Dr. Habboushi first considered joining Azm while in the United States, where she completed her PhD in Educational Leadership at the University of Saint Louis. “I was happy to hear that there was a new university in my hometown, and I also knew Marwan Kanj from a long time.” Mr. Kanj is head of the English program at Azm.
 
She is motivated by the challenges facing her, among them encouraging students to engage in research, expanding their curiosity, and developing their critical thinking abilities. As an avid reader, she wants to encourage students to read more. Dr. Habboushi says she reads “everything”, including novels, thrillers, and stories based on true events. Those, she says, are her favorite. Among her preferred authors are Dan Brown and J.K. Rowling.
 
In addition to reading, Dr. Habboushi likes to go to the gym, and does that at least three days a week. She takes her exrecise very seriously, focusing on cardiovascular training, lifting weights, and lately on yoga. “I’m looking for inner piece,” she says with a large smile. As to music, she is currently listening a lot to Latino or Spanish music. She wants to learn Spanish, and “besides,” she says, “I also like Enrique Iglesias.”
 
Dr. Habboushi is very interested in learning about other cultures and it was that interest, among other things, that made St. Louis University so attractive to her. “It was truly an international campus. I made friends from people from all over the world, and that was not just fun, but also very culturally enriching.”
 
Although her family hails from El Mina, Dr. Habboushi was born and raised in Accra, Ghana. She moved to Lebanon when she was 19. Her father was adamant that she should continue her university education in Lebanon, and eventually the whole family moved back. She obtained her bachelor’s degree from Balamand University, and later an MA in Teaching English as a Foreign Language from Bilkent University in Ankara, Turkey, before going to the U.S.A. for her doctorate.