Hanaa Fawzy is on a global mission
Faculty | Mar 11, 2016 | Gabelli School of Business
Assistant Dean Hanaa Fawzy
By Bailey Link, BS ’16
You might see Hanaa Fawzy around Hughes Hall, but do you know what she does?
The assistant dean recently handed over the reins for the sophomore class to Bob Daly and is now focused on the Gabelli School’s connections abroad. Learn more in this transcript of our conversation with Fawzy, edited only for clarity and continuity:
Q. Tell us what you do at the Gabelli School of Business.
A. I am the assistant dean of global initiatives and partnerships, so my main role is to provide global support to all of our business students, whether they are domestic, international, or exchange students. Another important function of my role is to advise students who choose global business as a secondary concentration in their program of study. We also provide different programming to help students embrace a global business mindset, such as International Business Week.
Q. How long have you been at Fordham?
A. I’ve been at Fordham since June 2013, initially as assistant dean for sophomores. This year’s senior class was my first class to work with, and I am very excited for them. I can’t believe that they are now graduating! I’m really looking forward to attending that graduation to acknowledge every one of them.
Q. What did you do before you came to Fordham? And what was your educational background?
A. I’ve been here in the United States for almost 25 years. I was born in Egypt. I attended a German school until high school, though. Then I finished my bachelor’s degree at Cairo University in German literature and linguistics. Afterward I decided to come to the United States to pursue my master’s degrees. One was from Arizona State University in German language and literature, and the other was an MBA in marketing from Northern Kentucky University. My education has been spread out over three continents, and I speak three languages: German, English, and Arabic.
Prior to Fordham, I worked about five years with the German Academic Exchange Service. My main role there was to provide all the programming for incoming German students in North America.
Q. What is it about working with students that appeals to you?
A. It’s their big dream. That’s what gives me energy and reminds me of how life really should be. I think Fordham students impress me by the big dreams they have, their focus and their strong sense of community. I’m hoping to expand that sense of community to a global sense of community. In a way, I try to support our students as much as I can, but I also like to learn from them. They have great, creative ideas, and many of them really think outside the box. That energizes me even more.
Q. What do you like to do when you’re outside of work?
A. I like to enjoy life, either the little things on a daily basis or the big things. I also like creating meals and experimenting with recipes from different parts of the world. I like making dinner and chatting with my family members about their days. My husband and I like to plan trips together. Nowadays I’ve been learning how to fix cars, starting with fixing a flat tire and changing the oil.
