R. S. ZAHARNA
School of Communication
American University
(202) 885-3995
zaharna@american.edu
http://academic2.american.edu/~zaharna
EDUCATION
1987 Ed.D.,
Communication, Columbia University
1982 M.Ed.,
Communication, Columbia University
1978 B.S.,
Foreign Service, Georgetown University
Studies
1982 Intern,
Under-Secretary General for Public Information, The United Nations
1979 Graduate
School of Corporate & Political Communication, Fairfield University
1978 Certificate
of Arab Studies, Center for Contemporary Arab Studies
Georgetown University
1976 The
American University in Cairo, Egypt
HONORS & AWARDS
2001 World Association of Former United Nations Interns
and Fellows
1996 Fulbright
Senior Scholar
1992 Who's
Who of Arab-Americans
1989 Top
Paper, Intercultural Communication, International Communication Association
1987 Dissertation
Award, Society for Intercultural Training, Education and Research
UNIVERSITY-LEVEL TEACHING
1990-Present Assistant Professor (tenured
1996)
School of Communication, American University
1987-1990 Assistant Professor
School of Communication, Howard University
1985-1987 Adjunct Associate Professor
Department of Communication, University of the District of Columbia
1983-1984 Lecturer,
An-Najah National University, Nablus, West Bank
COMMUNICATION PROJECTS
1996- Public Relations
1997 Najah National University, Nablus
Assisted the university
public relations staff in preparing for first international conference
hosted
by the university. Provided
speech writing assistance and training for university officials for
formal presentations. Trained
staff in public relations activities. Assisted in layout, design, and
editing official brochure
profiling the university and student yearbook.
1996 Communication Skills
Training
Palestinian Ministry of Education, Gaza Strip
Designed and conducted
3-day workshop on communication for approximately 25 public school
headmasters from throughout
the Gaza Strip. Prepared skills workbook (in Arabic) adopted by the
ministry for use in training
school headmasters, teachers and students in public school system.
1993 Public Relations Training / AMIDEAST, Gaza
Invited by AMIDEAST,
one of largest American sponsors of training and education projects in
the
Arab world, to conduct the
first public relations training program for institutions in the Gaza Strip.
1991 - Media Analyst
1993 Palestinian Team
to the Middle East Peace Talks, Washington
Prepared daily media analysis.
Assisted in media training, media inquiries and interview,
and press conferences.Worked
with U.S. State Department, Protocol, military and White House
officials in coordinating logistics
for airport arrangements of officials and international media.
Assisted in logistics for
signing of Israeli-Palestinian peace accord on the White House lawn,
provided ground assistance
to Protocol officials and media personnel.
1983- Assistant to
the President
1984 Najah
National University, Nablus
Developed international programs
department for the university, included English language
training,university agreements
with universities in the U.S. and international scholarships.
Assisted the Public Relations
Office, developed information materials for university.
1979- Information Officer
1983 Palestinian Mission to
the United Nations, New York
Monitored press. Arranged
broadcast, print, and satellite interviews with international media,
including placement on Nightline,
McNiel-Lehrer, Good Morning America, Today Show,
and 60 Minutes. Developed
advertisements and information materials for the New York Times,
Christian Science Monitor,
and
Congressional Record. Assisted visiting officials with
media
training and U.N. addresses.
Handled inquiries from the media and general public, including
information briefings to
student and community groups. Assisted in drafting U.N. speeches and
resolutions for the Mission.
Spoke on behalf of Mission before U.N. Special Political Committee.
PUBLICATIONS
Media & Foreign Policy Analysis
Finding America's Voice in the Middle East, Foreign Policy in Focus, April 2002.
Incredible and Unbelievable, Baltimore Sun, April 14, 2002.
Israel’s True Intentions in Removing Arafat, Foreign Policy in Focus, December 2001.
American Public Diplomacy in the Arab and Muslim World: A Strategic
Communication Analysis,
Foreign Policy in Focus, November 2001
Israel’s Policy of Targeting Terrorists: Implications for the
United States, Foreign Policy In Focus,
September 2001
The Plan to Remove Arafat, Foreign Policy In Focus, July
2001.
Scholarly Articles
Toward an In-Awareness Approach to International Public Relations, Public
Relations Review
27 (2001), pp. 135-148.
Intercultural Communication and International Public Relations: Exploring
Parallels, Communication
Quarterly 48 (2000), pp.85-100.
A Public Relations Tour of Embassy Row: The Latin Diplomatic Experience,
(co-author, Juan Cristobal
Villalobos), Public Relations Quarterly 45
(2000), pp.33-37.
Managing Cross-Cultural Challenges: A Pre-K Lesson for Training in the
Gaza Strip, Journal of
Management Development, 15 (1996), pp. 80-92.
Final Status: A Communication Perspective, Palestine-Israel Journal
of Politics, Economics
and Culture 3 (1996), pp.123-128.
The Palestinian Leadership & the American Media: Changing Images,
Conflicting Results," in
Y. Kamalipour (Ed.) The Middle East and the American
Media (Chicago: Greenwood Press,
1995), pp. 37-49.
Understanding Cultural Preferences of Arab Communication Patterns,
Public Relations Review,
21 (1995), pp.241-255.
COMMUNITY SERVICE
* American Jewish and Palestinian Dialogue Project
Member of the Steering Committee for the Dialogue Project, an international project bringing
together American Jewish and Palestinian women leaders. In January 1992, participated in a
joint, 2-week trip to Israel, the West Bank and Gaza. The Dialogue Project has been featured
in publications world-wide, including MS Magazine, The Jerusalem Post, and New York Times.