Rasha A. Abdulla, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Graduate Director
Journalism and Mass Communication
The American university in Cairo
Tel: +(2.02) 797-6206
Fax: +(2.02) 795-7565
E-mail: rasha@aucegypt.edu

EDUCATION

University of Miami (Aug. 2000 - Dec. 2003)
Ph.D. in communication
• Dissertation: The uses and gratifications of the Internet among Arab students in Egypt.

Georgia State University (Aug. 1999 - May 2000)
Ph.D. student in communication

The American University in Cairo (Sept. 1992 - Feb. 1996)
Master of Arts degree in journalism and mass communication (JMC)

The American University in Cairo (Sept. 1988 - June 1992)
Bachelor of Arts degree in JMC with highest honors (ranking first)
• Sequence: journalism, advertising / public relations
• Minor: political science
• G.P.A.: 3.82/4.00 -- highest G.P.A. among Bachelor of Arts students

TEACHING EXPERIENCE/AWARDS

Associate Professor and Chair (Sept. 2010-ongoing)
Journalism and Mass Communication Department
The American University in Cairo

Excellence in Research and Creative Endeavor Award, AUC (May 2011)

Associate Professor and Graduate Director (May 2010-Aug. 2010)
Journalism and Mass Communication Department
The American University in Cairo

Assistant Professor and Graduate Director (June 2009-May 2010)
Journalism and Mass Communication Department
The American University in Cairo

International Visiting Scholar (Spring 2009)
The Annenberg School for Communication
University of Southern California

International Visiting Scholar (April 2009)
College of Communication
Marquette University

Excellence in Research Award, School of Business, Economics, and Communication, AUC (May 2007)

Assistant Professor (Feb. 2004-June 2009)
Journalism and Mass Communication Department
The American University in Cairo
Courses Taught:
JRMC 200 (Introduction to Communication)
JRMC 201 (Mass Media Writing I)
JRMC 202 (Mass Media Writing II)
JRMC 270 (Online Communication)
JMRC 301 (Editing and Design)
JRMC 320 (Mass Media Research Methods)
JRMC 500 (Mass Communication Theory and Literature)
JRMC 501 (Advanced Reporting and Writing)
JRMC 504 (Research Methods in Mass Communication)
JRMC 580 Impact of Television: Issues and Developments
JRMC 588 Comprehensives
JRMC 590 Online Communication
JRMC 599 Research Guidance and Thesis

International Visiting Professor (Summer 2006)
Portland State University
Courses Taught:
SP 399 (Communication, Culture, and Middle Eastern Societies)
INTL 410/510 (The Internet in the Arab World)

Advanced Teaching Certification
University of Miami’s Instructional Advancement Center (Dec. 2003)

International Communication Association Outstanding Teaching Award
(May. 2003)

Graduate Teaching Assistant (Communication) (Aug. 2000 - present)
University of Miami
Instructor of Record for:
CBR 301 (Measurement and Analysis for Broadcast and Cable Audiences)
COS 211 (Public Speaking)

Graduate Teaching Assistant (Communication) (Aug. 1999 - May 2000)
Georgia State University
Instructor of Record for:
JOUR/SPCH 2500 (Communication Research Methods and Technology)
JOUR 1010 (Basic Journalism Writing)

Faculty Advisor/Managing Director (Sept. 1998 - Aug. 1999)
Caravan, student newspaper of the American University in Cairo (AUC)

Lecturer of Journalism and Mass Communication (Sept. 1997 - Aug. 1999)
The American University in Cairo
Courses Taught:
JMRC 301 (Editing and Design)
JRMC 401 (Advanced Journalistic Writing)
JRMC 311 (Writing for Broadcast Audiences)
JRMC 312 (Newspaper Staff I)
JRMC 412 (Newspaper Staff II)

RESEARCH PRESENTATIONS AND PUBLICATIONS

• Abdulla, R. (2011). The Invisible Republic of the Internet. Presented to the Personal Democracy Forum, New York University, NY.

• Abdulla, R. (2011). Social Media and Youth in Egypt: How Together They Brought Down Egypt's Dictator. Presented to the International Conference on Social Media, Florida International University, Florida.

• Abdulla, R. (2011). Mapping Digital Media in Egypt: How Social Media Brought Down the Dictator. Presented to World Press Freedom Day, Washington, D.C.

• Abdulla, R. (2011). Precedents for Public Service Broadcasting in Egypt: Findings from a Panos Project. Presented to the International Conference on Rebuilding Egyptian Media for a Democratic Future, Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R., & Abou Oaf, M. (2011). Collective Guilt As a Response to Evil: The Case of Arabs and Muslims in the Western Media. In M. Fackler & R. Fortner (Eds.), Blackwell Handbook of Global Communication and Media Ethics. Oxford: Blackwell.

• Abdulla, R. (2010). The Digital Divide and Internet Freedom: The Case of the Arab World. Presented to NCA 2010 (National Communication Association) Convention, San Francisco, CA.

• Abdulla, R. (2010). The Digital Divide and Internet Use for Political Activism in Egypt. Presented to NCA 2010 (National Communication Association) Convention, San Francisco, CA.

• Abdulla, R. (2010). Social Networking Systems and Political Activism. Presented to the 18th AUC Annual Research Conference. The American University in Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2010). Egypt: Mirror Images in Daily Life Coverage. The Anna Lindh Foundation Report 2010: Euromed Intercultural Trends. Alexandria, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2010). The changing Middle East media over the past 20 years: opportunities and challenges. In B. Korany (Ed.), The Changing Middle East. Cairo: The American University in Cairo Press.

• Abdulla, R. (2009). Policing the Internet in the Arab World. Emirates Operational Papers. The Emirates Center for Strategic Study and Research (ECSSR).

• Abdulla, R. (2009). Reporting on Religious Diversity in the Media. Presented to the Global Forum on Freedom of Expression, Oslo, Norway.

• Abdulla, R. (2009). Online Freedom of Expression in the Arab World. Presented to the Press Freedom on the Internet Conference, Center for Socio-Legal Studies, London.

• Abdulla, R. (2009). Measuring Public Opinion in Egypt: The Case of the Information and Decision Support Center's Public Opinion Poll Center. Presented to the Advances in Audience and Consumer Measurement Conference, Miami, Florida.

• Abdulla, R. (2008). Arabic language use and content on the Internet. [In English]. Report presented to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as part of the Access to Knowledge project. Available online at http://www.bibalex.org/a2k/attachments/references/rash%20en.pdf

• Abdulla, R. (2008). Arabic language use and content on the Internet. [In Arabic]. Report presented to the Bibliotheca Alexandrina as part of the Access to Knowledge project. Available online at http://www.bibalex.org/a2k/attachments/references/rash%20ar.pdf

• Abdulla, R. (2007). The Internet in the Arab world: Egypt and beyond. New York: Peter Lang.

• Abdulla, R. (2007). Towards Enhancing Media Education in the Arab World: Overcoming Problems and Achieving Accreditation. Presented to the AUSACE (Arab-US Association for Communication Educators) Convention, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• Abdulla, R. (2007). On the Road to Academic Accreditation: The Importance of Research and Balanced Curricula. Presented to the International Conference on Higher Education in the 21st Century, Manama, Kingdom of Bahrain.

• Abdulla, R. (2007). Sampling Methods: What Works and What Does Not Work for Egypt. Presented to the Cairo International Confernce on Public Opinion (CICPO), Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2007). Islam, jihad, and terrorism in post 9/11 Arabic discussion boards. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 12(3). Available online from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol12/issue3/abdulla.html

• Abdulla, R. (in press). Tramslating cultural diversity into policy action. Working Paper, the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity.

• Abdulla, R. (2006). An overview of media developments in Egypt: Does the Internet make a difference? Global Media Journal--Mediterranean Edition, 1(1), 88-100.

• Abdulla, R. (2006). Women and Media in the Middle East. Public Lecture: Portland State University, Portland, Oregon.

• Abdulla, R. (2006). Convergence, Consolidation, and Con-News. Presented to Prince Talal Center for American Studies and Research conference on Journalism in American Cinema, The American University in Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2006). The status of higher education in Egypt: Where are we compared to others? And why? Presented to the AUC Research Conference, The American University in Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2006). The Internet in Egypt and the Arab World. Public Lecture: Web Salon Series, Sakiet el Sawy Cultural Wheel, Cairo.

• Abdulla, R. (2005). The Internet and the health of the civic society in Egypt. Presented to NCA 2005 (National Communication Association) Convention, Boston, MA.

• Abdulla, R. (2005). The Internet in Egypt and the Arab World: How governments deal with the free flow of online information. Presented to NCA 2005 (National Communication Association) Convention, Boston, MA.

• Abdulla, R. (2005). Taking the E-train: The development of the Internet in Egypt. Global Media and Communication, 1(2), 149-165.

• Abdulla, R. (2005). The Internet in Egypt and the Arab world. [In Arabic]. Cairo: Afaq Publications.

• Abdulla, R. (2005). Towards believing what you see on the Egyptian news....Well, at least most of it. Proceedings of the AUC Research Conference, The American University in Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2005). Towards believing what you see on the Egyptian news…. Well, at least most of it. Presented to the AUC Research Conference, The American University in Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2005). What they post: Arabic-language message boards after the September 11 attacks. In M. Salwen, B. Garrison, & P. Driscoll (Eds.), Online News and the Public. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Abdulla, R., Garrison, B., Salwen, M., Driscoll, P., & Casey, D. (2005). Online news credibility. In M. Salwen, B. Garrison, & P. Driscoll (Eds.), Online News and the Public. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Lin, C., Salwen, M, & Abdulla, R. (2005). Uses and gratifications of online and offline news: New wine in an old bottle? In M. Salwen, B. Garrison, & P. Driscoll (Eds.), Online News and the Public. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Abdulla, R. (2004). The uses and gratifications of the Internet among Arab students in Egypt. Presented to NCA 2004 (National Communication Association) Convention, Chicago, Illinois.

• Abdulla, R. (2004). Using alumni surveys for assessment: Surveying alumni from the American University in Cairo. Presented to NCA 2004 (National Communication Association) Convention, Chicago, Illinois.

• Abdulla, R. (2004). Teaching American and Arab students in Egypt and the US. Presented to NCA 2004 (National Communication Association) Convention, Chicago, Illinois.

• Abdulla, R. (2004). The Egyptian oral rehydration therapy campaign (1983 - 1991): From theory to successful strategy. In A. Singhal, M. Cody, E. Rogers, & M. Sabido (Eds.), Entertainment-Education and Social Change: History, Research, and Practice. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

• Abdulla, R. (2004). New approaches for Egyptian media leadership in the Arab world. Presented to the AUSACE (Arab-US Association for Communication Educators) Convention, Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2004). Youth attitudes towards Arabic video clips in Egypt. Presented to the American Research Center in Egypt Conference on Music and Television, Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (2003). The uses and gratifications of the Internet among Arab students in Egypt. Unpublished doctoral dissertation, The University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida.

• Abdulla, R. (2003). Creating community: What the Internet means to Arab students. Presented to NCA 2003 (National Communication Association) Convention, Miami, Florida.

• Abdulla, R. (2003). Exploring the concept of virtual community among international students. Presented to ICC 2003 (Intercultural Communication Conference), Miami, Florida.

• Lin, C., Salwen, M, & Abdulla, R. (2003). Uses and gratifications of offline Newspapers and online news. Presented to ICA 2003 (International Communication Association), San Diego, California.

• Abdulla, R. (2002). Content analysis of major Arabic-language online message boards following September 11. Presented to NCA 2002 (National Communication Association) Convention, New Orleans, Louisiana.

• Abdulla, R., Garrison, B., Salwen, M., Driscoll, P., & Casey, D. (2002). The credibility of newspapers, television news, and online news. Presented to AEJMC 2002 (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication), Miami, Florida.

• Lin, C., Salwen, M, & Abdulla, R. (2002). Uses and gratifications of online and offline news: New wine in an old bottle? Presented to AEJMC 2002 (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication), Miami, Florida.

• Salwen, M., Driscoll, P., Garrison, B., Abdulla, R., Campbell, K., & Casey, D. Third-person perceptions of fear during the war on terrorism: How each side of the digital divide perceives the other. Presented to AEJMC 2002 (Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication), Miami, Florida.

• Abdulla, R. (2002). Online Arabic-language discussions of 9/11 and the aftermath: What are they saying on the other side of the Atlantic? Presented to BEA 2002 (Broadcast Education Association), Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Abdulla, R. (2002). A content analysis of an Arabic-language message board following September 11. Presented to ICC 2002 (Intercultural Communication Conference), Miami, Florida.

• Abdulla, R. (2001). The Internet in the Middle East: An overview of developments and current status. Presented to the NCA 2001 (National Communication Association) Convention, Atlanta, Georgia.

• Abdulla, R. (2001). Age, gender, & music genre as predictors of the uses and gratifications of MTV In Egypt. Presented to the NCA 2001 (National Communication Association) Convention, Atlanta, Georgia.

• Abdulla, R. (2001). Arabic music on the Internet: Copyrights or copywrongs? Presented to the AUSACE 2001 (Arab-US Association for Communication Educators) Convention, Atlanta, Georgia.

• Abdulla, R. (2001). Internet radio in the Middle East. Presented to BEA 2001 (Broadcast Education Association), Las Vegas, Nevada.

• Abdulla, R. (2001). Modernism, postmodernism, & Pink Floyd: Is there anybody out there? Presented to ICC 2001 (Intercultural Communication Conference), Miami, Florida.

• Abdulla, R. (2000). Why kids want their MTV: A cross-cultural perspective. In Civic Discourse in the Middle East and Digital Age Communication. L. Gher, & H. Amin (Eds.), Greenwich, CT: Ablex.

• Abdulla, R. (2000). International music across cultural boundaries: But hey, does the term really exist? Presented to ICC 2000 (Intercultural Communication Conference), Miami, Florida.

• Abdulla, R. (1999). The impact of Music Television (MTV) on music broadcasting in Egypt and the Middle East region. Presented to ARTICLE 19 (International Centre Against Censorship), Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (1998). Why kids want their MTV: A cross-cultural perspective. Presented to the AUSACE (Arab-US Association for Communication Educators) Convention, Cairo, Egypt.

• Abdulla, R. (1996). The uses and gratifications of music television in Egypt: Why kids want their MTV. Unpublished master’s thesis, The American University in Cairo, Cairo, Egypt.

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Founding Editor in Chief (Aug. 2008-present)
Digital Literacy Series, published by the Egyptian Cultural Palaces Authority,
Ministry of Culture

Book Reviewer/Copy Editor
• Communication for Business and the Professions, 2000, 7th ed., McGraw-Hill
(Aug. - Sept. 2001)
• The United Nations Human Development Report, 2001, Arabic Version
(May - July 2001)

Unit Coordinator
Marketing, Public Relations and Publications Unit (July 1996 - Aug. 1997)
AMIDEAST

Publications Specialist (July 1994 - June 1996)
AMIDEAST

Announcer (Sept. 1994 – Aug. 1999)
Radio Cairo (Local European Service, Overseas English Service)

Assistant to the Chair of the Journalism (Sept. 1992 - Feb. 1996)
and Mass Communication Department
The American University in Cairo

Free lance writer/editor (1992 - 1999)

PROFESSIONAL AFFILIATIONS:
• Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication (AEJMC)
• Association of Internet Researchers (AoIR)
• National Communication Association (NCA)
• Arab-US Association for Communication Educators (AUSACE)

AWARDS AND HONORS
• Excellence in Research Award, School of Business, Economics, and Communication, AUC (May 2007)

• International Communication Association (ICA) Outstanding Teaching Award
(May 2003)
• University of Miami Outstanding Graduate Student Award-2003 (April 2003)
• University of Miami Research & Creativity Award -1st place (March 2003)
• University of Miami Outstanding Graduate Student Award-2002 (April 2002)
• University of Miami Research & Creativity Award -2nd place (March 2002)
• University of Miami Scholarship (Aug. 2000 - present)
• Georgia State University Scholarship (Aug. 1999 - May 2000)
• The 1993 Mostafa and Ali Amin Journalism Award (Feb. 1993)
• Academic Merit Fellowship (Sept. 1992 - June 1994)
JMC department, AUC.
• Nominated by the Office of Student Affairs, AUC, (June 1992)
for the Parents’ Association Cup (awarded to “the most active graduating student combining extracurricular activities with high academic achievement.”)
• AUC Sports Merit Scholarship (tennis) (1989 - 1992)
• Dean’s List (1989 - 1992)

SPECIAL SKILLS
Computers
• Apple Macintosh
Teach and work extensively on several desk-top publishing and graphic design packages including QuarkXpress, Page Maker, Adobe Photoshop, and FileMaker Pro.
• PCs
Teach and work extensively on a variety of software packages, including Microsoft Office: PowerPoint, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Access, and Microsoft Word.

Internet and Web Design
• Work on Dreamweaver 4.0 & Flash 5.0 Web Design packages
• Doctoral course on new media, University of Miami, USA (Spring 2001)
• Doctoral course on new media and HTML Web Design, (Spring 2000)
Georgia State University, USA
• Attended several on-line Internet courses (Oct. 1995 - 1999)
at Spectrum Virtual University, USA

Grant Proposal Writing:
• Two-day workshop on Successful Grant Proposal Writing , (October 2002)
University of Miami, USA

Statistical Analysis
• Extensive data analysis on SPSS (formerly known as Statistical Package for the Social Sciences).
• Work on spreadsheets such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Access

Languages
• Excellent spoken and written Arabic (mother tongue)
• Excellent spoken and written English (660 on TOEFL)
• A fair knowledge of French

INTERESTS AND ACTIVITIES
Music
• Recording artist (songs and dialogue) for the Arabic version of Sesame Street and several Disney productions (1995 - present)
• Official voice of Daisy Duck for the Arabic-language Disney channel (1995 - present)
• Perform regularly at the Cairo Opera House and other cultural venues as a solo artist (singer/guitarist), and as part of several bands. Audiences ranging from 300 to 6000 (April 1997 - present)
• Founding member of the Osiris Singers Choir, AUC. (May 1993 - Aug. 1999)
• Record advertising jingles in English and Arabic.

Tennis

• Represented AUC for four years in the National Universities' Tournament and won four gold medals, a silver medal, Best Female Tennis Player cup, and a certificate of sports achievement. (1989 - 1992)
• Represented AUC and won three times in Limasol, Cyprus, against Limasol Sporting Club.(1989 - 1991)
• Represented AUC and won in London, England, against Richmond College.(1989)
• Ranked second on the national level. (1987)
• Represented Egypt in the Arab Tennis Tournament in Algeria, and ranked third.
• Winner of nine national titles (first place), and eight
second and third places on the national level.(1986 - 1989)

PERSONAL DATA
• Date of Birth : 03/22/1973
• Place of Birth : Cairo, Egypt
• Nationality : Egyptian
• Marital Status : Single

REFERENCES

Dr. Diane Millette
Associate Professor
School of Communication
Director, Instructional Advancement Center
University of Miami
P.O. Box 248127
Coral Gables, FL 33124
Tel: (305) 284-2340
Email: millette@miami.edu

Dr. Gonzalo Soruco
Associate Professor
School of Communication
University of Miami
P.O. Box 248127
Coral Gables, FL 33124
Tel: (305) 284-2265
Email: gsoruco@miami.edu

Dr. James Scotton
Associate Professor
College of Communication
Marquette University
Tel: (414) 288-5608 Milwaukee, WI
Email: james.scotton@marquette.edu

Dr. Hussein Amin
Chair and Professor
Dept. of Journalism and Mass Communication
The American University in Cairo
P.O. Box 2511
Cairo 11511, Egypt
Tel: (202) 797-5422/24
Email: h_amin@aucegypt.edu