Dr. Diya Abdo is a first-generation Palestinian who was born and raised in Jordan. Her work has focused on Arab and Islamic feminisms with a particular interest in Arab women writers. Abdo has been a leader in harnessing the power of higher education for the public good; In 2015, Abdo founded the Every Campus A Refuge (ECAR) initiative, which advocates for housing refugee families on campuses, based on the idea that colleges and universities have all the resources necessary--housing, food, care, skill-building--to take in refugees and support them as they begin their lives in their new homes. She was the recipient of the 2019 Thomas Ehrlich Civically Engaged Faculty Award.