Tahani Abdallah, Ph.D., isn’t afraid to admit that the idea of making an impact on her local community — let alone the world — was rarely on her radar.
“I’ve always been treated well in this life,” said Dr. Abdallah. “I always assumed the best in people and believed everyone to be equal.”
In recent years, her perspective shifted as she left behind a successful corporate career to pursue one in academia, leading her to Adler University, where she earned her Doctor of Philosophy in Organizational Leadership online.
“All of a sudden, I saw things differently,” Dr. Abdallah said. “I could no longer ignore all the injustices and inequity happening around us, and more importantly, that we have the ability to address many of these challenges.”
Dr. Abdallah will be this year’s student speaker during the Chicago and Online campuses’ commencement ceremony at the Chicago Theatre on Sunday, Oct. 27. In her speech, she aims to inspire fellow graduates to view their degrees not just as accomplishments or a piece of paper, but as a call-to-action to use their knowledge and influence to drive meaningful change in their communities.
“We can’t continue putting our heads in the sand,” said Dr. Abdallah, who is currently a lecturer and the director of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the University of Dayton’s School of Business Administration. “Our journey at Adler has given us the tools to change our little part of the world.”
‘Teaching was my calling’
A proud Palestinian-American, Dr. Abdallah discovered her passion for higher education while teaching at Birzeit University’s College of Business.
Dr. Abdallah and her family visit New Orleans.
In 2017, she and her family relocated to Palestine for a three-year commitment while her husband pursued a career opportunity. During this time, removed from her corporate job, Dr. Abdallah decided to teach business management, human resources, and marketing at Birzeit University.
“And I fell in love with it,” Dr. Abdallah said. “I quickly realized that teaching was my calling. I was suddenly eager to earn my doctorate.”
When she returned to the U.S. in 2021, Dr. Abdallah joined Park University in Parkville, Missouri, as an adjunct faculty member and lecturer. That same year, she enrolled in Adler University’s Ph.D. program in Organizational Leadership, completing the three-year program six months ahead of schedule.
Worthy of a celebration
Today, Dr. Abdallah drives DEI strategies to cultivate a more inclusive culture across the school.
“I 100% believe I got my role due to my education at Adler,” she said. “My experience at Adler, particularly my Social Justice Practicum (SJP), has been foundational in how I approach diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace.”
Dr. Abdallah considers her SJP experience at the National Conference for Community and Justice of Greater Dayton (NCCJ) as a key highlight of her doctoral program. The organization empowers communities to eliminate bias, bigotry, and discrimination in neighborhoods, schools, and workplaces. At NCCJ, she helped design an audit system that enables institutions to adopt more equitable hiring policies and practices.
“If I could give future and current students one piece of advice, it would be to conduct their SJP full-heartedly,” she said. “You’ll be surprised at how much it’ll change you.”
When Dr. Abdallah takes the podium at The Chicago Theatre, she’ll share more about her journey at Adler and how much it has inspired her to continue positively impacting her community as an educator.
Commencement will also be a time for her to say thank you, celebrate the end a journey, and acknowledge the start of a new chapter. As an online student, Dr. Abdallah said she is looking forward to meeting and connecting with many of her classmates and the professors who supported her along the way, including those who walked her through the dissertation process.
“As graduates, I know we have so much to be grateful for. We earned this achievement together, and that’s worth celebrating,” said Dr. Abdallah. “And for me personally, as a female, a Muslim, a Palestinian-American, even at my highest successes, there were moments when I felt that I didn’t belong. At Adler, I learned that I do belong.”