National Arab American Heritage Month is celebrated in the United States every April, highlighting the many contributions of the Arab American community in the country.
Read about the history of National Arab American Heritage Month penned by SWE member Amar Dabaja and join the Society of Women Engineers this month in recognizing the achievements of the Arab American community, especially those in STEM.
Check out this collection of some of SWE’s podcast episodes, blog posts, and magazine articles to learn about the work and impact of the Arab and Arab American community as we observe National Arab American Heritage Month together.
Diverse: A SWE Podcast
- Ep 364: Career Pivots, Culture, and Community: Stories From Arab American Women Engineers: Hear civil engineer and construction manager Ashwaq Alhammami and transportation project engineer Farrah Rawashdeh share their personal experiences as Arab American women in engineering, how their identities shape the way they approach their STEM careers, and the career pivots that led them to the creation of the American Arab Engineering Society.
- Ep 255: Celebrating Arab American Voices in STEM With Inaas Darrat of Trinity Consultants: FY26 SWE President Inaas Darrat shares her journey as a chemical engineer in her role as director of chemical sector services at Trinity Consultants, her insights on how to make STEM fields more welcoming to all, and her experiences as an Arab American woman in engineering.
- Darrat has also hosted several Diverse podcast episodes addressing crucial topics for women engineers, including how engineers and leaders can adapt their communication styles, navigating hidden curriculums in STEM, and understanding weathering and its impact on women of color.
All Together Blog
- Arab American Women in Engineering: Meet Amar Dabaja: Get to know a SWE member who designs automotive crash detection and airbag control modules, and hear her journey as an electrical hardware engineer and her experience with SWE over the years. You can also learn how her passion for reading led her to electrical engineering.
- Celebrating Women in Engineering in the Arab World: Read about some of the trailblazing women engineers hailing from different parts of the Arab region, making their mark in STEM and providing inspiration for women students and professionals considering careers in structural engineering, biomedical engineering, aerospace engineering, and more.
- Arab Women in Engineering Spotlight: Global STEM Leaders: Three incredible Arab women — Dr. Marwa El Hefnawy, Sara Ibrahim, and Dr. Ghada Salama — share how they are living life without limits, advancing SWE across the globe, inspiring others, and making a positive impact in their respective STEM fields.
SWE Magazine
- Read Darrat’s thoughts on embracing your story and SWE’s and how successes in 2025 fuel optimism for the future. Don’t want to miss out on the President’s Notes in upcoming issues? Sign up to receive the latest SWE content updates!
- Mariette Awad Receives Shoman Award for Arab Researchers: Learn about Mariette Awad, Ph.D., at American University of Beirut, the recipient of the 2024 Abdul Hameed Shoman Award for Arab Researchers in Engineering and Technological Sciences.
- Dina Katabi Elected to National Academy of Sciences: Dina Katabi, Ph.D., is the Andrew & Erna Viterbi Professor of electrical engineering and computer science at MIT and the director of MIT’s Center for Wireless Networks and Mobile Computing.
