RANA ABU GHAZALEH

1530 Lincoln Way, Apt 304 Mclean, VA 22102

Mobile: 571-282-5313
ra5f2d52@westpost.net rana_ag@hotmail.com

EXPERIENCE:
Fulbright Scholar. Published Author. Architect/Urban planner and economic and co
mmunity development specialist. Keynote speaker at global development conference
s. Directed workshops and led panel discussions for respected international grou
ps. Leadership experience in Europe, Middle East and North Africa region. Issue
expertise in Architecture, urban development, sustainability, civic participatio
n, youth empowerment and leadership training. Successful grant writer. Proficien
t in Microsoft office, AutoCAD, SketchUp, GIS and Photoshop.
For detailed professional profile please see http://www.linkedin.com/in/rghazal
eh

Freelance Architect/Consultant, March 2009-Present

* Travelled between the U.S. and West Bank on a consultancy base to perform desi
gn schemes for various housing projects in Jerusalem and the West Bank.
* Built 3d models for various housing projects and performed landscape designs f
or several residential compounds.
Research Assistant/Volunteer
American Planning Association, Washington, DC, Dec 2009 -Present
* Managed research projects for leading U.S. urban planning center on brownfield
redevelopment, sustainable communities, urban agriculture, and shrinking cities
.
* Initiated and conducted research on international development case studies and
urban development issues.
Consultant
International Planning and Parenthood Federation (IPPF), Tunisia (Headquarters),
Nov 2001- present
* Designed, facilitated and led workshops in Europe, Middle East and North Afric
a region on human rights, youth participation, and reproductive health issues.
* Initiated and led youth programs subsequently awarded grants by The Arab Gulf
Program for United Nations Development Organizations (AGFUND), for implementatio
n and expansion of youth leadership and health education programs in the Arab wo
rld, focusing on the Arab Gulf region.
Urban Planner/Architect
Dour Engineering and Planning Office, Jerusalem, Jan 2009 - July 2009
* Analyzed and managed evaluation of prestigious professional housing project fo
r the medical community, and presented recommendations accepted by public commis
sion overseeing execution of the project.
* Consulted on design, research and urban planning projects. Prepared zoning p
lans and detailed architectural drawings, and supervised construction for leadin
g national firm.
* Contributed to third place award at national competition for designing housing
project in Jerusalem.
Architect/Community Participation Specialist
CHF International (Cooperative Housing Foundation), West Bank, Nov 2005 - July 2
006
* Awarded USAID grant for design of community parks in the West Bank and Gaza un
der PARCS project, part of CHFs economic development and sustainability initiati
ves.
* Led public meetings, planning charades and income generating/sustainability wo
rkshops for 16 local communities in West Bank.
* Left organization to pursue Fulbright Scholarship to study for Masters degree
in the U.S.

Program Manager
International Peace and Cooperation Center (IPCC), Jerusalem, Aug 2003 - Aug 200
5
* Directed special projects for leading urban planning and policy research organ
ization, initiated programs, and wrote proposals subsequently funded by UNESCO,
European Commission, Ford Foundation and Fredrich Ebert Stiftung.
* Co-authored publication on impact of the conflict and political decisions on p
hysical, social and economic development of City of Jerusalem.
* Built bridges for shared Palestinian-Israeli vision for City of Jerusalem and
developed worst and best case scenarios for citys future development under Scena
rio Building Project.
* Presented shared vision and possible scenarios for Jerusalem in Metropolis con
ference, a premier international forum exploring urban issues with representativ
es from 70 cities across the world. Directed research on comparison of post-wal
l Berlin to the future of divided City of Jerusalem, under Cities in Transition
project.
* Led Palestinian architectural student research team under Geographies of Confl
ict project, an international academic program partnered with IPCC, University o
f Arts in Berlin and Bezalel Israeli Academy of Arts and Design.
* Organized international conference on Cities of Collision, hosted by Van Leer
Institute, exploring global case studies on the spatial impact of extreme urban
and rural conflicts, Jerusalem, 2004. Presented case study analyzing political
forces shaping urban and social trends in the Palestinian community in Cities of
Collision conference.
* Led panel discussion at and presented findings of Geographies of Conflict proj
ect at Territories Exhibition conference in Malm, Sweden.

EDUCATION:
May 2008: Master of Science in Urban Planning, State University of New York at B
uffalo
Awarded Fulbright Scholarship by U.S. Department of State; achieved 3.978 GPA.
Specializations: International and economic development, community development
Relevant Courses: Strategic Planning and Implementation, Economic Development an
d Industrial Change, Comparative International Planning, Non Profit Management,
GIS applications, Quantitative and Qualitative Research Methods.
June 2003: Bachelor of Science in Architectural Engineering, Birzeit University,
West Bank
Specialization: Architectural Design
LANGUAGES:
* Fluent in English and Arabic; writing and reading knowledge of German and Hebr
ew.
AWARDS:
2008: Whos Who among Students in American Universities and Colleges Award
Deans Award for Academic Excellence, State University of New York at Buffalo
Best Thesis Project Award: Urban Adaptive Mechanisms for Communities under Siege
2006: Fulbright Scholarship awarded by U.S. Department of State for Masters degr
ee study in the US
PUBLICATIONS:
* Abu Ghazaleh, Rana, Urban Adaptive Mechanisms for Communities under Siege: the
Case of Jerusalem, Palestine, VDM Verlag, Berlin, ISBN 978-3-639-15043-8, 2009.
* Abu Ghazaleh, Rana, Home Biography, 2005, Scroope, University of Cambridge Arc
hitectural Journal, issue 17, UK, 2005.
* Robert Brooks, Rassem Khamaisi, Rami Nasrallah and Rana Abu Ghazaleh, The Wall
of Annexation and Expansion Wall: Its Impact on the Jerusalem Area, Internation
al Peace and Cooperation Center, Jerusalem, 2005.
* Jerusalem in the Future: Scenarios and a Shared Vision, Friedrich Ebert Stiftu
ng, Jerusalem, 2005