Maha has been at MiraCosta College since 2012, teaching Biostatistics, Data
Analysis in Excel, and Biology. She is Lebanese American. Maha earned a BSc in Physiology
and Biochemistry with a minor in Chemistry from the University of Reading, as well
as a PhD
in Biochemistry from Sussex University in the UK. This was followed by two postdoctoral
fellowships at Johns Hopkins University, where she researched the control of gene
expression
and related areas of cell and molecular biology. She also holds a certificate in
Biostatistics from UCSD.
Maha loves teaching and opening the world of statistical thinking to students,
inspiring them and being inspired by them. She enjoys getting to know her students
and
fostering an inclusive class community.
Outside of science, her passion is building community and advocating for
cross-cultural understanding. She is co-founder and former co-director of the Middle
East
Peace Camp for Children in Seattle, Washington, now in its 24th year of operation,
and
co-founder of the Arab Peace Tree Project (2002). She also co-founded and co-chaired
The
Back to Work Initiative of the Association for Women in Science in San Diego (AWIS-SD),
supporting women re-entering STEM careers. She was a founding member of AMEMSA+ (Arab,
Middle Eastern, Muslim, and South Asian+) at MiraCosta College, helping build it from
its
inception, and is a co-founder of the San Diego Arab Film Festival, where she currently
serves on the festival committee, curating and evaluating films.
