As Abeer Abuhejleh entered her final year of high school, she was uncertain about her future career path. Growing up in the United Arab Emirates under a British-modeled education system, her exposure was primarily to science-driven subjects. However, a friend's interest in design and visual communication piqued her curiosity.
"Design was something that I could see myself doing," Abuhejleh stated. She pursued this interest as an undergraduate, despite a two-year detour into architecture at her parents' request. Eventually, she graduated from Jordan University of Science and Technology in 2019 with top honors and secured a scholarship for graduate studies.
The scholarship required her to return as a professor at the university after completing her graduate studies. Her search for suitable programs led her to the Institute of Design (ID) at Illinois Tech due to its unique curriculum. "It was a serious decision on my behalf," Abuhejleh said, emphasizing the years it took to finalize this choice.
Abuhejleh's research at ID focuses on integrating design with data, addressing the challenge designers face in proving their work's effectiveness to businesses. "A problem that designers often have is that they cannot convince businesses that their designs actually work because [businesses] work with numbers and designers work with time and iteration," she explained.
Before returning to Jordan, Abuhejleh plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Design at ID, facilitated by support from community members like Professor Carlos Teixeira. This support has reinforced her confidence in both accepting the scholarship and attending ID.
"The more time passes away, the more aligned I feel with what I'm currently researching," Abuhejleh noted, expressing satisfaction with her decision as ID continues to innovate.