Dr. Maha Bin Bakr is a beacon in women’s higher education leadership in Saudi Arabia. Throughout her career, she has led, taught, mentored, and researched, women’s leadership and empowerment in education.

She was born in 1968 in Los Angeles, California and raised in Saudi Arabia where she completed her studies throughout high school in various public and private schools. She then earned her Bachelors in English Literature in 1991 and master’s in educational. Administration in 1992 from Lamar University in TX. Further, she went to continue her Doctorate in Educational Leadership and Policy Studies in 1996 from The George Washington University in Washington D.C. She has been awarded many excellence awards.

from the Saudi ambassador and The Cultural Attaché during her studies in The United States. Her contribution to education began in 1997. Dr. Maha is currently a professor in Educational Leadership at The College of Education at Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University (IAU). She has 26 years of rich leadership and academic experience: Dean, College of Arts (12yrs); Assistant Dean for Academic Affairs (5yrs); Head and member of many prestigious boards and committees at the university and college level at IAU and other educational institutions, Board of trustee at the Royal University for Women at The Kingdom of Bahrain since (7yrs).

She has led the organizational change and transformation at the College of Arts during her deanship by fostering some vital projects and establishing several units and expanding them to become vital centers and departments in the areas of technology; professional development; quality assurance and accreditation; strategic planning. She is also the founder of the College of Arts’ Excellence in Teaching Award and The Faculty Evaluation Program which were later adopted at the university level. She was instrumental in developing many academic programs as well as setting the organizational foundation for other emerging colleges and centers at IAU.

Her mission has always been focused on Saudi women empowerment; therefore, most of her academic projects and research have concentrated on “Women Leadership”. She has been investigating the challenges to women empowerment into academic leadership, and is dedicated on inspiring academic women facing different kinds of challenges, and providing the support needed to reclaim their administrative empowerment and creativity. She collaborates with the Leadership Center at the university in providing workshops for senior and promising leaders on a variety of topics related on effective leadership. Some of her academic credentials includes published papers in national and international journals, presented as well as chaired at various conferences and scientific forums, research examiner and advisor for more than 40 doctorate and master level students at different universities. She has 4 children and one handsome grandchild “Malik”.