F. Gregory Gause III is Professor of International Affairs and John H.

Mr. Jonathan McKay currently serves as the Head of Growth at OpenAI, where he is responsible for driving user and revenue growth for ChatGPT. His responsibilities also extend to the strategic allocation of the GPU fleet and developing product infrastructure to support GPU allocation, internationalization, and comprehensive A/B testing initiatives across ChatGPT platforms.

Dr. Meriem Guetat is an experienced professional in international education and program management. Currently serving as the Director of Programs at Amideast, she brings over a decade of hands-on experience from her work in North Africa. In her present role, she oversees a diverse range of educational and training programs across the organization as well as manages the implementation of Amideast proprietary exchange programs. Before her current position, Dr.

Ms. Dena H. Elkhatib is the general counsel for Riyadh Air. She is a transactional lawyer with over 20 years of experience and a specialty in high-value transactions in various sectors, including banking and aviation. Her experiences include aircraft portfolio acquisition/sales, finance/operating leases, debt financing, and restructuring transactions.

Mr. James T. Grabowski has served as Amideast's Vice President for Field Operations since August 2007. In this capacity, he is responsible for the oversight of operations, workforce development projects, and standardized testing activities in the organization’s network of field offices located in 11 countries in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Ms. Nuha Alkhatib has served as the Director of IT since April 2016, overseeing the technology operations of Amideast, mapping out pathways to success, and empowering the realization of business objectives through technology utilization.

As the Director of Risk Management, Assets, and Facilities, Mr. Jay Makdissi is responsible for all aspects of risk management, including physical and technical security and safety at our U.S. and international facilities. 

Mr. Ayad Zein has been supporting the Fulbright Program in different capacities for 16 years. As Director of the Fulbright Program, he oversees Amideast staff at our Washington, DC headquarters and in the MENA region who support the Fulbright Foreign Student program and Amideast’s administration of the program.  

Ms. Oliver serves as Amideast’s Director of Advancement. In this role, Ms. Oliver manages the planning and implementation of a comprehensive advancement plan, including major and planned giving programs, foundation and corporate support, and donor relations.

As the Director of Communications, Ms. Betsy Laun Maalouf works closely with HQ program staff and our 11 field offices to manage Amideast’s branding and public outreach via publications, social media, the website, and special events and activities. 

She covered business, energy, and development news for publications focused on the Middle East and North Africa for nearly 25 years.  Since joining Amideast in 2005, she has discovered the rewards of managing communications for a mission-driven nonprofit organization focused on the MENA region.