Middle Eastern studies expert to lead US Arab museum

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DEARBORN, Mich. (AP) — An expert on Middle Eastern studies has been selected to lead the Arab American National Museum.

Officials with the museum based in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn on Monday announced the appointment of Diana Abouali. She officially starts April 1.

Abouali, who has a doctorate in history and Middle Eastern studies, taught on those and other topics at Dartmouth College. She also worked as head of research and collections at the Palestinian Museum.

She also worked for Jordan's Petra National Trust and Turquoise Mountain, and has organized cultural heritage education workshops for Syrian women and children in refugee camps.

Abouali will be the Dearborn museum's third director. She succeeds Devon Akmon, who worked for the museum for 13 years and led it for five.