The Academic Office

Dr. Iman Saca

Dr. Iman Sacca is a native of Bethlehem, she attended Saint Joseph Girls School and Talitha Kumi for High School, completed her B.A. in Archaeology at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and earned her PhD and MA in Archaeology and Anthropology at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

For over 20 years, Dr. Iman Saca has been a leading scholar and interdisciplinary educator in Archaeology and Anthropology and an advocate for cultural protection, preservation, and promotion.

Throughout her professional journey, Dr. Saca has served extensively in Palestine, in other Arab countries and in the United States. Her commitment to Palestinian institutions, particularly educational institutions, both domestically and internationally, is unwavering. Notably, she has interest in documenting and preserving tangible and intangible heritage. Working at the Palestinian Department of Antiquities, she co-founded of the Palestinian Heritage Center (PHC) in Bethlehem and, among other accomplishments, she contributed to the preparation of the Battir village file for inclusion in the World Heritage List.  Dr. Saca played a pivotal role in the 2013 UNESCO World Heritage listing of the Al Zubarah archaeological site in Qatar, where she served as the Senior Consultant and Director of Community Archaeology at Al Zubarah Archaeological Site. Currently, she serves as an international consultant and expert for the nomination of ancient Jericho as a World Heritage site.

Before being nominated by the Vice Chancellor and elected in 2023 by the International Board of Regents as the Academic Vice President at Bethlehem University, Dr. Saca served as professor of Anthropology and Director of Middle Eastern Studies at Saint Xavier University, Chicago, for 19 years, seven of which as Chair of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology.

As Vice President for Academics, Dr. Saca is the administrative head of all academic activities of the University, responsible for setting the academic vision and direction for the University.  Together with her Deans and Directors, she provides leadership for the seven degree and diploma units of the University: Faculty of Arts, Faculty of Nursing and Health Sciences, Institute for Community Engagement, Institute of Hotel Management and Tourism, Faculty of Applied Sciences, Technology and Engineering, Faculty of Education, and the Shucri Ibrahim Dabdoub Faculty of Business Administration.

Dr. Saca oversees and coordinates seventeen Institutes and Centers at the University, including the Resource Center for Students with Disabilities, UNESCO Biotechnology Educational and Research Center, Bethlehem Business Incubator, the Yunus Social Business Center and the Samir Aweidah Clinical Simulation Center.  She is responsible for ensuring that each of the 31 programs, degrees and diplomas corresponds to the overall purposes and mission of the University: 4 Masters, 23 Bachelors, 4 Associates, 6 Diplomas, 3 Higher Diplomas, and 12 Profession Diplomas.

Dr. Iman is currently working with the faculty to implement a teaching, learning and research initiative for students and faculty in Gaza, in addition to considering other new academic programs and identifying aspects of existing programs that need adaptation to align with the needs of Palestinian society today and into the future. She also is promoting scientific research, supporting scholarly productivity among the faculty, and strengthening international collaborations, especially in the fields of education and scientific research.

Dr. Iman’s own research interests include a focus on interdisciplinary education and lie at the intersection of anthropology, community archaeology; oral history; lived experiences; intergenerational heritage education; community participation, and heritage protection.