Rawan Harirah

Rawan Harirah joined the Office of the Provost in July 2022. She is the Director of Visiting Education, developing programs that ignite the interest in academic medical and research career spaces, while creating a welcoming and safe atmosphere. The Visiting Education Program was established in 2022 with the goal to create programs that promote engagement, skills development, and collaboration at all educational levels. Rawan considers herself a product of previous UTMB youth STEM initiatives and internships that encouraged her pursuit for a career at an academic medical center. She references her personal experience as a driver to create explorative opportunities for future careerists at UTMB. 

Before joining the Office of the Provost, Rawan worked in the UTMB Health System (Clinical Enterprise) in the Ambulatory division (2021-2022) as a Project Manager and in the Regional Women’s Services & Pediatrics division (2017-2021) as an Administrative Coordinator. In these roles, she primarily led finance and grant performance, as well as process improvement of administrative tasks, for the clinical operations of multiple service areas, including primary care, surgical specialties, and urgent care. During her time in the UTMB Health System, Rawan completed the Developing Lean Leaders Program, a two-year cohort that gears individuals toward practical approaches to leadership, developing Lean Management skills, and ensuring value to patients across the Health System. Furthermore, Rawan has been actively engaged in continuing the bridge between UTMB and the community. In 2020, she was the recipient of the WRG Woman Trailblazer Award that recognizes women in the UTMB community and surrounding area who have modeled excellence and had a positive impact in the community they serve. In 2023, Rawan was honored as a member of Galveston County’s The Daily News’ 40 Under 40 program that recognizes men and women across all industries who have demonstrated personal and professional success and a commitment to the community.  

Prior to UTMB, Rawan worked for a start-up urgent care company in Houston, TX overseeing the billing, collections, and patient experience for eight clinics from 2015-2017. Before entering the healthcare industry, Rawan was stationed at the U.S. Mission to the United Nations through the U.S. Department of State, working for the New York Foreign Press Center. In this role, and during the Ebola crisis, she briefed foreign correspondents, providing education on U.S. policies on healthcare and media. 

Rawan holds a Master of Healthcare Administration degree from the University of Houston-Clear Lake (2015), a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science with a focus on public administration from the University of St. Thomas-Houston (2013), and an Associate of Natural Sciences degree from College of the Mainland (2012) in Texas City.  

When she is not developing programs for Visiting Education and Youth, Rawan volunteers with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the Junior League of Galveston County (JLGC), and Special Olympics Texas. Rawan can be found around her community at local events, as well as bike-riding in her neighborhood.