HFC welcomes Dr. Naser Abumustafa, international scholar, as BEPD associate dean

After more than 22 years in higher education, including administrative and teaching duties around the world, Dr. Naser Abumustafa (pronounced ah-boo-moo-STAH-fah) has joined HFC as the Associate Dean for Business and Economics, Computer Information Systems, Cisco, Cybersecurity, and Culinary Arts + Hospitality Management in the School of Business, Entrepreneurship, and Professional Development (BEPD).

“I have a rich experience in higher education and feel I can serve the students and the HFC community well,” said Abumustafa. “I want to give back to students based on my knowledge and experience, to help them succeed.”

Abumustafa is the second associate dean to recently join BEPD. In late June, Dr. Sašo Krstovski joined HFC as the associate dean of Industrial Technologies, overseeing Advanced Manufacturing, Trade and Apprenticeship Education, Building Sciences, Automotive Technology, and ASSET. Like Krstovski, Abumustafa reports to BEPD Dean Patricia Chatman.

“Dr. Abumustafa centers his leadership philosophy and management style on being mission-focused, collaborative, an open communicator and good listener, a creative and compassionate problem solver, and an advocate for students, faculty, and programs alike. Dr. Abumustafa is a great addition to our team, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact he will have on our students, staff, and community,” said Chatman.

Entrepreneurial spirit since age 7

The sixth of seven children, Abumustafa was born in Jordan. After graduating from high school, he immigrated to the United States when he was 18 and settled on the East Coast. He lives in Dearborn with Rima, his wife of 20 years. They have four children.

Abumustafa earned his bachelor's degree in business administration from what is now Caldwell University in Caldwell, NJ. He earned his MBA in finance from Manhattan College in New York City. He later earned his Ph.D. in economics and finance from Fordham University in New York City. Abumustafa is fluent in English, Arabic, and Spanish. He is also conversational in Italian and has a working knowledge of Hebrew.

Abumustafa developed his flair for business when he was 7, when he set up a lemonade stand in his native Jordan. As a teenager, he raised and sold birds.

“You could say I always had an entrepreneurial spirit,” he said. “I saw how much money you can make and earn from owning your own business.”

Taught in 5 different countries over 14 years

Abumustafa has been teaching for 27 years, including five years at the high school level before teaching at the college level.

“I love to teach,” said Abumustafa. “I get so much satisfaction transferring my knowledge to the students. Teaching is a great blessing to me.”

Abumustafa’s career in higher education has been diverse and extensive. Some of his roles were:

• Chair of the Department of Finance and Economics at Golden Gate University in San Francisco
• Dean of the College of Business at Al-Ahliyya Amman University in Jordan
• Academic Dean for the Qatar Finance and Business Academy (QFBA)/Northumbria University Newcastle in Qatar
• CEO and Dean of the Al-Zahra College for Women in Oman
• MBA Program Director at Gulf University for Science and Technology (GUST) in Kuwait
• Professor of Finance at the New York Institute of Technology School of Management campuses in Bahrain and Jordan.

“For 14 years, I taught in five different countries,” he said. “I liked exposing myself to different cultures and belief systems; that was very enriching for me.”

Loves the diversity of the HFC community

Prior to coming to HFC, Abumustafa worked in Qatar. He spoke about what attracted him to the College.

“I really like the College’s diverse community. The diversity of HFC, as well as the City of Dearborn, is its greatest attribute. For me, Dearborn is the best place for Middle Eastern food,” he said.

His duties as associate dean are many, but his most important include monitoring the faculty-student achievement ratio, accreditation standards, quality assurance in teaching, and supervising department chairs.

“I am excited to collaborate and work closely with Dr. Abumustafa,” said Krstovski. “His extensive academic experience will be invaluable to BEPD and help me become a more effective associate dean.”

For Abumustafa, the main focus of his job is student success.

“I want to serve the students and make sure they graduate with the proper skills needed to enter the job market,” he said. “I’m very inspired to be here.”