Sana J. Harb, a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) and an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) business faculty member at Black Hawk College in Moline, Illinois, was inspired to enter the field of academia by her parents, both of whom were dedicated teachers. Notably, her father was a high school mathematics and science teacher for 40 years. Emphasizing that teaching lends itself to continuous learning, she has been considered a lifelong learner. As such, Dr. Harb is highly educated, having first attended Mount St. Clare College (now the University of Arizona Global Campus). Receiving a bachelor’s degree in accounting in 1990, she subsequently relocated to St. Ambrose University, from which she earned a Master of Business Administration in 1995. After accruing many years in her field, Dr. Harb returned to St. Ambrose University and obtained her DBA in 2011.
At the inception of her career, following the receipt of her master’s degree, Dr. Harb served as adjunct faculty member in the business department of Clinton Community College between 1995 and 1996. Thereafter, she became a general business development manager at the Harb Heart Center from 1996 to 2001, having concurrently thrived as a faculty member in the School of Commerce and Economics at Birzeit University from 1998 to 2001. Dr. Harb then excelled as the executive metropolitan director for the American Heart Association, Inc. from 2002 to 2004 and an assistant professor at St. Ambrose University from 2006 to 2015.
During this time, Dr. Harb lent her considerable wealth of knowledge to various other endeavors. From 2009 to 2010, she was a curriculum development consultant at the Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences as well as an assistant professor at Augustana College from 2010 to 2012. At this point in time, Dr. Harb’s children grew into adulthood, and she decided to place her education career on pause to enter the aerospace industry. Serving at Collins Aerospace for five years, she was the senior manager of global quality training and curriculum development from 2013 to 2018, then worked as a supply chain manager in master planning at HNI Corporation from 2019 to 2020 and was an on-site lean manager of Transplace at Uber Freight from 2021 to 2022.
Since 2022, Dr. Harb has returned to higher education as an AAS business faculty member at Black Hawk College. As a full-time professor, she teaches seven different courses in the realms of business management and administration. In the classroom, she is recognized as a motivated and results-driven leader with an aptitude for innovation and creative problem-solving. Moreover, she has demonstrated enhanced abilities to improve overall productivity and has collaborated with various organizations to help them meet their business goals by aligning their resources. Recently, Dr. Harb signed a contract with a publishing company to publish a textbook on the introductory fundamentals of business, which will be published in April 2024.
Although she has achieved many significant career milestones, Dr. Harb is particularly proud of positively impacting the lives of her students. She has always taken a genuine interest in improving her students’ lives and makes special accommodations for students who require extra aid under difficult circumstances. Dr. Harb emphasizes that she is available to always provide assistance to those who need it.
In her leisure time, Dr. Harb enjoys supporting the arts and culture communities in her area, having been an active contributor to and enthusiast of museums, symphonies, and ballets. She is also affiliated with the Figge Art Museum and remains connected to the American Heart Association, Inc. Married to a cardiologist who formerly served as chief medical officer of a health system, Dr. Harb has four children and two grandchildren. Impressively, her eldest child is a cardiologist in New York, and her second child is a director of a therapy program at Macalester College in Minnesota. Her third child is a physician completing a residency in family practice, and her youngest child works for Northwell Health, leveraging a master’s degree in health administration.
Looking forward, Dr. Harb plans to be a published author and continue her efforts as a well-respected professor in business practices. She attributes much of her success to her unwavering determination, inherited from her father, through which she has never declined an opportunity for learning or growth.
