Dr. Rand Omran

Dr. Rand Omran serves as OASRI’s spokesperson and primary liaison with U.S. audiences.

Dr. Rand studied at the University of Baghdad between 1986 to 2007, first earning a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the College of Law and Politics and then subsequently a master’s degree and a doctorate of philosophy (PhD) in Political Science. From 1999 to 2007, Dr. Rand conducted research, organized seminars and coordinated lectures for the University of Baghdad’s International Studies Center. Additionally, her passion for women’s rights led  her to establish the Women’s Leadership Institute in Baghdad in 2006. In this role, she conducted research and implemented projects to enhance political participation by Iraqi women.

As Baghdad’s security environment deteriorated in 2007, Dr. Rand and her family sought refuge in Jordan before moving to the United States the following year. After relocating to Houston, Texas, Dr. Rand served refugees and asylum seekers as a Cultural Orientation Instructor and Case Manager for YMCA International Services. Dr. Rand is a member of the University of Houston’s Friends of Women’s Studies, the Arab American Cultural & Community Center of Houston and the Houston Refugee Women’s Collaborative.

Dr. Rand speaks Arabic and English.