RIT Ph.D. student and visiting assistant professor driving global sustainability

Israa Ameen Thiab is a Ph.D. student in the Golisano Institute for Sustainability and a visiting assistant professor of management in the Saunders College of Business. Thiab earned her undergraduate degree in her native Jordan and her master’s degree in Sweden before coming to RIT. Since 2008, Thiab has been an active practitioner in the field of sustainable business and contributed to several programs and initiatives focused on sustainable solutions in Jordan and more recently the United States. For the last two years, Thiab’s research has aligned with the ASEAN Circular Entrepreneurship project, a program that works with partners across ASEAN member states to provide education on circular economy principles.

What sparked your interest in sustainability and the intersections between circular economy, entrepreneurship, and gender?

My interest in sustainability began when I was in my teens. Growing up in Jordan, I witnessed firsthand the challenges of resource scarcity and pollution, from water shortages to biodiversity loss. When I was 15 years old, I joined a local volunteer organization focused on the preservation of nature, and I decided that this would be my purpose.

Before moving here, I started my own consulting firm in Jordan. I found out what it meant to be a female entrepreneur, especially in a conservative culture where traditional gender roles are more strictly observed. I also became curious about whether the gender aspect had any influence over the choice of business model an entrepreneur would create or the way entrepreneurs decide to run their business. So, the angle I chose for my research really was rooted in personal experience.

How did you get involved with the ASEAN Circular Entrepreneurship project?

My involvement with the ASEAN Circular Entrepreneurship project began as an extension of my work in Jordan where I delivered specialized training in circular entrepreneurship to young aspiring entrepreneurs. Through my role at the Competitive Sustainability Center (CSC), which had received a grant to implement a similar program in the ASEAN region, I collaborated with partners to develop training programs, curriculum, and entrepreneurial support structures, suited to the socio-economic context of the region, and aimed at accelerating the transition to a circular economy in the region.

One of the most fulfilling aspects has been working directly with local universities in the region to customize an online training curriculum, made accessible to all our partners. This curriculum aimed to develop the capacity of educational institutions and entrepreneurial ecosystems, to train their entrepreneurs to develop circular business models, and establish circular start-ups that can thrive economically.

This experience has been incredibly rewarding. Working with entrepreneurs, policymakers, and academic institutions across ASEAN has allowed me to witness diverse approaches to circularity. Additionally, it has reinforced the importance of public engagement in driving meaningful change.

You teach a few classes at RIT, as well as a Summer Sustainability program. How has your role as a visiting assistant professor impacted your research, or vice versa?

I believe that teaching is my true calling in life. I enjoy every minute of it. At RIT, I engage with students who are eager to explore sustainable business models, and their diverse perspectives often challenge me to refine my own understanding of circular economy applications.

Conversely, my research enriches my teaching by bringing real-world case studies and data-driven insights into the classroom.

One of my main goals as a professor is to equip students with practical skills—whether through business modeling, innovation strategy, or business management exercises—so they leave with actionable knowledge they can apply in their future careers. Whatever they learn in my classes, as it pertains to circular economy, will be of benefit to them whether they start their own businesses or join an existing one.

What do you hope to achieve with your research, and how do you see it shaping policies or business practices in the future?

My research aims to bridge the gap between sustainability and entrepreneurship, providing evidence-based insights that can inform and/or change entrepreneurial ecosystems, business strategies, and policymaking. 

In the future, I hope my research will help inform government policies that prioritize sustainable business incentives and entrepreneurial training programs. Additionally, I want to see large corporations integrating circularity into their supply chains in a way that benefits smaller enterprises, especially those led by women and minority entrepreneurs.

Ultimately, I see my work as contributing to a fundamental shift in how businesses operate—moving away from linear, wasteful models toward regenerative, circular systems that drive both economic opportunity and environmental resilience.