Dr. Haleh Arbab holds a Ph.D. in Education from University of Massachusetts. For 23 years (1983-2005) she worked with FUNDAEC (Fundación para la Aplicación y Enseñanza de las Ciencias) in Cali, Colombia. She was also the founding director of the “Institute for Studies in Global Prosperity”. There she held various positions, including 14 years as Rector of FUNDAEC’s Centro Universitario de Bienestar Rural (University for Rural Wellbeing), a university developed in an Afro-Colombian region and serving rural populations as well as those experiencing forced rural-urban migration and the effects of prolonged conflict. She played a leading role in developing educational materials for FUNDAEC’s Sistema de Aprendizaje Tutorial (SAT) a secondary level educational system used by over 25,000 students throughout the Americas, and Preparation for Social Action (PSA) programs, and directing projects to advance FUNDAEC’s programs funded by the Gates Foundation, Hewlett Foundation, CIDA, and IDRC, among others. She was also the founding director of the Institute for Study of Global Prosperity (2005-2018). The Institute developed learning environments - engaging in research, writing materials, training people, and implementing programs - oriented toward bettering social conditions.