Our organization is dedicated to exclusively assisting eligible disabled undergraduate Palestinian students with tuition expenses, working directly with Palestinian institutions of higher education to cater to their unique needs.
During his visit to Palestine in 2018, Dr. Khoury realized that over 140 students with disabilities were enrolled at Al-Najah National University in his hometown of Nablus. In 2023, this number rose to 208. Al-Najah National University is just one university among many others. LKF was established for the sole purpose of supporting disabled Palestinian college students.
ADVOCACY
LFK advocates for students by raising awareness to their contributions, by encouraging participation in society and by workshops and conferences
SUPPORT
The foundation supports Palestinian students with disabilities in partnerships with Palestinian institutions of higher education
Board of Directors
Honorary Chair:
His Excellency Archbishop Atallah Hanna; Jerusalem
President and Founder:
Dr. Hani Khoury; Georgia, USA
Vice President:
Dr. Omar Lattouf; Georgia, USA
Treasurer:
Mr. Patrick Gibby; Georgia, USA
Secretary:
Christian Shaheen, JD; Georgia, USA
Board Members
Board Members:
Dr. Rev. Fahed Abuakel; Georgia, USA
Dr. Ilise Cohen; Georgia, USA
Mr. Abdelkarim Jabr; Georgia, USA
Mr. George M. Khoury; California, USA
Mrs. Stephanie Nadi Olson; Georgia, USA
Ms. Tess Shaheen, JD; Georgia, USA
Ms. Selma Tahboub; Georgia, USA
Mrs. Najwa Nadi-Khalaf; Georgia, USA
In Memoriam:
Dr. Mufid Othman; Georgia, USA
About Laurice Khoury
The Laurice Khoury Foundation for Disabled Palestinian Students Inc. is a nonprofit organization registered under 501(c)(3). Established in honor of Laurice Taqtaq Khoury (1929-2022), it pays tribute to her legacy. Laurice is the late mother of Hani Q. Khoury, a mathematics professor at Mercer University in Macon, GA, USA.
Hani Khoury
Dr. Hani Q. Khoury is a Professor of Mathematics and the founder of the department of Mathematics, Science, and Informatics at Mercer University’s College of Professional Advancement, Georgia, USA, and served as its chair from 2006-2013. He has been a faculty member at Mercer University since 1994.
Dr. Khoury was born in Nablus, Palestine in 1965 with a rare and progressive physical disorder known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy, a neuromuscular disease that sentenced him to an electric wheelchair by the age of eighteen. Despite his progressive disability, he decided to come to America to complete his higher education. He earned an Associate of Arts degree in Mathematics and Science from Onondaga Community College in 1985, Bachelor of Arts degree in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Science degree in Systems and Information Science in 1987, a Master of Science in Computer Science in 1989, and a Doctor of Philosophy in Mathematics Education in 1995, all from Syracuse University, New York.
For his inspirational success story and decent work being done to create a better world for everyone, he was awarded the 2019 High Achieving Arab American Individual award by the Alif Institute in Atlanta, GA. Dr. Khoury has written articles and has given numerous presentations on the quest for justice and peace in the Middle East and on empowering people with disabilities. His academic interests focus on the philosophy of mathematics, international perspectives on education, and the link between mathematics and political thought.
He is the author of Giving Up Is Not an Option: Memoirs of a Palestinian American, one of 51 books nominated world-wide for an award by the London-based Middle East Monitor for the year 2022.
