Rawa Abu Lawi/Sawalha served as the Dean of the Faculty of Fine Art from August 29, 2021, to July 31, 2022. She now the coordinator of Fashion Design Program at ANNU. She earned her Ph.D. in 2017 from Lancaster University, one of the top ten universities in the UK. Rawa holds a unique position as the first academic architect in Palestine with expertise in three distinct areas of study: a Bachelor's degree in architecture, a Master's degree in Urban and Regional Planning, and a Ph.D. in Interior Architecture and Interior Design, specifically focusing on public spaces in children's hospitals. Her Ph.D. research is groundbreaking and the first of its kind in Palestine.

Since 2000, Dr. Rawa has been teaching at An-Najah University and has played a pivotal role in establishing and developing the program of Interior and Fashion Design. She has successfully coordinated various modules and exhibitions. Additionally, Rawa has over ten years of experience working as a professional designer for prominent consulting firms in Nablus.

Rawa has accomplished significant milestones throughout her career. She is recognized as the first academic from An-Najah National University's Department of Interior Design to present papers in English at international conferences. Moreover, she has authored articles in globally esteemed journals with impact factors. Additionally, Rawa stands out as the inaugural female academic from her department to achieve a Ph.D. from a prestigious institution in the United Kingdom. Her commitment to the field is evident through her service as a peer reviewer for both local and international journals. Her expertise has gained international acclaim, as seen in her roles as an external reviewer for the Design Journal/Taylor & Francis in England and as an International Advisory Board member for the International Institute for Engineers and Researchers (IIER). She also serves on the Editorial Board for IJAAA and has been a CHD member for over a decade. Furthermore, since 2018, she has served as an external reviewer for an engineering program in Interior Design in Bahrain.Furthermore, she is part of a team working on a project related to Erasmus+.

Dr. Rawa's research interests encompass a wide range of topics, including architecture, interior design, and design for children, healing environments, and interior architecture.