Moving to Sharjah was an exciting trip for Moscaritolo
By Dalal Awienat
SHARJAH – A trip of 12 hours and 46 minutes seems like an exhausting journey, but to Dr. Lisa B. Moscaritolo, it was one of the most exciting trips of her life.
Moscaritolo is the current vice provost for Student Life at the American University of Sharjah. She moved to the United Arab Emirates in August 2019. After years of working in the United States, Moscaritolo decided it was time to move. When she proposed this idea to her husband, she said he agreed if they would move to a warmer place. About a year later, Moscaritolo and her husband found themselves in Sharjah unpacking their bags in their new home.
Moscaritolo was seeking a new experience and a change of context.
“After living in the U.S., I wanted a change of context and culture. I had experience working with multicultural groups, so I decided I wanted to move,” said Moscaritolo.
She looked for opportunities all over the world but something about AUS caught her eye and she decided to go for it.
When Moscaritolo arrived on campus for the first time in April of 2019 for the interview, she knew she belonged here.
“AUS was such a perfect fit. I felt a connection with the campus. It’s always a challenge moving somewhere else, but this university and country has made it a smooth transition,” said Moscaritolo.
Moving across the globe was an exciting experience for Moscaritolo but it came with challenges, she said.
“The biggest cultural shock I experienced was the extreme change in weather. I did my interview in April then returned in August, so I was so surprised by the change in weather,” expressed the vice provost. What was considered a hot afternoon in New York City is now a cool breezy winter night in Sharjah, a big change for Moscaritolo.
The vice provost only experienced a semester and a half here at AUS before the pandemic hit. She described how a typical day in her life looked like before Covid-19. Moscaritolo tries to walk to campus everyday so she can start off her mornings by watching students go to class.
“It is important for me to see students and get a sense of what activities are happening so everyone can feel supported, so I try to make myself visible around campus,” she said.
“My favorite part of the job is interacting with students and staff members.”
Students vouch for her presence and continuous support on campus.
“I remember Dr. Lisa attended my booth at the annual carnival this year. It was so heartwarming to see how excited she was for all of us. I always see her attending events and it’s amazing to know she supports us,” said Joseph Henry, a member of the AUS Film Club.
Dr. Moscaritolo’s passions are lined up with her career. She enjoys student affairs and strives to achieve a level of comfort with anyone she works with or encounters. She hopes that anyone who meets her will feel appreciated, valued and inspired.
“I feel like the things I do should be creating better synergies generally. I want everyone around me to feel good about themselves and feel good about their experiences. We are creating experiences together and I want mine to be overall positive with anyone who meets me,” she expressed. Moscaritolo aims to continue supporting students and staff here at AUS by creating a healthy and fun environment for everyone. She said that student-led initiatives better the community and create a sense of belonging for everyone such as the recent podcast Tea with Gen Z.
“I feel so much joy when students are able to achieve their goals.” .
It might be intimidating to move across the world and start a new job, but if your gut is telling you to, or if you are feeling too cold like Moscaritolo was, take the leap and it might work out well for you.
It did for Moscaritolo.
