Muaffaq Hazza is an archaeologist and graduate candidate in classical archaeology at Al Bayt University. Having grown up in Umm el-Jimal, he continues to call it home along with his family. Muaffaq has worked on the Umm el-Jimal Project since his youth and currently serves as an archaeologist and coordinator for its grant-funded programs and field seasons. His research interests and academic publications concentrate on early Islamic dynasties and epigraphic remains in the Hauran plain.