An American-born architect with Lebanese-Syrian roots, Lisa Najeeb Halaby hailed from an elite Arab-American family and became Queen Noor, or Noor Al-Hussein (Light of Hussein) after her marriage to King Hussein of Jordan. She reigned as the queen consort of Jordan and the fourth wife of King Hussein from June 1978 to February 1999. While the Princeton-educated architect initially worked with several firms on major international planning and design projects in places such as Australia and Iran, as the queen, she later took up major philanthropic activities, ranging from nuclear disarmament and human rights to empowerment of Bedouin women and climate change. She oversaw the Noor al-Hussein Foundation and the King Hussein Foundation and also penned two books, including a New York Times bestseller. She has been part of international peace-building initiatives and has received countless national and international awards and honors.