Born in Damietta, Egypt, on May 28, 1947, Hawass first studied archaeology in Alexandria and Cairo. In 1980 he traveled to the United States on a Fulbright scholarship, earning his Ph.D. in Egyptology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1987. He has taught Egyptian archaeology, history and culture at Cairo University, the American University in Cairo and UCLA. He holds numerous committee appointments and lectures throughout the world.