[8] Abdulhadi's dissertation, under advisor Michele Dillon, was titled, "Palestinianness in Comparative Perspective: Inclusionary Resistance, Exclusionary Citizenship" (2000).
[4][5][12] Abdulhadi has routinely come under fire by Zionist and pro-Israel groups such as the David Horowitz Freedom Center, the AMCHA Initiative, Campus Watch, and the Lawfare Project.
[18] In 2019, Abdulhadi was co-hosting an online talk using SFSU's instance of Zoom by Palestinian political activist and member of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Leila Khaled.
[21][22] In 2024, a guest speech from Abdulhadi at Wake Forest University was cancelled after the planned event received backlash from pro-Israel Jewish students and others.
A petition to cancel her speech received over 8000 signatures, accusing Abdulhadi of supporting antisemitism and Hamas in the wake of the Gaza genocide.
[24] Abdulhadi has received several awards from national and international academic, civic, and professional organizations in recognition for her work and community service.