LAU Welcomes New Faculty

Every year, LAU’s roster of exceptional faculty expands, with new full-time and visiting professors joining the community. LAU is proud to welcome its new additions to the faculty.

ADNAN KASSAR SCHOOL OF BUSINESS

Moustafa Haj Youssef, Assistant Professor

Moustafa Haj Youssef joined the Adnan Kassar School of Business as an assistant professor in the Department of Management Studies in fall 2018. He earned his BSc in computer science and business administration from the University of Balamand, and then an MSc in international business management from the University of West London. He went on to obtain his PhD in strategic management from the University of Westminster in the UK.

Hiba Koussaifi, Visiting Assistant Professor

Hiba Koussaifi is a visiting assistant professor of marketing. She joined LAU in fall 2018. She holds a PhD in marketing from Northumbria University-Newcastle in the UK, an MSc in economic and consumer psychology from the University of Exeter in the UK and a BS in graphic design from LAU. She was the recipient of the LAU President’s Award in 2001.

SCHOOL OF ARCHITECTURE AND DESIGN

David Aouad, Professor of Practice

David Aouad holds a master’s degree in urban planning and a bachelor’s in architecture from the University of Montreal. He started an independent practice in 1999 and has since teamed up with partner Juliana El-Haddad to establish the firm DAJH Architects. Besides his practice, Aouad was appointed in fall 2018 as a practice lecturer at LAU, where he teaches the Senior Design and Architecture studios at the School of Architecture and Design.

Mohamad Araji, Visiting Assistant Professor

Mohamad Araji joined LAU as a visiting professor for the academic year 2018–2019. He is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Architecture at the University of Manitoba in Canada. Dr. Araji received his master’s degree in architecture from the University of Arizona and a PhD from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Paola Ardizzola, Assistant Professor

Paola Ardizzola joined LAU as an assistant professor at the School of Architecture and Design in fall 2018. She holds a doctorate in history of architecture and urbanism from Gabriele D’Annunzio University in Italy. She is the founder of the Department of Architecture at the School of Fine Arts and Architecture, Antalya International University in Turkey, where she served as executive dean and department chairperson.

Maria Bahous, Practice Lecturer

Maria Bahous holds an MFA from the Academy of the Arts in San Francisco and an MA in graphic design from the London College of Communication, University of the Arts, London. She received her BS in the same subject from LAU. Bahous started teaching at LAU in 2007 as a part timer, was appointed as an adjunct lecturer in 2012 and joined as a practice lecturer in fall 2018.

Marwan Basmaji, Assistant Professor

Marwan Basmaji joined LAU in spring 2016 as a part-time faculty member at the School of Architecture and Design. After completing his architectural studies at Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK), he received the Japanese Government Scholarship to pursue his master’s and  doctoral studies as a member of Tadao Ando Laboratory at the University of Tokyo in Japan.

Per-Johan Dahl, Visiting Professor

Per-Johan Dahl is an architect and researcher. He joined LAU as a visiting professor in fall 2018. Dr. Dahl holds a PhD in architecture from the University of California Los Angeles’ Department for Architecture and Urban Design, an MArch from Lund University, and a University Certificate in civil engineering from Blekinge Institute of Technology. He pursued his post-doctoral research as a visiting scholar at Columbia University.

Mohamad Hamouie, Professor of Practice

Mohamad Hamouie is a professor of practice at the School of Architecture and Design and director of the Institute of Islamic Art & Architecture. He graduated from the American University of Beirut and started his private practice in Saudi Arabia shortly thereafter. Hamouie previously taught at the American University of Beirut. He joined LAU in fall 2018.

SCHOOL OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

Seba Ali, Assistant Professor

Pianist Seba Ali joined LAU as an assistant professor at the School of Arts and Sciences in 2018. Dr. Ali holds a bachelor’s of music from Cairo Conservatory, a professional performance certificate from Lynn University’s Conservatory of Music, a master’s in music in piano performance, and a doctorate of musical arts from Stony Brook University in New York. Dr. Ali has been associated with LAU for years and is the founder and artistic director of Imagine Workshop and Concert Series (IWCS).

Sleiman El Hajj, Assistant Professor

Sleiman El Hajj joined LAU as an assistant professor of creative and journalistic writing in fall 2018. He is also an associate fellow of the UK’s Higher Education Academy. He received a BS and a BA from the American University of Beirut in biology and English literature before obtaining his MA in American literature from the same university. He then attended the University of Gloucestershire in England and earned a PhD in creative writing.

Berna El Rahi, Visiting Assistant Professor

Berna El Rahi joined LAU as a visiting assistant professor of nutrition at the Department of Natural Sciences in fall 2018. Dr. Rahi received her PhD in clinical nutrition with an emphasis on geriatrics and epidemiology from the University of Montreal, Canada. She then completed a postdoctoral fellowship in nutritional epidemiology at the National Institute of Health and Medical Research in Bordeaux, France. Dr. Rahi then completed a second postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, Los Angeles in geriatric psychiatry.

Jeffrey G. Karam, Assistant Professor

Jeffrey G. Karam joined LAU as an assistant professor of political science and international affairs in fall 2018. He is also a non-resident associate at the Middle East Initiative at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs. Dr. Karam holds a PhD in politics from Brandeis University, an MA in politics from the American University of Beirut, and a dual BA in international affairs and diplomacy from Notre Dame University, Louaize.

Gretchen King, Assistant Professor

Gretchen King is assistant professor of communication and multimedia journalism at LAU’s School of Arts and Sciences. She completed her PhD in communication studies at McGill University. Afterward, Dr. King was a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Ottawa, where she facilitated several projects related to community radio newsrooms and communication policy processes. During 2018, Dr. King served as a post-doctoral research fellow for the Canada Research Chair in Media Education and Human Rights at Université TÉLUQ in Montreal.

Hagop A. Yacoubian, Associate Professor

Hagop A. Yacoubian joined the Education Department of the Lebanese American University in fall 2018 as associate professor of education. He holds a PhD in secondary education from the University of Alberta in Canada. Prior to his appointment at LAU, he was an associate professor of education and the chair of the Faculty of Social and Behavioral Sciences at Haigazian University.

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING

Volkan Cakir, Visiting Assistant Professor

Volkan Cakir worked as a logistics officer at the Fifth Air Base in Merzifon, Turkey, before obtaining his master’s in industrial engineering at the Middle East Technical University. He then began as an instructor at the Turkish Airforce Academy before pursuing his PhD in engineering management at Old Dominion University in the US state of Virginia. He completed his degree in 2011 and continued at the Turkish Air Force as a lieutenant colonel until 2012. In fall 2018, he joined LAU’s Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department.

Zahi Chehaitli, Senior Practice Instructor

Zahi Chehaitli received his BS in industrial engineering and management systems from the University of Central Florida before obtaining his master’s in business administration from Webster University in Missouri. He is certified as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt by Brunswick Corporation and George Group. He is also a certified project manager in the Project Management Leadership Group and is a Six Sigma Black Belt with General Electric-Industrial Systems.

Jawad El Khoury, Assistant Professor

Jawad el Khoury is assistant professor of mechatronics engineering in the Industrial and Mechanical Engineering Department at LAU’s School of Engineering. Dr. Khoury received his BS in electrical and electronic engineering from the Lebanese University before heading to France, where he obtained his MS in electrical engineering at Université de Technologie de Compiègne. He then earned his PhD in electrical and electronic engineering from l’Université de Cergy-Pontoise, also in France.

Wassim Ghannoum, Visiting Associate Professor

Wassim Ghannoum joined LAU as a visiting associate professor in 2018. He holds a PhD in civil engineering, specializing in structural engineering, from the University of California at Berkeley and a master’s and bachelor’s in civil engineering from McGill University in Canada. Dr. Ghannoum was an assistant professor at the Universityof Texas at Austin before joining the University of Texas at San Antonio and then coming to LAU.

Zisis Vryzas, Assistant Professor

Zisis Vryzas joined LAU as assistant professor in the Industrial and Mechanical Engineering Department’s Petroleum Engineering Program in fall 2018. He received his PhD in chemical/petroleum engineering from the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. He also holds an executive doctorate of business administration from the Paris School of Business, and an MSc in petroleum engineering from the UK’s Heriot-Watt University. He received his BSc and MSc in environmental engineering from the Technical University of Crete, Greece.

Rafah Aboulhosn, Clinical Assistant Professor

Rafah Aboulhosn joined the Lebanese American University School of Pharmacy as a clinical assistant professor in September 2018. She received a bachelor’s degree in nutrition and dietetics at the American University of Beirut and obtained her PharmD from LAU. She completed a PGY1 residency at Penn State Health St. Joseph in Reading, Pennsylvania, and a PGY2 residency in geriatric pharmacy at the University of Maryland in Baltimore. She is currently in the process of completing an MS in clinical hospice and palliative care at the University of Maryland.