Aaya Al-Ballam is a lab instructor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. She holds a master’s degree in sustainable chemical engineering and environmental management with distinction from the University of Newcastle, UK, and a Bachelor’s degree from AUM.
She previously worked at the Ministry of Electricity and Water, Kuwait, before joining AUM as a lab technician, later promoted to Instructor. Her background experience includes laboratory work, including experiment design, technical troubleshooting, and safety protocol implementation, which has been central to her research and teaching roles.
Her research interests include sustainability, environmental management, safety, and clean water technologies. She is passionate about education and advancing environmentally responsible solutions.
Dr. Abdallah Al-Khawaja is an accomplished assistant professor of accounting and finance at the College of Business Administration, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He earned his BSc. in Accounting from Al‑Zaytoonah University in Jordan, followed by an MBA from Universiti Utara Malaysia, and subsequently completed both an M.Phil. and his first Ph.D. at Bond University in Australia. To further deepen his expertise, he pursued a second Ph.D. in Accounting and Finance from Griffith University, Australia. Dr. Al-khawaja’s research extensively explores corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG reporting, board gender diversity, earnings management, stock liquidity, and governance dynamics within MENA and global markets. At AUM, he is actively engaged in teaching, graduate supervision, and serves on multiple editorial and review boards, combining rigorous academic inquiry with practical insights in accounting and finance.
Dr. Abdel Karim Abdel Karim is an assistant professor of electrical engineering at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait.
He earned his Ph.D. in Automation and Manufacturing Engineering from Lille University, France (CRIStAL and IEMN Labs), where his research focused on soft fault detection in embedded communication networks using transferometry and power line communication. He also holds two master’s degrees—one in mobile automated systems from Paris-Saclay University and another in instrumentation from the Lebanese University.
Dr. Abdel Karim specializes in automation, embedded systems, and intelligent signal processing. He has taught and coordinated a variety of electrical engineering courses and mentored senior design projects. His industry experience includes leading robotic systems development at Expleo Group, where he applied Deep Reinforcement Learning and advanced control techniques.
Passionate about education, he has contributed to robotics competitions and developed hands-on learning experiences. His research interests include fault-tolerant systems, intelligent robotics, and engineering education.
Dr. Abdul Rahman Al-Natour is an assistant professor of accounting at the College of Business Administration, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait, specializing in digital transformation of financial reporting and auditing. He holds a Ph.D. in Accounting from the University of Nottingham and master’s and bachelor’s degrees in accounting from Yarmouk University. He has over eight years of academic experience across the UK, Jordan, and Kuwait, and is the former chair of the Accounting Department at the University of Petra. His research centers on technology-enabled audit practices and governance outcomes, and he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in auditing and financial accounting. He has published in Scopus and Web of Science indexed journals, received institutional research funding, and awarded the Distinguished Researcher Award (University of Petra, 2022). He serves as editorial advisory board at Discover Sustainability (Springer Nature), he also reviews for several reputable journals including Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management (Wiley) and the Journal of Financial Reporting & Accounting (Emerald Publishing). He has chaired several committees, including the Curriculum Committee, the Strategic and Executive Plan Committee, and the Website and Hybrid Learning Committee and is a BAFA member holding the ACCA Certificate in International Auditing (CertIA).
Dr. AbdulAdhim Ashtaiwi is an associate professor in the Department of Computer Engineering at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait.
He earned his Ph.D. in Computer Engineering from Queen’s University, Canada, with a research focus on wireless communication protocols. A Fulbright Scholar, Dr. Ashtaiwi specializes in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML), with recent work addressing their applications in healthcare, intelligent transportation systems, and ethical governance of medical AI.
He has led numerous AI-driven student projects and published extensively in leading journals on topics such as heart disease prediction, sleep apnea severity estimation, and ethical gap analysis in medical AI. He is actively involved in curriculum development and research coordination, integrating teaching with real-world, responsible, and impactful AI applications.
Abdulaziz AlQattan is a laboratory instructor in the Information Systems and Technology department at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He holds a bachelor’s degree from San Diego State University and a master’s degree with merit in Data Science and Analytics from Brunel University, London. His master’s thesis investigated Kuwait’s road safety using computer vision, deep learning, and ensemble classification methods. With a strong electronics background, Abdulaziz applies data analysis, deep learning, and AI tools such as RStudio, Python, and Tableau to various sectors, with a research focus on medical applications.
Dr. Abdulkader Baroudi is an associate professor of chemistry at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East, (AUM), Kuwait.
He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry from Florida State University (FSU), USA, under the supervision of Professor Igor Alabugin. His doctoral research combined computational and experimental approaches to elucidate the fragmentation mechanism of the natural enediyne antibiotic Esperamicin A1 upon its interaction with DNA. Additionally, he contributed to the development of a novel metal-free radical process for converting phenols into benzoic acid derivatives.
Following the completion of his Ph.D., Dr. Baroudi undertook postdoctoral research at Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC) in Paris, working with Professor Louis Fensterbank. His work focused on redox and photocatalytic chemistry, where he successfully designed an efficient visible-light-driven method for the generation and trapping of aryl radicals.
In September 2012, Dr. Baroudi began his academic career as a part-time Assistant Professor at the Lebanese International University (LIU). Concurrently, he joined the American University of Beirut (AUB) as a part-time researcher in the Department of Chemistry, conducting computational studies on the structure and reactivity of pincer-ligated metal complexes.
Abdullah Albahdahi is a laboratory instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait, where he specializes in electric power systems. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Fullerton, USA, and subsequently obtained a Master of Science degree in Electrical Power Engineering from Newcastle University, United Kingdom. Albahdahi began his professional career in academia and has extensive experience teaching undergraduate laboratory courses in both electrical and computer engineering at AUM. His instructional responsibilities focus on bridging theoretical concepts with hands-on practical applications, thereby enhancing students’ technical competence and problem-solving skills. His research interests are centred on electric power systems, with particular emphasis on electrical machine design, power grids, and modern energy systems. In addition, he has a strong interest in solar renewable energy and its integration into existing power infrastructure, reflecting his commitment to sustainable and future-oriented engineering solutions.
Abdullah Alenezi is a Lab Instructor in the Department of Computer Engineering at the American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering from Michigan State University, USA, and a Master of Science in Computer Engineering from the University of Southern California (USC), USA. His academic and research interests centre on computer networks, cybersecurity, applied cryptography, and blockchain and cryptocurrency systems, with complementary interests in digital and VLSI system design. During his graduate studies, he designed and implemented a socket-based blockchain framework supporting secure multi-client and multi-server communication, providing hands-on experience with distributed systems, network protocols, and security mechanisms relevant to cryptocurrency platforms. Alenezi’s research direction emphasizes secure network architectures, blockchain-enabled applications, and emerging cybersecurity challenges in modern computing infrastructures. He is actively developing research projects aimed at scholarly publication and future doctoral study. In parallel, he contributes to undergraduate education by supporting laboratory instruction in computer engineering courses, promoting rigorous experimentation, system-level thinking, and research-informed learning. He is actively seeking research opportunities and collaborative projects in computer networks, cybersecurity, and blockchain-related domains.
Dr. Affan Hameed is an associate professor of finance at the College of Business Administration, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He holds a PhD in Finance from the University of Reading, a master’s in finance from Queen’s University Belfast, and a BBA in Finance with distinction from the Lahore School of Economics. His research focuses on cryptocurrency and corporate finance. He has received multiple research grants and published several papers in the field of finance. His professional background includes roles as an operational analyst and investment analyst at institutions including JS Investments, Bank Alfalah, and Holiday Inn.