Dr. Tuncay Candan is a professor of mathematics at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He earned his Ph.D. in Applied Mathematics from Iowa State University in 2003, specializing in oscillation theory for functional differential equations. He previously taught at Iowa State and held academic positions at Niğde University, Turkey, progressing from Assistant to Full Professor. His research includes time-scale calculus and functional differential equations, and he has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Candan earned his M.S. at Iowa State and B.S. in Mathematics at Eciyes University, Turkey. He has over 25 years of teaching and mentoring experience.
Dr. Turki Al-Qemlas is an assistant professor of mechanical engineering at the American University of the Middle East (AUM) in Kuwait. He holds a PhD in mechanical engineering and has earned multiple professional credentials, including Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified Value Specialist (CVS), Risk Management Professional (RMP), and Professional Engineer status from the Kuwait Society of Engineers. Dr. Al-Qemlas has extensive teaching experience across various engineering disciplines, particularly in renewable energy, thermodynamics, and control systems. His research interests include prosthetic device development, value engineering, and risk management in renewable energy systems, with more than a dozen publications in high-impact journals. Dr. Al-Qemlas actively contributes to ABET accreditation processes, mentors award-winning student projects, and serves as a reviewer for Web of Science-indexed journals. He is dedicated to advancing innovation, interdisciplinary collaboration, and applied research within the academic and professional engineering communities.
Dr. Ufuk Kula is an associate professor of industrial engineering at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait, where he has served since 2015. He earned his Ph.D. in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan. His research focuses on stochastic modeling, simulation, applied optimization, and operations research. He has published in international journals such as Computers & Industrial Engineering, International Journal of Production Research, and Decision Support Systems, contributed to academic book chapters and translations, and has served as a reviewer for leading journals including the "European Journal of Operational Research" and "Information Sciences". His work has been supported by projects with TÜBİTAK, LC Waikiki, Nissan Turkey, and Turkish Airlines. At AUM, Dr. Kula has supervised over 60 graduation projects, many in collaboration with local companies. His students have received awards in international competitions in simulation, supply chain, and lean systems. He has earned multiple recognitions, including “Faculty of the Year” at Sakarya University and several “Best Graduation Project” and “Outstanding Service” awards at AUM. He is actively involved in curriculum development, accreditation committee, and student activities within the department.
Dr. Ugur Madran is an associate professor in the Department of Mathematics at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He earned his Ph.D. in Pure Mathematics from Bilkent University, Turkey, in 2006, focusing on the invariant theory of finite groups over modular polynomial rings. He is currently engaged in data science and machine learning, particularly in dimensionality reduction. He has held numerous administrative roles including Vice Dean and Department Head, and has served on various academic committees at İzmir University of Economics and currently at AUM. He has led two research projects, supervised Ph.D. and M.Sc. students, and is a member of AMS, TMS, IEEE, and the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society. Dr. Madran also contributes as a reviewer to the American Mathematical Society (Mathematical Reviews) and the European Mathematical Society (zbMATH Open).
Dr. Ulas Kayapinar is an associate professor in the Liberal Arts Department at the American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He is an academic and researcher in the field of education, with a particular focus on teacher education, English language teaching and testing, and reflection in professional development. Holding a Ph.D. in Language Education, he is actively engaged in the department’s teaching and research activities. His research interests encompass a wide range of topics, including testing, teacher education, the impact of technology on teaching and learning, and the development of reflective practices among teachers.
He has contributed significantly to the scholarly discourse through numerous publications in reputable journals. His work often explores practical applications and implications for both pre-service and in-service teacher training. Notably, he is also an editor, having overseen the publication of Teacher Education: New Perspectives (2021), a book that offers insights and directions for research and practice in teacher education, covering diverse subjects from collaborative teaching experiences to innovations in education.
Dr. Valmira Osmanaj is an associate professor of management information systems at the College of Business Administration, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait, with over nineteen years of academic and leadership experience. She holds a Ph.D. in Information Systems and is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP). From 2017 to 2021, she chaired the MIS Department at AUM, leading strategic academic initiatives.
Her teaching includes graduate courses such as Project Management and Advanced Software Engineering, and undergraduate courses in Digital Marketing, Programming, and Data Structures. Dr. Osmanaj has published 27 peer-reviewed journal articles and contributed to conferences, book chapters, and applied research.
Her research interests cover e-Government, ICT project management, cloud and fog computing, big data, AI, and mobile learning. She collaborates with SMEs, public institutions, and international organizations. Her previous senior roles at Albania’s National Agency for Information Society highlight her expertise in national digital transformation initiatives.
Dr. Verica Savic is an assistant professor in the Department of Liberal Arts at the American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. She holds a Ph.D. in Cultural Studies, jointly awarded by UNED University in Madrid and Singidunum University in Belgrade. Her research bridges culture, media, languages, and postcolonial studies, with a doctoral focus on the cultural consequences of the Cuban Revolution in artistic narratives—reflecting her broader interest in power, memory, and representation.
With over 15 years of interdisciplinary teaching and research experience across the Middle East and Europe, Dr. Savic has held appointments at the Universities of Barcelona and Belgrade, as well as various cultural and academic institutions in Spain and Serbia. She has taught courses in art and cultural theory, Spanish and Hispanic literature, discourse analysis, and aesthetics.
Her research interests include cultural studies, Spanish and Latin American literature, postcolonial theory, discourse and power, and the cultural implications of globalization. She has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals such as Social Identities, TEM Journal, and Revista Ábaco.
Beyond academia, Dr. Savic has consulted on educational reform and language pedagogy and serves on the editorial board of the International Journal of Education, Culture and Society (IJECS). Fluent in Serbian, Spanish, English, and Russian, with intermediate Arabic proficiency, she brings a global perspective to her teaching and research.
Vishnu Nair is a laboratory instructor in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He holds a master’s degree in Power Systems from Kerala University and a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Mahatma Gandhi University.
Before joining AUM, he served as an assistant professor in India, gaining valuable experience in electrical engineering education. With over seven years of academic and hands-on instructional experience, Nair brings a practical, student-focused approach to laboratory instruction.
His areas of interest include power systems, emerging technologies in electrical engineering, and interactive teaching methodologies. He is passionate about supporting student development through experiential learning and continually strives to enhance lab-based education.
Wael Aly is a professor of computer engineering at the College of Engineering and Technology, American University of the Middle East (AUM), Kuwait. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Western Ontario, Canada, and is a licensed Professional Engineer (P.Eng.) in Ontario, Canada. Dr. Aly also serves as an ABET Program Evaluator for both the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) and the Computing Accreditation Commission (CAC). His research interests span a broad spectrum of advanced computing and networking domains, including Software-Defined Networking (SDN), Artificial Intelligence (AI), Cloud and Fog Computing, the Metaverse, Augmented Reality, Optical Burst Switching (OBS), distributed systems, fault tolerance, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSN), data center resource management, Quality of Service (QoS), big data, data dissemination, WSN applications for individuals with disabilities, and feedback control for data centers.
Wassim El Malti is an associate professor of chemistry at the American University of the Middle East, Kuwait. He holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry from the University of Montpellier, France. His main research areas of specialization are environmental and material chemistry, with a focus on adsorption, water treatment, nanoparticles and nanocomposites synthesis, and surface modification. He has published in peer-reviewed journals, including those from ACS and RSC, and collaborates with regional and international research teams. In addition to teaching, he has held managerial roles, including Head of Department and Associate Dean, where he contributed to curriculum development, lab establishment, faculty planning, and the introduction of new programs. His current research targets sustainable water purification using functional and cost-effective materials. He is also active in mentoring students and supporting quality assurance and accreditation processes within the college.