This  list  presents  a  number  of  selected  AUIS  faculty  and  staff  and  their  areas  of  expertise.  To  contact  them  please  email  communications@auis.edu.iq  

Department  of  Business  Administration  

Fahrettin  Sümer  Ph.D.  University  of  South  Carolina  M.A.  University  of  South  CarolinaM.A.  Rutgers  University

Sümer   holds   a   Ph.D.   in   International   Studies   and   two   Masters   degrees   in   Political   Science   and   Economics.   He   won   the   2002   Grand   Prize   of   the   ISAu South   Paper  Competition   and   the   meritu based   Governor   John   West   Fellowship   during   his   doctoral   studies.   Sümer   has   also   published   several   academic   articles   and   written   opu eds   for  newspapers.    

In   2012   he   published   a   book,  The   Neglected   Impact   Of   Nonp Economic  Factors   On   The   Development   Of   Financial   Crises   And   Governmental   Responses:   The   Mexican   And  Malaysian  Cases  Of  The  1990s.  His  most   recent   research  has   focused  on  Turkey’s  foreign  relations   with   the   EU   and   the   Middle   East.   He   is   also   interested   in   Greece’s   current   financial   crisis.   Before   joining   AUIS,   Sümer   taught   multiple   economics,   political   economy,   international   relations,   international   business,   and  political  science  courses  in  South   Carolina   and   Virginia.   Currently   he   is   the   Chair   of   the   Department   of   Business   Administration   but   has   previously   worked   in   the  Department  of  Social  Sciences.    

Sümer  is  available  for  comment  on  economics,  international  political  economy,  international  relations  theory,  foreign  policy  analysis,  globalization,  and  financial  crises.  

Earl  Patrick  Cline  M.B.A.  University  of  North  CarolinaB.S.  Clemson  University

Earl  Patrick  Cline  focuses  on  economic  development  and  how  the  expansion  of  financial  intermediation  can   facilitate  and  speed  economic  growth.    As  part  of  his   research,  Cline  examines   the   development   of   capital   markets   and   how   they   improve   access   to   capital   for   both   individuals   and   business.   He   is   also   very   interested   in   promoting  entrepreneurship  as  a  means  to  developing  the  capacity  of  the  private  sector.  Cline  has  been  in  Iraq  for  five  years.  

Cline  is  available  for  comment  on  business,  finance  and  entrepreneurship.  

Robert  Ritchie  M.B.A.  Boston  University  School  of  ManagementJ.D.  Temple  University  School  of  LawB.A.  Arcadia  University

Dr.  Robert  Ritchie  is  the  Director  of  Professional  Development  Institute  (PDI)  at  AUIS.  In  this   role   Dr.   Ritchie   overseas   all   activities   related   to   the   creation   and   provision   of   educational   programs   fostering   professional   growth   and   development.   Dr.   Ritchie   also  directs   the   University’s   Masters   of   Business   Administration   program,   in   which   he   teaches  courses  in  Financial  Management  and  Business  Law  and  Ethics.  

AUIS

Ritchie  has  over  15  years  of  international  business  development  and  university  teaching  experience,   including   12   years   in   the   MENA   region.   During   this   time   he   has   been  instrumental   in   helping   establish   and   guide   numerous   business   start-­‐ups,   providing  expertise   in   business   plan   development,   strategic   and   tactical   management   analysis,  financial  resource  planning,  and  training  and  development.  His  particular   interest   is   in  supporting  human  capacity  development  through  business  education  and  development.  

Ritchie  is  available  for  comment  on  financial  management,  business  and  human  capacity  development.  

Department  of  Engineering  

Hayder  Abdul-­‐Razzak,  Chair  Ph.D.  Illinois  Institute  of  Technology  M.A.  Illinois  Institute  of  TechnologyB.A.  Illinois  Institute  of  Technology

Dr.  Hayder  Abdul-­‐Razzak  is  a  professor  of  mechanical  engineering  with  over  25  years  of  academic  and  industrial  experience.  He  is  an  expert  in  the  design,  analysis,  and  modeling  of  fluid,  thermal,  and  energy  systems.  

Abdul-­‐Razzak   has   developed   and   taught   a   variety   of   graduate   and   undergraduate  courses   in   thermal   and   fluid   sciences   and   computational   methods.   He   has   also  conducted   and   supervised   numerous   research   and   design   projects.   Abdul-­‐Razzak   has  published   more   than   fifteen   journal   articles   as   well   as   conference   papers   and  proceedings  with  over  one  thousand  citations.  He  is  the  editor  of  the  book  Atmospheric  Aerosols-­‐  Regional  Characteristics  -­‐  Chemistry  and  Physics.  

For  the  past  twenty  years  he  has  been  involved  with  a  major  research  project  supported  by   NASA   and   the   United   States   Department   of   Energy   to   investigate   the   impact   of  anthropogenic   aerosols   on   the   global   atmosphere   in   collaboration   with   Pacific  Northwest   Laboratory   and   several   other   national   laboratories   and   universities.   His  treatment   of   aerosol   activation  has   been   selected   for   incorporation   in   the  Community  Climate  System  Model  and  will  be  used  to  represent  aerosol  effects  on  clouds  in  the  next  round  of   simulations   for   the  Nobel  Prize  winning   Intergovernmental  Panel  on  Climate  Change.  His  scheme  is  being  adopted  for  other  global  climate  models  as  well,   including  the   Japanese  and  German  models.   It   is   also  being  used   in   regional  models   such  as   the  Weather  Research  and  Forecasting  model  and  in  several  cloud-­‐  resolving  models.  

Abdul-­‐Razzak   is   available   for   comment   on   climate   change,   engineering,   fluid   and  thermal  energy  systems.  

Sarbast  Rasheed  Ph.D.  University  of  Waterloo  M.Sc.  University  of  BaghdadB.S.  University  of  Baghdad

Sarbast   Rasheed   received   the   B.Sc.   degree   in   Electrical   Engineering   in   1981   and   the  M.Sc.   degree   in   Computer   &   Control   Engineering   in   1985   from   the   University   ofBaghdad,   Iraq.   He   worked   as   an   R&D   Engineer   from   1987   to   1989   at   the   Iraqi

Electronics   Industries   Company   and   then   transferred   to   an   academic   position   as   a  Lecturer   in   the   Department   of   Computer   and   Control   Engineering,   University   of  Baghdad,  and  then  in  the  Department  of  Computer  Science,  Applied  Science  University,  Amman,  Jordan  until  1999.    In  2006,  he  received  the  Ph.D.  degree  in  Systems  Design  Engineering  from  the  University  of   Waterloo,   Ontario,   Canada.   Then   he   worked   as   a   post-­‐doctoral   fellow   at   the   same  department.  From  2007   to  2008,  he  worked  as  a  Vision  System  Engineering  Specialist  with   the   Canadian   company   Rotoflex   International.   From   2009-­‐2012,   he  worked   as   a  Research  Associate   in   the  medical   imaging   area   at   the  Department   of   Systems  Design  Engineering,  University  of  Waterloo.    Rasheed  is  now  an  Assistant  Professor  at  the  Department  of  Engineering,  the  American  University   of   Iraq,   Sulaimani.   Rasheed   has   published   several   refereed   journal   and  conference   papers.   He   is   a   professional   engineer   and   a   member   of   the   Professional  Engineers  of  Ontario  (PEO)  and  IEEE.  His  current  research  interests  are  in  the  areas  of  digital  systems  design,  real-­‐  time  embedded  systems  design,  and  control  systems  design  and  automation.    Rasheed  is  available  for  comment  on  engineering  and  computer  science.    

Department  of  English  and  Journalism  

Akeel  Abbas  Ph.D.  Purdue  University  M.A.  Gannon  University  B.A.  Al-­‐Mustansiraya  University    Before   teaching   at  AUIS,   Abbas  worked   for   several   years   as   a   journalist   covering   Iraq  and   the  Middle   East,   appearing   as   a   guest   analyst   in   a   number   of   Arabic-­‐language  TV  programs.    He  has  made  a  number  of  documentary  films  focusing  on  Iraqi  women  activism  for  equal  rights,  oil  and  Iraq's  history.  Abbas  was  also  involved  in  writing  a  series  of  English  and  Arabic   guides   on   democratization   in   Iraq   for   the   Washington,   DC-­‐based   non-­‐profit  organization  the  Foundation  for  the  Defense  of  Democracies.  Previously,  Abbas  founded  and  managed  the  Ayoon  Organization  for  Human  Rights,  a  non-­‐profit  organization  that  documented  human  rights  abuses  in  Iraq.    Abbas  is  available  for  comment  on  journalism.    Choman  Hardi  Ph.D.  University  of  Kent  in  Canterbury  M.A.  University  College  London  B.A.  Queen’s  College,  Oxford  University    Hardi’s   research  and   teaching   interests   include  gender  and  power,  poetry,   translation,  creative  writing  and  feminist  literature.  Her  post-­‐doctoral  research  resulted  in  the  book,  Gendered  Experiences  of  Genocide:  Anfal   Survivors   in  Kurdistan-­‐Iraq   (Ashgate,   2011).   It  was  chosen  by  the  Yankee  Book  Peddler  as  a  UK  Core  Title.  She  has  published  articles  about   creative   writing,   the   Anfal   campaign,   gender   and   migration,   and   the   women’s  movement  in  Kurdistan.  

Also  a  poet,  Hardi  has  published   collections   in  Kurdish  and  English.   Four  poems   from  her   English   collection,   Life   For   Us   (Bloodaxe   Books,   2004),   were   selected   onto   the  English   GCSE   syllabus   in   the   UK   in   2010.   Her   forthcoming   collection,  Considering  The  Women,  will  be  published  by  Bloodaxe  Books  in  2016.  

Dr.  Hardi  is  available  to  comment  on  gender  issues,  feminism,  poetry  and  literature,  the  Anfal  Campaign  and  women’s  movement  in  Kurdistan.  

Loren  Higbee  (ABD)  University  of  Notre  Dame  M.A.  Brigham  Young  UniversityB.A.  Brigham  Young  University

Loren   Higbee   researches   European   lyric   tradition   and   comparative   poetics.   His  dissertation   focused   on   aspects   of   “the   modern”   in   the   poetry   of   Petrarch   and   early  British  Modernism.  Particular   areas   of   interest   include  Dante,   Petrarch,   contemporary  speculative   fiction,   Mormon   literature,   Melville,   and   T.S.   Eliot.   Higbee’s   writings   have  been   published   in   literary   journals   such   as   The   Formalist,   the   Portland   Review,   and  Foliate  Oak.  His  academic  work  draws  mostly  on   the  English  and   Italian   traditions  but  has  also  expanded  at   times   to   include   literature   in  French,  Spanish,  German,  while  his  creative   work   has   also   been   touched   by   Japanese,   Akkadian,   Sanskrit,   and   Kurdish  influences.  

Higbee  is  available  for  comment  on  poetry  and  literature.  

Department  of  Information  Technology

Alan  Amin  M.S.  Rochester  Institute  of  TechnologyB.S.  in  Ege  University

Amin   is   a   computer   engineer   who   started   his   academic   career   after   he   received   the  Fulbright   scholarship   to   pursue   his   master’s   degree.   He   holds   a   master’s   degree   in  Information  Technology  and  a  bachelor’s  degree  in  Computer  Engineering.  He  has  been  teaching  undergraduate  courses   in  computing  since  2008.  Before   joining  AUIS,  he  was  the   head   of   the   computer-­‐engineering   department   at   Ishik   University.   He   has   been  teaching   courses   in   programming   and   algorithms,   web   development,   data   structures,  and  management   information  systems.  His   current   research   interests   include  machine  learning  and  software  standards   in  health  care  systems.  He  has  created  many  free  and  paid   applications   and   websites   for   different   business   domains   including  telecommunications,  health  care  and  web  development  companies.  

Amin   is   available   for   comment   on   IT   issues   in   Kurdistan   Region   and   application  development  in  general.  

Katongo  Lukwesa  M.S.  University  of  NamibiaB.S.  University  of  Zambia

Katongo  Lukwesa  has  over  15  years  in  the  IT  industry  in  both  industry  and  academic  environments.  He  has  worked  in  the  airline  industry,  where  he  specialized  in  check-­‐digit  

real  time  implementations  via  programming.  He  has  also  led  transition  from  mainframe  to  PC-­‐based  data  entry  and  validation  systems  and  worked  in  communications  as  part  of  a  turnkey  solution  to  hardware  and  software  installations.    Further,  he  managed  an  IT  network  for  an  academic  faculty  including  a  challenging  ground-­‐up  implementation,  along  with  architectural  planning  with  a  team  of  dynamic  engineers,  technicians,  architects,  and  contractors.  Lukwesa  has  previously  taught  diverse  IT-­‐based  courses  including  Computer  Forensics  (an  exciting  treatment  of  law  and  computing  on  the  forensics  trail).  He  teaches  Computer  Science  and  IT  Applications,  Database  Management  Systems,  and  IT  Project  Management.    Lukwesa  is  available  for  comment  on  IT  and  society,  e-­‐Governance  and  IT  government,  intelligent  systems  in  (Tacit)  knowledge  management,  and  solutions  to  customer-­‐centric  services  in  e-­‐government.    Atheer  Matroud  Ph.D  Massey  University  MSc  University  of  Putra  Malaysia    Atheer   Matroud   is   a   computational   biologist,   Mathematical   biologist   and  Bioinformatician   with   12   years   experience   teaching   undergraduate   and   postgraduate  courses   in   computer   science,   mathematics   and   bioinformatics.  His   current   research  interests   include   computational  biology,   bioinformatics,   networking  and  graph   theory.  In   the   last   5   years,   he   has   been  working   on   the   analysis   of   DNA   sequences  where   he  designed  software  tools  for  bioinformatics.      Matroud   has   worked   at   the   University   of   Otago,   Massey   University,   University   of  Nottingham   and   Universiti   Putra   Malaysia.   He   was   a   member   of   IEEE,   International  Society   for   Computational   Biology,   New   Zealand   Mathematical   Society   and   The   Allan  Wilson  Centre  for  Molecular  Ecology  and  Evolution.  His  main  research  focus  is  building  phylogenetics  tools  using  repeated  elements  in  DNA.      He   is   available   for   comment   on   computational   biology,   mathematical   biology,  bioinformation,  networking  and  graph  theory.      Farzad  Sanati  Ph.D.  University  of  Technology  Sydney    M.IT.  University  of  Western  Sydney  B.IT.  University  of  Western  Sydney    Dr.  Farzad  Sanati  was  awarded  a  Ph.D.  for  his  research  work  in  Computer  Science  on  E-­‐Government  Intelligent  Service  integration  from  UTS.  He  has  worked  over  14  years  for  Australian   Federal   and   State   Governments   in   large-­‐scale   E-­‐Government   design   and  implementation  projects.  Sanati  has  been  giving  advice  to  Chinese  government  officials  from  E-­‐government   and   ICT  department  of   Jiangsu  Provincial   (the  hub  of   information  technology   industry   in   China).   Sanati   is   currently   teaching   Information   Technology   in  the  American  University  of  Iraq,  Sulaimani  (AUIS).      He   has   earned   two   certificates,   a   Certificate   in   Workplace   Assessment   and   Training  Option   Institute,   Sydney   and   a   Certificate   in   Accounting   TAFE   NSW,   Sydney   while  completing  his  graduate  and  undergraduate  programs  respectively.      Sanati  is  available  to  comment  on  E-­‐Government,  Enterprise  Architecture  and  Software  Engineering.  

Muhammad  Shariq  M.S.  College  of  Staten  IslandM.B.A.  Institute  of  Business  Administration,  Karachi,  Pakistan

Muhammad  Shariq  came  to  AUIS  from  the  American  University  of  Afghanistan  (AUAF),  where   he   served   as   Dean   of   Faculty   and   Assistant   Professor   of   IT.   At   AUAF,   he   helped  establish  its  degree  programs  and  the  faculty  governance  structure.  He  was  also  the  first  secretary  of  AUAF’s  Faculty  Senate.  

At   his   previous   institutions,   Shariq   has   taught   courses   in   Programming,   Database   Management,   Web   Development,   Web   Applications,   Hardware   Systems   and  Organization,   and   Information   Systems.   At   AUIS   he   has   taught   Intro   to   Computers   (CSC101)  and  E-­‐Commerce  Application  Development  (ITE306).  He  is  currently  teaching  Intro   to   Programming   (CSC202)   and   Special   Topics:   Mobile   Application   Development   (ITE  480).  

Shariq   is   available   for   comment   on   Computer   Science   Education,   Semantic   Web   and  Mobile  Computing/  Location  Based  Systems.  

Department  of  Social  Sciences  

Djene  Rhys  Bajalan  D.Phil  Candidate  at  the  University  of  OxfordM.A  Istanbul  Bilgi  UniversityM.Sc  The  London  School  of  EconomicsB.A  The  London  School  of  Oriental  and  African  Studies

Djene   Rhys   Bajalan   currently   teaches   Modern   World   Civilizations   and   Middle   Eastern   History   at   AUIS   and   has   previously   experience   lecturing   at   Salahaddin   University,  Istanbul  Bilgi  University  and  the  University  of  Oxford.    

He  has  published  in  the  Turkish  journals  Dipnot  and  Toplum  ve  Kuram  as  well  as  English  language  academic  journals  including  British  Journal  of  Middle  Eastern  Studies,  Iranian  Studies   and  Middle   Eastern   Studies.   His   monograph  entitled  Jön   Kürtler:   Birinci   Dünya  Savaşı'ndan   önce   Kürt   Hareketi   (1898p 1914)   [The   Young   Kurds:   The   Kurdish   movement   before   the   First   World   War]   was   published   in   2010.   He   is   currently   completing  his  doctoral degree  at  the  University  of  Oxford.  

He  is  available  to  comment  on  government  and  politics   in  Turkey,  Kurdish  history  and  politics   in   Turkey   and   Iraq,   politics   of   the   KRG,   USu Middle   East   relations,   nationalism   and   the   Kurdish   question,   Kurdish   intellectuals,   as   well  as  the  history  and  politics  of  the  Middle  East in general.  

Elizabeth  CampbellPh.D.  University  of  Washington  M.A.  University  of  WashingtonB.A.  University  of  California,  Berkeley

Elizabeth  Campbell  studies  the  history  and  archaeology  of  Mesopotamia  and  the  Middle  East   from   late   antiquity   to   the   Mongols.   Her   research   focuses   on   religion   in   Iraq   and   Christianu   Muslim   relations.   She   is   currently   working   on   a   study   of   monasteries   in  

northern   Iraq  during   Islamic  period,   including   a  map  of   the   approximate   location   and  extant  remains  of  medieval  monasteries,  as  well  as  other  digital  humanities  projects  to  document  the  cultural  heritage  of  Iraq.  

Campbell   is  available   for  comment  on  Middle  East  history,  archaeology,  and  Christian-­‐Muslim  relations.  

Geoffrey  Gresk  M.P.H.  Johns  Hopkins  UniversityB.S.  Grand  Valley  State  University

Geoffrey  Gresk  has  been  working  in  development  and  education  for  over  ten  years.  After  serving  for  two  years  as  a  Peace  Corps  Volunteer  in  Cape  Verde,  Gresk  worked  as  an  HIV  prevention  specialist  in  the  Chicago  Public  Schools.  He  holds  a  Masters  in  Public  Health  from   Johns   Hopkins   Bloomberg   School   of   Public   Health   in   Baltimore,   Maryland.   In  addition  to  being  a  teacher,  Gresk  is  also  the  Assistant  Dean  of  Academic  Integrity.  

Gresk  is  available  for  comment  undergraduate  education  and  student  affairs.  

James  Hart  M.A.  Indiana  UniversityB.A.  University  of  Montana

James  Hart  focuses  on  Central  Asia  with  particular  interest  in  the  religious  history  of  the  region,  the  migration  and  formation  of  states  among  the  early  Turkic  peoples,  and  cultural  interaction  and  borrowing  from  dominant  regional  powers.  With  a  B.A  in  Classical  Languages  and  MA  in  Near  Eastern  Languages  and  Cultures,  Hart  uses  a  cross-­‐disciplinary  approach  with  special  attention  paid  to  languages  and  the  arts  of  the  regional  peoples,  including  their  literature  and  visual  art  as  well  as  their  history.  

Hart  is  available  for  comment  on  Central  Asia  and  the  Turkic  peoples.  

Edith  Szanto  Ph.D.  University  of  Toronto  M.A.  University  of  Texas  at  AustinB.A.  Arizona  State  University

Dr.  Edith  Szanto  teaches  Middle  Eastern  History,  Western  Civilization,  Comparative  World  Religions,   and   Islam.    Her   research   focuses   mainly   on   Islam   in   the   modern   Middle  East.    She  has  published  several  articles  on  Twelver  Shi’i  practices   in  Syria,  where  she  spent   three   years   as   a   Fulbright   scholar   researching   popular   Islamic   practices   and  working  for  the  UN.  Her  current  project  examines  Sufism  in  Iraqi  Kurdistan.  

Szanto   is  available   for  comment  on  Twelver  Shi‘ism,  Sufism,  Gender,   the  Anthropology  of  Islam,  Iraq,  Kurdistan,  and  Syria.  

Bilal  Wahab  Ph.D.  George  Mason  University  M.A.  American  UniversityB.A.  Salahaddin  University

Bilal  Wahab’s  research  focuses  on  energy  policy  and  industry,  democratic  transition,  corruption  and  good  governance,  and  economic  development  in  Iraqi  Kurdistan.  A  native  of  Sulaimani,  Wahab  has  appeared  regularly  in  the  media  and  at  conferences,  

including  PBS  News  Hour  with  Jim  Lehrer,  Aljazeera  English  and  Arabic,  NPR's  Dianne  Rehm  Show,  Voice  of  America,  Georgetown  University,  Yale  University,  Amherst  College,  and  AUIS’  Sulaimani  Forum.    Wahab  is  available  for  comment  on  oil  and  gas  in  Iraqi  Kurdistan,  Kurdish  politics,  good  governance  and  economic  development.    

Department  of  Mathematics  and  Natural  Science  

Adeyinka  Aina  Ph.D  University  of  Nottingham  M.Sc.  University  of  Ibadan  B.Sc.  (Honours)  University  of  Ibadan    Adeyinka   is   a   member   of   the   Royal   Society   of   Chemistry   (RSC)   United   Kingdom.   He  obtained   his   doctoral   degree   from   the   prestigious   School   of   Pharmacy,   University   of  Nottingham,  United  Kingdom.  He  has  extensive  professional  experience  in  both  teaching  and   scientific   research,   having   worked   in   Nigeria,   China,   Singapore,   Malaysia   and   in  England.  His   current   research   effort   focuses   on   the   use   of   various   techniques   such   as  Raman  spectroscopy,  X-­‐Ray  Powder  Diffraction,  Differential  Scanning  Calorimetry,  Hot  Stage  Microscopy  and  Scanning  Electron  Microscopy   in   the  physical/chemical   analysis  of  active  pharmaceutical  ingredients  as  well  as  drug  carrier  agents.    Adeyinka  Aina  is  available  to  comment  on  spectroscopy,  X-­‐Ray  Powder  Diffraction,  Differential  Scanning  Calorimetry,  Hot  Stage  Microscopy  and  Scanning  Electron  Microscopy.      Mazen  Bou  Khuzam  Ph.D.    University  of  Cambridge  M.S.    American  University  of  Beirut  B.S.  American  University  of  Beirut    Dr.   Mazen   Bou   Khuzam   earned   his   B.S.   and   M.S.   degree   in   mathematics   from   the  American  University  of  Beirut.  He   then  went   to   the  University  of  Cambridge  where  he  obtained  his  doctorate  degree  with  specialty  in  Geometry  and  Topology.      He   is   currently   serving   as   the   Chair   of   the   Department   of   Mathematics   and   Natural  Science.  He  has  been  working  recently  on  the  Atiyah-­‐Sutcliffe  conjectures  on  n  distinct  points  of  R^{3}.    He   is  available   for   comment  on  Low  dimensional   topology,  exotic  R^{4}’s,   and  contact  structures  on  3-­‐manifolds.    Tara  Faidhalla  Ph.D.  University  of  Florida  M.S.  University  of  Baghdad  B.S.  University  of  Baghdad    Faidhalla’s  research  interests  focus  on  three  major  fields  that  include:  food  processing,  protein   chemistry,   and   immunology   methods.   Her   current   focus   is   primarily   on   the  application  of  novel  technologies,  such  as  power  ultrasound,  to  reduce  the  allergenicity  of  soybeans.  In  addition,  she  studies  the  mechanisms  that  underlie  the  effects  of  power  

ultrasound  on  the  structure  of  protein  allergens  to  understand  if  this  technology  can  be  used  to  reduce  the  allergenicity  of  proteins.    During   the   past   seven   years,   she   has   observed   the   agendas   of   research   centers   in  Malaysia  and  the  United  State  to  understand  the  foundation  of  scientific  advance.  There,  she   found   several   aspects   to   be   significantly   different   from   the   academic   teaching  standard  in  Iraq,  for  example,  the  critical  thinking,  and  teamwork  in  class.  Her  previous  work   in   Iraq  and  Malaysia  and  her  experience  and  education   in   the  United  State  have  equipped   her   with   the   tools,   knowledge,   and   confidence   necessary   to   introduce   and  design  courses  based  on  Iraqi  students’  need.      Faidhalla   is   available   for   comment   on   food   processing,   protein   chemistry   and  immunology  methods.      Nasseer  Idrisi  Ph.D.  State  University  of  New  York  M.S.  University  of  Basrah  B.S.  University  of  Basrah    Dr.  Nasseer  Idrisi’s  research  interests  include  the  study  of  aquatic  (freshwater,  estuarine,  and  marine)  food  web  dynamics,  especially  the  interaction  of  biological  populations  and  communities  with  their  environment.  The  goal  of  his  research  is  to  understand  how  populations  adapt  to  changes,  and  develop  means  to  predict  outcomes  based  on  hypothesized  scenarios.  He  also  researches  how  water  is  used  and  managed  in  agricultural  and  urban  settings.    Idrisi’s  research  experience  includes  field  data  collection  for  nutrient-­‐phytoplankton-­‐zooplankton  analysis  and  interaction  studies,  and  laboratory  studies  on  bioenergetics  of  aquatic  invertebrates  and  vertebrates  that  include  oxygen  consumption,  excretion  and  growth  experiments.    Other  experiences  include  coupled  biological-­‐physical  modeling  using  general  circulation  ocean  models  (GCOM).  He  has  conducted  field  work  in  the  southern  Iraqi  marshes,  Shatt-­‐al  Arab,  Arabian  Gulf,  Oneida  Lake  (New  York  State),  Atlantic  Gulf  Stream,  the  Gulf  of  Mexico,  and  the  Caribbean  Sea.    Idrisi  is  available  for  comment  on  aquatic  systems,  water  management  and  biodiversity.    Ramalingam  Periasamy  Ph.D  University  of  Wales  M.Eng.  Anna  University,  Chennai  M.Sc.  St.  Joseph’s  College  University  of  Madras,  Chennai    Dr.  Ramalingam  Periasamy  is  an  experimental   laser  Physicist  with  more  than  20  years  experience  teaching  undergraduate  courses  in  physics  and  geology.  His  current  research  interests  include  building  of  high  power  lasers  and  laser  electro-­‐optics  and  electronics,  the  evaluation  of  pedagogy  of  teaching  methods  in  Physics,  developing  Java  applets  for  effective   use   in   classroom   teaching,   mathematical   modeling,   and   the   detection   of  counterfeit  anti-­‐malarial  drugs  using  laser  Raman  spectroscopy.    Periasamy  has  worked  on  US  Department  of  Education  projects   to  develop   interest   in  Science,  Technology,  Engineering  and  Mathematics   (STEM)   through   junior  enrichment  programs   that   incorporate   summer   programs   aimed   at   inquiry   based   learning   about  science  through  lab  experiments  and  interactive  discussions.  

 Periasamy  is  available  for  comment  on  lasers,  physics  and  science  pedagogy.    Maria  Saldarriaga    Ph.D.  University  of  Bergen,  Norway  M.Phil.  University  of  Bergen,  Norway  B.E.  National  University  of  Colombia    Maria   Saldarriaga   holds   a   Bachelor   in   Management   Engineering   from   the   National  University   of   Colombia   and   a   Masters   and   a   Ph.D.   in   System   Dynamics   from   the  University   of   Bergen   in   Norway.   She   is   originally   from   Colombia,   but   her   studies   and  research   have   taken   her   to   Norway,   India   and   Zambia.   She   specializes   in   the   use   of  modeling   and   social   sciences  methods   to   study   the   linkages   between  humans   and   the  environment,  and  in  the  design  of  integrated  policies  for  natural  resources  management.  For   the   past   two   years,   she   has   conducted   research   on   local   climate   change   and   food  security   in   the   south   of   Zambia,   where   she   has  worked  with   small   holder   farmers   to  investigate  their  vulnerability  to  climate  change  and  their  ability  to  adapt  to  it.  Maria  is  an  Assistant  Professor  at  the  Mathematics  and  Natural  Science  Department  and  an  IRIS  Research  Fellow.    The   working   title   of   Saldarriaga’s   research   is:   “A   Social-­‐Ecological   Systems   Study  of  Karez   in   Iraqi   Kurdistan:   Understanding   the   Role   of   Traditional  Groundwater  Management   Systems   in   Sustainability,   Food   Insecurity   and   Internal  Migration.”   Through  her   research,   Saldarriaga   aims   to   understand   the   role   that   karez  currently  play   in   rural  water   and   food   security.  Additionally,   she  will   explore  whether  karez   can   be   used   for  sustainable   water   management   given   the   future   challenges   of  climate  change.      Saldarriaga  is  available  for  comment  on  social-­‐ecological  systems  in  Iraqi  Kurdistan  and  water  and  water  management  in  Iraq.