March 24, 2020,

Dr Hamed Assaf is to continue as Interim Dean of the School of Engineering at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK) for the academic year 2020- 2021, as the university has decided to suspend its search for a new dean for the School of Engineering. 

Dr. Assaf is an associate professor of Civil Engineering in the Civil and Infrastructure Engineering Department, and a leading scholar in water resources management and climate change.

“AURAK is fortunate to have an academic administrator with the experience, knowledge, and commitment of Dr. Assaf to continue to provide strategic and operational leadership of the School of Engineering, as it enhances its existing programs and develops new ones,” said Prof. Stephen Wilhite, Provost and Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs and Student Success.

Dr. Assaf received his PhD in Civil Engineering (water resources) from the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 1991.

Before joining AURAK, he held faculty positions at the American University of Sharjah and the American University of Beirut. Prior to returning to the Arab region in 2003, he was a senior risk analysis and water resources engineer in British Columbia Hydro Corporation (BC Hydro), the third largest utility in Canada.

Dr. Assaf has conducted several studies on the impact of climate change on water resources, vulnerability assessment, water resources modeling, mass disasters, and the geostatistical risk assessment of groundwater contamination.

He has several peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, and reports focusing on the issue of climate change, its potential impact in the Arab region, and adaptation options. He has collaborated with several local, regional and global scholars and convened and chaired scientific conference sessions.

Finally I wish Dr. Assaf and the School of Engineering a very successful and prosperous academic year.