Outreach & Teaching

Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) student chapter at USU

As a co-founder and inaugural president of the EERI student chapter at USU, I had the privilege of spearheading the chapter's mission to introduce students to cutting-edge earthquake engineering research and design practices, share USU's research findings with the earthquake engineering community, and increase public awareness about earthquake hazards. The chapter achieves these goals by facilitating members' participation in conferences, hosting distinguished guest speakers to discuss the most recent advances and best practices in earthquake engineering, and actively engaging in community events, where we showcase experiments that highlight earthquake hazards. 

Dean funding meeting

Community night event

Tower building social

Resume workshop

Opening social

Day at the quad

Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU)

I was selected by the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure (NHERI) to mentor students in their Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) internship program for the summer of 2022. My objective in working with the REU students was to equip them with the skills needed to conduct research and, by the end of their three-month internship, enable them to develop projects that benefit the natural hazards community. Their task was to archive one of the largest noninvasive subsurface imaging datasets ever collected. Each student received training on coding and seismic wave propagation principles to enable them to accomplish the required tasks and produce a valuable project within the program's tight time constraints. The students excelled and made notable advancements by successfully completing a challenging learning curve and presenting distinctive projects.

Engineering State Summer Camp

Selected to host the civil engineering sessions at the Engineering State Summer Camp held from June 20th to 23rd at Utah State University. This summer camp brought together high school students for three days of immersive engineering activities. Each session began with a brief introductory lecture on earthquake engineering, setting the stage for the hands-on learning experiences to follow. Students participated in tower-building challenges and engaging shake table activities designed to simulate earthquake scenarios. Each day, we had a turnout of approximately 20 students. It was a rewarding experience to share knowledge and inspire the next generation of engineers during this summer camp. 

Served as a Reviewer for the Following Journals

Teaching 

I currently teach In-situ Site Characterization, Deep Foundations, and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering at the University of Rhode Island.

Throughout my academic and professional journey, I have endeavored to share my technical expertise with my fellow engineers, graduate peers, and engineering students. At PetroBel, I organized lectures and provided learning resources to improve the quality of our routine work, drawing inspiration from my structural engineering master's studies at the time. While at AAMU, I served as a teaching assistant for various courses, including Foundation Design, Soil Mechanics, Soil Lab, and Hydraulic Design. 

I had the pleasure of meeting Professor Brady Cox at a University of Texas at Austin open house during his transition to USU. I helped Professor Cox establish USU's earthquake and subsurface imaging lab and design the deep foundation course, where I served as a guest lecturer multiple times. I also served as a guest lecturer in the In-Situ Site Characterization course at USU.  I have also taught a graduate short course on noninvasive subsurface imaging using seismic waves.

My teaching approach is strongly shaped by my aspiration to enhance learning through the use of computational tools, visual aids, and the integration of real-world examples from my industry experience. As a testament to this approach, I have developed the software (AMR) utilized in teaching the Deep Foundation course at USU and URI. Moreover, I have created Python tools for analyzing and visualizing SPT, CPTU, and DMT data for USU and URI's In-situ Site Characterization courses. 

Diversity Statement: I value the friendships I have cultivated with individuals from diverse backgrounds, including various nations, genders, ethnicities, and religions. Through my association with PetroBel, a multinational company formed through an Egyptian-European partnership, I have had the opportunity to engage with individuals from around the globe. Additionally, I have collaborated with peers of African, American, European, and Asian descent on research papers. Mentoring students of different genders and ethnicities, such as Native Americans, African Americans, and women, has also been a fulfilling experience for me.