Rate My Professor Hamed Assaf

Prof. Hamed Assaf serves as Dean of the School of Engineering and Professor of Civil Engineering in the Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering at the American University of Ras Al Khaimah (AURAK). He earned his Ph.D. in Civil Engineering with a specialization in water resources from the University of British Columbia, Canada, in 1991, along with a B.Sc. in Civil Engineering with distinction from Kuwait University in 1983. Early in his career, he worked as a Construction Engineer at the National Housing Agency of Kuwait and as a Teaching Assistant at UBC. Following his doctorate and a brief post-doctorate at UBC, he joined BC Hydro as a Water Resources Engineer (1991-1998) and Senior Risk Analysis and Water Resources Engineer (1999-2003), where he conducted dam safety studies, environmental assessments, climate change impact analyses, and developed management systems for hydroelectric operations.

Since relocating to the Arab region in 2003, Prof. Assaf has held academic and advisory roles including Assistant Professor at the American University of Beirut (2003-2011), teaching courses in water resources, hydrology, climate change, and GIS; Economic Affairs Officer at ESCWA (2010-2011); Consultant for the World Bank on climate adaptation (2012); and Visiting Professor in Water Resources at the American University of Sharjah (2012-2014). At AURAK since 2014, he progressed from Chair and Professor of Civil Engineering (2014-2018) to Associate Dean (2018-2019, 2022-present), Interim Dean (2019-2022), and current Dean. His research specializes in water resources management, climate change impacts on water resources, vulnerability assessments, modeling, groundwater contamination risk, and sustainable practices such as recycled materials in infrastructure. Notable publications include "Life cycle assessment of incorporating recycled materials in pavement design" (Journal of King Saud University - Engineering Sciences, 2022), "Hydroeconomic Groundwater Model for Managing Multi-salinity Aquifers in Arid Regions" (Water Science and Technology Library, 2023), "A hydro-economic model for managing groundwater resources in semi-arid regions" (Water Resources Management, 2009), "Hydrodynamic Models of Human Stability in a Flood" (Journal of the American Water Resources Association, 2004), and "Assessing recycling attitude and behaviour in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE" (2018). He has produced book chapters, reports on climate change in the Arab region, and served as keynote speaker for WMO, ESCWA, UNDP, and JICA, chairing conference sessions and fostering collaborations.