30 October 2009 The American University in Dubai (AUD) has announced establishing the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Department of Civil Engineering within the School of Engineering (SoE). The SoE has offered degrees in three programs since its inception: Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Computer Engineering. Previously, each program operated under the direct umbrella of the SoE. With the new changes, the Electrical Engineering and Computer Engineering degree programs are now offered by the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Similarly, the Civil Engineering degree program is offered by the Department of Civil Engineering.

A Chair has been appointed to lead each department. Dr. Hamid Shafiee is the Chair of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department. Dr. Elias Saqan is the Chair of the Civil Engineering Department.

The change was a natural consequence of the growth witnessed in the SoE over the last few years. Like structures used in universities worldwide, the Chairs act as important leaders of their departments, juggling tasks to keep things running smoothly. The Chairs responsibilities include monitoring and finding ways to extend the department budget, scheduling courses, balancing teaching loads across the department, and representing and promoting the overall department.

Dr. Hamid Shafiee, Chair of Electrical and Computer Engineering, was recently appointed as Associate Editor of the IEEE Communication Letters. He is the longest serving member of the AUD School of Engineering. He earned a PhD in Electrical Engineering from University of Minnesota and his research interests include Digital Communication, Wireless Networks, and Digital Storage Systems. He is an IBM corporation fellow, has several patents under his name and is a recipient of several awards and honors.

Dr. Elias Saqan joined the AUD School of Engineernig in September 2006. He earned his PhD in Civil Engineering from The University of Texas at Austin. His research interests include Structural Analysis and Design, Behavior of Structural Concrete, and Earthquake Engineering. While a Fulbright scholar at Purdue, Dr. Saqan worked on various experimental aspects of reinforced concrete systems. He continues his research line in structural analysis and reinforced concrete design, and publishes regularly in the ACI and PCI Journals.