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X-WR-CALNAME:Department Seminar Series

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2025-08-25-hariz@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20250825T100000
DTEND:20250825T110000
SUMMARY:Explicit analysis of a planar Timoshenko beam: Pure shear follower load example
LOCATION:Munib and Angela Masri Building\, Engineering Lecture Hall
DESCRIPTION:Analytical solutions of a plane\, quasi-static but large transformation of a Timoshenko beam are exposed. The problem is first reformulated as a Cauchy initial value problem\, where the load (force and moment) is prescribed at one end\, and the kinematics (translation and rotation) at the other.Within this framework\, explicit solutions are derived for arbitrary loads. The existence\, uniqueness\, and regularity of the solutions are rigorously proven. Analytical post-buckling solutions are obtained\, characterized by different regimes explicitly governed by two invariants of the problem. A case of pure shear follower load is studied\, with explicit solutions expressed in terms of kinematical and dynamical variables. Both qualitative and quantitative analyses are provided.Perturbation of the problem is presented in a general way\, enabling the computation of perturbed solutions under various boundary conditions.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2025-08-25-hariz/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2025-08-28-bakarji@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20250828T170000
DTEND:20250828T180000
SUMMARY:Exploring the intersections of music\, math and machines
LOCATION:Munib and Angela Masri Building\, Engineering Lecture Hall
DESCRIPTION:This seminar introduces the Music Intelligence Lab (μLab)\, a new interdisciplinary space at AUB where engineers\, scientists\, and musicians collaborate at the intersection of music\, mathematics\, and technology. The session will outline the lab's mission: creating innovative musical instruments and interfaces\, exploring algorithmic composition\, and investigating the role of AI in augmenting—rather than replacing—human creativity.Dr. Bakarji will highlight current research initiatives and announce the upcoming series “Music\, Math\, and Machines”\, which will cover topics such as AI for music\, Arabic maqam theory\, sonification\, and intelligent musical interfaces. A smart glove instrument that translates motion into sound\, unlocking new expressive possibilities\, will be featured. The talk will also present ongoing work in machine learning for music information retrieval (MIR) and generation\, from analyzing Oud improvisations to modeling Bach's fugues. The session will conclude with opportunities for student involvement\, including through the Vertically Integrated Project Program (VIPP).
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2025-08-28-bakarji/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2025-09-11-habbaba@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20250911T170000
DTEND:20250911T181500
SUMMARY:Non-Destructive Assessment of Chloride Ingress in Concrete Using Short-Wave Infrared Hyperspectral Imaging and MLP-Based Resistivity Prediction
LOCATION:Munib and Angela Masri Building\, Engineering Lecture Hall
DESCRIPTION:Chloride penetration affects the durability of reinforced concrete\, particularly in coastal areas\, by inducing steel corrosion. This work used hyperspectral imaging (HSI) in the 900-2500 nm range and resistivity measurements to track chloride-induced deterioration throughout wet-dry cycles. A multi-layer Perception Model (MLP) model accurately predicted resistivity using spectral data (R2 = 0.91). Friedel's salt formation\, as demonstrated by XRD and chemical analysis\, highlighted the HSI ability to detect chemical changes. The findings confirm that HSI is a potential\, non-contact\, and non-destructive approach for early identification of chloride intrusion\, allowing for proactive maintenance.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2025-09-11-habbaba/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2025-09-25-elskafi@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20250925T170000
DTEND:20250925T181500
SUMMARY:Mechanical Behaviour of Metal-Organic Framework Monoliths with Enhanced Fracture Toughness
LOCATION:Munib and Angela Masri Building\, Engineering Lecture Hall
DESCRIPTION:In this seminar\, we will provide an overview of different experimental techniques to characterize the properties and structure of porous Metal Organic Framework materials (MOFs) at the nanoscale. We will highlight the approaches used to process MOFs for applications such as sensing and energy generation and address the underlying challenges especially pore blockage. We will demonstrate this overview on an example of MOF monoliths through ZIF-71. Main findings show that the addition of a slight polymer binder (10 wt%) to the sol-gel mixture would significantly enhance the fracture toughness as well as other mechanical properties while maintaining high surface area and sorption properties. Our findings from surface characterization\, mechanics\, and spectroscopy suggest that the polymer chains are trapped inside the ZIF-71 structure\, thereby improving the mechanical resilience paving the way to future scaling up of MOF monoliths for practical applications and durable devices.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2025-09-25-elskafi/
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BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2025-10-16-amer@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20251016T170000
DTEND:20251016T180000
SUMMARY:From Basics to Innovation: The Journey of Electronics Cooling
LOCATION:Engineering Lecture Hall
DESCRIPTION:This seminar takes the audience on a journey from the fundamental principles of electronics cooling to breakthrough innovations transforming the field today. Starting with heat transfer physics\, it progresses through practical cooling modules and culminates in emerging trends such as fans (blowers)\, nanofluids\, smart materials\, and sustainable cooling solutions.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2025-10-16-amer/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-01-15-kassas@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20260115T123000
DTEND:20260115T140000
SUMMARY:Ad Astra: Navigation with Megaconstellation LEO Satellites
LOCATION:Munib and Angela Masri Building\, Engineering Lecture Hall (ELH)
DESCRIPTION:We are witnessing a space renaissance. Tens of thousands of broadband low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites are expected to be launched by the end of this decade. These planned megaconstellations of LEO satellites along with existing constellations will shower the Earth with a plethora of signals of opportunity\, diverse in frequency and direction. These signals could be exploited for positioning\, navigation\, and timing (PNT) in the inevitable event that global navigation satellite system (GNSS) signals become unavailable (e.g.\, in deep urban canyons\, under dense foliage\, during unintentional interference\, and intentional jamming) or untrustworthy (e.g.\, under malicious spoofing attacks).This talk will overview the challenges associated with exploiting megaconstellation LEO satellites for PNT purposes\, namely their unknown signals\, poorly known ephemerides\, loose synchronization and oscillator instability\, and propagation effects. Next\, a framework termed STAN: simultaneous tracking and navigation will be introduced to overcome these challenges. We will present an end-to-end approach\, spanning theoretical modeling and analysis\, specialized cognitive software-defined radio (SDR) design\, practical PNT algorithms\, and experimental demonstrations of STAN on the ground\, aerial\, and maritime vehicles\, navigating with multi-constellation LEO satellite signals (Starlink\, OneWeb\, Orbcomm\, Iridium\, and NOAA) to an unprecedented level of accuracy. Insights into future research directions and engineering implementation challenges will be provided as concluding remarks.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-01-15-kassas/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-01-21-noubani@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20260121T123000
DTEND:20260121T133000
SUMMARY:Nine Must-Have Tools for Efficient\, Effective Research
LOCATION:IOEC 210B
DESCRIPTION:The seminar will cover the following topics.• Scopus AI for Smarter Discovery – Use AI-generated topic overviews\, expanded search terms\, research landscape summaries\, and rapid identification of key papers and authors.• Citation Searching – Explore cited and citing works using Scopus\, Web of Science\, and Google Scholar.• Identifying Influential Researchers – Analyze author metrics and profiles through Scopus and Web of Science.• Targeting High-Impact Journals – Evaluate potential journals using CiteScore (via Scopus) to ensure your work reaches the right audience.• Theses & Dissertations – Access AUB theses along with global repositories for comprehensive academic insights.• Staying Up to Date – Set up email or RSS alerts on Google Scholar and Scopus to monitor new publications in your field.• Reference Management – Organize and format citations efficiently using tools like EndNote.• Academic Writing & Collaboration – Use Overleaf for seamless LaTeX-based writing\, real-time collaboration\, and easy submission formatting.• Thesis Manual – Follow the official student checklist to stay on track with thesis requirements.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-01-21-noubani/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-01-28-aboujaoude@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20260128T123000
DTEND:20260128T133000
SUMMARY:Wind Turbine Control with Integral Quadratic Constraints
LOCATION:IOEC 210B
DESCRIPTION:In this talk\, Dr. Abou Jaoude will present a comprehensive framework for the analysis of wind turbine control systems. The framework is based on the theory of integral quadratic constraints that allows for capturing system nonlinearities and uncertainties and the characterization of exogenous input signals. H-infinity and PI controllers are designed for Region III operation and comprehensively analyzed for performance and robustness via the framework. OpenFast simulation software is used to obtained LTI system models for the analysis and to conduct extensive high-fidelity simulations on the nonlinear model to validate the analysis results of the framework.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-01-28-aboujaoude/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-02-10-awad@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20260210T123000
DTEND:20260210T134500
SUMMARY:Remote Sensing and Google Cloud Computing Platforms: Applications in Lebanon
LOCATION:Engineering Lecture Hall (ELH)\, 1st Floor\, Masri Building
DESCRIPTION:Remote sensing is the science of observing and monitoring the Earth's surface by detecting reflected and emitted radiation from a distance. Platforms such as satellites\, aircraft\, UAVs\, and handheld instruments carry active and passive sensors—including radar\, optical\, and LiDAR—that generate vast amounts of data. According to the United Nations Office for Outer Space Affairs (UNOOSA)\, as of 2025 there are nearly 15\,000 satellites orbiting Earth\, with thousands actively supporting communications\, navigation\, and Earth observation. This rapid growth\, driven by mega-constellations and new imaging fleets\, has dramatically expanded the availability of geospatial data. Commercial providers now collect hundreds of terabytes daily\, including not only static imagery but also real-time video streams from satellites and UAVs.Processing such immense and dynamic datasets requires advanced computational resources. Cloud platforms have become indispensable in this domain. Google Earth Engine (GEE) offers scalable tools for geospatial data management\, analysis\, and visualization\, while Google Colaboratory (Colab) provides a flexible environment for implementing machine learning algorithms that can process both imagery and video streams. Together\, these platforms enable researchers to move beyond static snapshots toward real-time monitoring applications—such as disaster response\, environmental surveillance\, and urban planning—where rapid insights are critical.This presentation highlights practical implementations of remote sensing in Lebanon using GEE and Colab. Case studies demonstrate how cloud computing facilitates efficient handling of massive datasets\, supports advanced analytics\, and enables real-time applications\, underscoring the transformative potential of these tools for environmental monitoring and spatial research in the region.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-02-10-awad/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-03-26-maalouf@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20260326T123000
DTEND:20260326T133000
SUMMARY:Multiscale modeling of the nonlinear elastic behavior of two-dimensional materials
LOCATION:TBD — location to be confirmed with the Mechanical Engineering Department
DESCRIPTION:Two-dimensional (2D) materials\, consisting of atomically thin layers\, have emerged as a class of materials with exceptional mechanical and electronic properties. From graphene to transition metal dichalcogenides such as molybdenum disulfide\, these systems exhibit remarkable stiffness\, strength\, and conductivity. However\, the elastic behavior of arbitrary 2D materials under large deformations is not yet fully understood. In particular\, the nonlinear elastic response of 2D materials plays a critical role in applications such as flexible electronics and strain sensing\, where large strains are unavoidable. This is especially relevant for emerging fields such as straintronics and band gap engineering.The nonlinear elastic behavior of 2D materials is traditionally studied using atomistic simulation techniques such as molecular dynamics and density functional theory. However\, classical interatomic potentials used in molecular dynamics often suffer from limited accuracy\, while first-principles calculations are computationally expensive. As a result\, continuum modeling has emerged as an effective alternative for describing the hyperelastic response of 2D materials. In this framework\, hyperelastic constitutive models are formulated and their material parameters are typically calibrated using first-principles data. The resulting models can then be used to efficiently predict the elastic response of 2D materials under a wide range of loading conditions.In this seminar\, I will briefly introduce atomistic simulation techniques. I will then present classical constitutive models used to describe 2D materials\, along with recent advances in the field. The elastic properties and nonlinear elastic response of 2D materials with various symmetries will be discussed\, considering both in-plane and flexural deformations. Finally\, I will highlight the effect of strain on the band gap of hexagonal boron nitride as a precursor to future work.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-03-26-maalouf/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-09-10-honein@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20260910T170000
DTEND:20260910T180000
SUMMARY:The Symphony of Gyrations Producing Steady Motions of a Hula Hoop: Insights from a Network Analysis
LOCATION:ALH 106
DESCRIPTION:Hula hooping is a rhythmic activity where coordinated body movements induce a steady motion of the hoop. While a range of coordinated movements can successfully actuate the hoop\, extracting the human motions that directionally influence this multi-harmonic symphony of gyrations and rotations is an open problem that we seek to answer. Our methods use motion tracking of the body and hoop along with a network analysis for a single set of coordinated motions to find that a specific rotation of the femur appears to influence the tilting motion of the hoop\, while specific rotations of the femur\, tibia\, and metatarsal more strongly influence the whirling motion of the hoop. The conclusions from network analysis are shown to be superior to the results obtained from a principal component analysis and have application to human motion studies involving rehabilitation and assistive devices.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-09-10-honein/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-09-17-ghossain@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20260917T123000
DTEND:20260917T133000
SUMMARY:From Engineering to Industry: Careers\, Innovation\, and the Road Ahead
LOCATION:Jassim Al-Qatami Engineering Lecture Hall (ELH)
DESCRIPTION:What does it take to build a career in engineering\, and how does the path from university to industry unfold? In this interactive discussion\, Theresa Honein and Dany Abou Jaoude\, faculty members in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the American University of Beirut\, will engage Elie Ghossain in a conversation about his academic and professional journey and his experiences working in industry.The discussion will explore the transition from engineering education to professional practice\, navigating career opportunities and decisions\, developing the skills needed to succeed in industry\, and the realities of working in a rapidly evolving technological landscape.The conversation will conclude with an open audience Q&A\, giving students and attendees the opportunity to ask Elie questions about engineering careers\, industry\, graduate education\, professional development\, and his experiences along the way.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-09-17-ghossain/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-09-24-chern@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20260924T180000
DTEND:20260924T190000
SUMMARY:Inverse Modal Analysis for Structural Health Monitoring: Applications and Pitfalls
LOCATION:Online — Microsoft Teams
DESCRIPTION:In the practice of structural health monitoring\, physical characteristics of a system are inferred from measured data. Techniques of inverse modal analysis are widely used to solve for natural frequencies and mode shapes. Throughout the service life of a structure such as a bridge or a building\, these dynamic characteristics are monitored for changes. Common practice relies on the assumption that a baseline value can be established and compared across events. This talk introduces the use of inverse modal analysis for structural health monitoring\, and then focuses on practical implications of inferring and interpreting mode shapes. Centering on the paper "On Complex Modal Inverse Analysis: The Cautionary Tale of the Single Surviving Mode" (Chern & O'Reilly\, 2026)\, it shows that a mechanical system with nonclassical damping\, even if vanishingly small\, can possess fewer modes than it has degrees of freedom\, and that when a full set of modes does exist\, those modes need not be orthogonal. This behavior can evade detection by standard checks such as the modal phase collinearity metric\, and in structures with nonclassical damping\, it can lead to the misidentification of baseline modes.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-09-24-chern/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-10-22-alnasser@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20261022T170000
DTEND:20261022T180000
SUMMARY:Advancing EAF Performance: MHD Modelling from Micro-Scale Simulations to Industrial-Scale Applications
LOCATION:ALH 106
DESCRIPTION:Electric Arc Furnaces (EAFs) now account for more than 30% of global steel production and are increasingly important for sustainable steelmaking. Their operation involves complex magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) phenomena\, in which electric currents generate magnetic fields and Lorentz forces that drive flow in the arc plasma\, slag\, and liquid metal\, while Joule heating influences the thermal field and electrical conductivity.This presentation uses numerical MHD modeling to investigate key regions of the EAF and examine how operating conditions and materials affect furnace performance. The models consider arc behavior under different shielding gases\, arc–metal interactions\, flow in the liquid metal and slag\, and the effects of external magnetic fields and material properties.Microscale simulations are further integrated into an industrial-scale furnace model to predict coupled flow and thermal fields throughout the furnace. The results provide insight into operational effects on EAF performance\, including heat transfer to refractory walls and refractory erosion\, demonstrating the potential of multiphysics modeling to guide more efficient and sustainable steelmaking processes.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-10-22-alnasser/
END:VEVENT

BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:seminars2026-11-11-mahfoud@thh00.github.io
DTSTAMP:20260915T054101Z
DTSTART:20261111T170000
DTEND:20261111T180000
SUMMARY:Polymers
LOCATION:ARCH 106
DESCRIPTION:Abstract to be announced.
URL:https://thh00.github.io/seminars/seminars/2026-11-11-mahfoud/
END:VEVENT
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