Ahlia's academician to deliver key-note address at a prominent US academic event

Dr. Samia who has recently been promoted to the rank of associate professor will be the 2012 Drake Lecturer at the annual meeting of the Foundations of Education Society and the Society of Philosophy to be held in St. Louis, Missouri, USA in the period from 27 to 29 September 2012.

Dr. William E. Drake was an esteemed philosopher and historian of Education and Chair of the History and Philosophy of Education Department at the University of Texas for many years. The lecture was named in his honour in 1987. Each year the Foundations of Education Society and the Society of Philosophy join forces in sponsoring the Drake Lecture at the combined annual meeting.

A Canadian citizen of Palestinian origin, Dr. Samia has twenty five years of teaching experience in higher education. She taught at McGill Faculty of Education as well as at colleges in Montreal and has extensive experience in teacher training. Dr. Samia holds the Margaret Gillett Award from the Centre for Research & Teaching on Women at McGill University (2000) and the Helen Prize for Women (1999) for merging her academic work with her community work in Montreal.

Dr Costandi joined Ahlia University in 2009 and is a passionate teacher, a prolific writer, a rigorous researcher, and a committed educator whose mentoring has inspired many students over the years. In addition to her teaching responsibilities, she was appointed as the Director of Measurement and Evaluation in 2010.

In a press statement, Professor Abdulla Al Hawaj, President of Ahlia University said, "We are delighted that a member of Ahlia University's family has been selected as the 2012 lecturer of this distinguished academic event." "Dr. Samia is the first non-American to be conferred with this honour, and we are proud of this achievement, which presents yet another indication to the quality of our staff not only at the local and regional levels but at the global level as well," Prof. Al Hawaj concluded.