Barbar Akle

Dr. Barbar Akle was Appointed Assistant Provost in September 2018. In his capacity, he assists the Provost with duties related to strategic planning, faculty affairs, research-support activities, policies and procedures, innovation and external projects, and other academic activities and initiatives.

Prior to his role in the Provost’s Office, Dr. Akle was Associate Professor and Assistant Dean at the School of Engineering. He is a Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineer by trade, having received his B.E., M.E. and Ph.D. in the subject, the first at the American University of Beirut, and the second two at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in the US.

Within the School of Engineering, Dr. Akle was active in a variety of student and external projects that shed light on the talent and resources at LAU. He was present at major events, conferences and signings on behalf of the SOE, and reached out to other LAU schools and outside universities and institutions to further the School of Engineering’s standing and offerings.

His main research is focused on improving, modeling and characterizing Electro-Active Polymers (EAP), which are also known as artificial muscles. His work has led to a better understanding of Ionic Polymer Metal Composites (IPMC) and to the development of applications such as robotic jellyfish and wall shear stress sensors. He is currently working on developing Inner Ear Hair Cell sensors for the hearing disabled and highly efficient buoyancy engines. He is also leading new research to develop a low-cost and healthy exoskeleton system for the paralyzed, and is working with CERN to develop magnetic field resistant robots.

Dr. Akle has published more than 80 peer-reviewed international articles and authored five US patents. He is also an associate editor of the Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures (JIMSS) and a member of the ASME Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Technical Committee.