Leila J. Hamdan

Leila J. Hamdan serves as the Associate Vice President for Research in Coastal Operations and a Professor at the School of Ocean Science and Engineering at The University of Southern Mississippi since September 2016. Throughout a distinguished career, Leila has held various positions including Interim Director and Associate Professor within the same school. Previous roles include Associate Director at George Mason University, where Leila was also an Assistant Professor in Environmental Science and Policy, as well as a Research Microbial Ecologist at the US Naval Research Laboratory. Additionally, Leila has experience as an Adjunct Professor at Johns Hopkins University, teaching a course on Chesapeake Bay ecology, and has held earlier research positions and roles in chemistry. Leila holds a Ph.D. and an MS in Environmental Science and Policy and Biology from George Mason University, as well as a BS in Biology from Rowan University.