New Faculty Profile: Nidal Najjar

Professor Nidal Najjar

The Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences recently welcomed Nidal Najjar to its staff as an assistant professor of psychology. This is not her first experience at the University, however, since she was once a student at AUB. She completed her undergraduate studies there in psychology in 1998 before leaving for the United States for graduate school, where she pursued her studies at the City University of New York and in July 2007 earned her PhD in psychology with a specialty in behavioral psychology.

Najjar, who brings new perspectives to the department, has much experience and knowledge to offer her students. While completing her graduate studies, she served as an adjunct lecturer of psychology at Queens College and also spent six years at the New York Child Learning Institute working for children afflicted with autism. Her primary research interest involves studying and understanding affective behavior in children with autism, and she hopes to follow this line of research throughout her stay in Lebanon.

Remarking that her decision to become a behavioral psychologist was never a question for her, Najjar says she was sure of her interest in the field three semesters before she graduated from AUB. After taking the course, "Psychology of Learning," as an undergraduate, it became clear to her that this was what she wanted to study. In fact, Najjar is scheduled to teach the same course at AUB during the coming spring semester.

Najjar is overjoyed to be back in Lebanon again. "Though everything has changed, AUB still has the same vibes." For her, the cafeteria, the library, and the walk past West Hall all exude the same exciting feeling they held when she was a student. This fall semester, Najjar is teaching three courses, two of which are graduate courses. She is very impressed with her students, who she says all show much enthusiasm and a strong desire to learn.