Dr. Myrna Semaan
Deputy Director of the Center of Climate change, Water Security and Environmental Sustainability
Before joining AUIB, she worked as the Middle East Regional Advisor for Water and Climate with Mercy Corps iNGO, and an international consultant on Environmental issues in 6 countries in the region. Prior to that, Dr. Semaan established a strong academic record, holding the positions of Dean and Chair of the Faculty of Natural Sciences at the American University of Technology.
With her multidisciplinary background, Dr. Semaan taught a broad number of courses in the fields of Environmental and Ecological Sciences, Biology and Agriculture at a number of universities in the Faculties of Arts and Sciences and the Faculties of Agriculture. Dr. Semaan tutored master’s and PhD thesis, acted as jury member on dissertations, established science laboratories, created exchange programs and supported joint academic programs with European and American universities.
Dr. Semaan is a Fulbright Scholar, and the Vice Chair of the Climate Crisis Commission for West Asia at the IUCN. Dr. Semaan also acted as environmental consultant for several reputable organizations as UNDP, World Bank, and other. She also has a well-established record on the practical side of environmental actions, where she developed many environmental projects and managed their implementation with a broad spectrum of stakeholders from grassroots to governments.
Dr. Semaan is a plant author discovering new plant species, and holding the abbreviated botanical name “Semaan” in the IPNI global database. She is also the co-author of 5 books on biodiversity of Lebanon, and has produced a number of publications, especially on red-list and threatened plant species.