Dr Samira Korfali
Retiree/Chair of the Natural Science Department
& Professor, Lebanese American University
Dr. Samira I. Korfali is an associate professor retiree of Chemistry and was the chairperson of Natural Science Department at the Lebanese American University in Beirut (2006-2011).
She joined LAU as a part-time faculty member in 1977, and became a full-time faculty member in 1988. She has received her B.S. degree in Chemistry from Beirut College for Women (Lebanese American University), her M.S. degree in Physical Chemistry from American University of Beirut and her PhD. in Environmental Geochemistry from Bradford University, UK.
Her research interests include mechanisms of metal deposition in alluvial systems, speciation and modeling of metals in sediment, soil and water, synthesizing and characterization of supra-molecules for the objective of using them as receptors of pollutants in all water resources, and assessment of water resources. Other research topics include toxic metal in canned food, dietary tablets, medicinal herbs, children’s toys and creams, and speciation of metals in cosmetics. As well as to a lesser extent, noise pollution impact on students' performance and Arab women in sciences. Her research work has been exposed in conference presentations and in international journal publications and has been acknowledged internationally. She has reviewed many manuscripts for publication in international scientific journals; she has received many times research grants from Lebanese Council of Scientific Research (CNRS).
She was selected from a large group and invited as global scientist to attend the World Economic Forum on Science and Technology, Dead Sea, 2009, and acted as a discussion leader for the Role Model Scientist. Also, recipient of the Said Akl Award, for creative research (2001).
She is a member in European branch of the Society of Environmental Geochemistry and Health (SEGH), European Water Resource Association (EWRA); International Medical Geology Association (IMGA); Lebanese Association for the Advancement of Science and Society for the Advancement of Science and Technology in the Arab World (SASTA) and was a board member.