Presented an evening of Lebanese zajal poetry at the event “Lebanon:  A Story of Survival.”  Organized by the Cedars Organization of Our Lady of Lebanon Cathedral, Brooklyn, NY, Fall 2006.

Participated in “Arab Culture Week” of Turath, the Arab Students Organization at Columbia University.  Reading of my poetry in both Fusha and Zajal, Fall 2006.

Presented an evening of zajal poetry at Alwaan for the Arts, New York City, Fall 2006.

“Evening with the Poetry of Mahmoud Darwish.”  Read excerpts of my translation of his poem, “Antithesis.”  Columbia University, Fall 2006.

“Variations on Curriculum Design between Academia and the Defense Language Institute.”  Lecture presented at the Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center, June 2006.

“Gibran Kahlil Gibran and Anglo-American Romanticism” A lecture presented at the Arabic Studies Seminar.  Columbia University, October 2005

“Khalil Hawi and the Role of the Modern Arab Poet.” Lecture delivered at the Department of Near Eastern Studies.  Princeton University, April 2005

“Yusuf Abdel Samad and Contemporary Arabic Poetry,”  American University of Beirut Hall, New York City, April 2005

Presented an evening of poetry (zajal) with Yusuf Abdel Samad, at “Alwan for the Arts”.  New York City, January 2005

“Kahlil Gibran and Arabic Literature in the USA” A symposium presented at the Fiske Planitarium Auditorium.  University of Colorado, March 2005

Presented an evening of Lebanese Zajal poetry during the festival: From Bukhara to Beirut, sung poetry From the Islamic World.  Symphony Space, New York, New York, April 2005

Participated on a panel, The Cultural Development of the Arab Mind, sponsored by the Arabic Center for Dialogue and Research and the Arab Club at the United Nations.  October 2004

Presented an evening of poetry (zajal), sponsored by the Alumni Medical Doctors Class of 1974 of the American University of Beirut.  October 2004

“The Life and Works of Ghada Al-Samman with Special Emphasis on her Novel.” A seminar presented at The Lauder Institute.  The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 2003

“The Middle East and the West : Concepts and Misconceptions in Global Issues both Ancient and Current.”  Calvary Episcopal Church, New York, New York, 2003

“Poetry Reading”, Matinee of Arabic Poetry and Music, sponsored by the Department of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures.  Columbia University, 2003

“Shock Classes in Arabic.” Teaching Fellow Orientation Workshop.  Columbia University, 2003

“Kahlil Gibran: His Life and Works.” A seminar presented at The Lauder Institute.  The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, 2002

“Reflections on the Life and Poetry of Badr Shakir al-Sayyab”. With a reading of his poem “Unshudat al-Matar” in both Arabic and English.  Columbia University, 2002. Featured on Columbia's homepage Video Forum.

“Lunch and Discussion on the Middle East.” Columbia University, New York, New York, 2001

“The Middle East Today: Fact Vs. Fiction”, Scholar’s Day.  SUNY College at Cortland, Cortland, New York, 2000

“Kahlil Gibran and William Blake: Poets of Prophetic Vision”, First International Conference on Gibran.  University of Maryland, 1999

“The Middle East on the Eve of the Millennium”.  Temple Birth Shalom, Cortland, New York, 1999

“The Middle East: An Update.”  Rotary Club, Cortland, New York, 1999

“The History of Islam”.  Temple Birth Shalom, Cortland, New York, 1998

“Islam and the Current Situation in the Middle East.”  Rotary Club, Cortland, New York, 1998

“Foreign Languages and the Future Job Market.”  Homer High School, Homer, New York, 1998

“Contemporary Arabic Poetry.”  SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, 1998

“Khalil Hawi in Memoriam.”  SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, 1998

“How to Have an Effective Parent-Teacher Conference.”  Cortland-Homer Teacher Center, Cortland, New York, 1996

“How to Read and Appreciate Poetry.”  Homer Intermediate School, Homer, New York, 1996

“Teaching Arabic in the USA.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1994

“Learning to Read or Reading to Learn: Effective Techniques on Listening and Reading for Proficiency.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1994

Originator and Moderator of bimonthly literary roundtable of academic discussion.  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1986 - 1993

“The Middle East: Then and Now.”  Rotary Club, Monterey, California, 1993

“Modern Arabic Poetry.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1993

“The Arab Family Abroad.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1993

“The Role of Women in the Arab World.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1993

“Pre-Islamic Arabia.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1993

“The Use, Application and Selection of Authentic Texts.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1993

“Teaching Arabic as a Foreign Language to American Adult Students.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1993

“Islamic History: Insights and Analysis.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1992

“Arabic Civilization and Thought.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1992

“Medieval Arabic Poetry: An Overview.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1992

“Cross-Cultural Communication.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1992

“Gibran Kahlil Gibran.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1992

“Introduction to Romanticism.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1992

“Lebanon: A Nation Under Siege.”  Rotary Club, Monterey, California, 1991

“Western Influences on Modern Arabic Poetry.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1991

“Diglossia.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1989

“Language: A Living Being.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1986

“The Arabic Language: A Cultural Analysis.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1986

“Culture and Religion in Prewar Lebanon.”  Defense Language Institute, Monterey, California, 1984

Commencement speech at the Christian Teaching Institute.  Beirut, Lebanon, 1983

“Gibran Kahlil Gibran wa William Blake: Sha’ira al-Ru’ya.”  Lebanese University, Beirut, Lebanon, 1982

“The Free-Lebanon Movement.”  SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, 1980

“al-Shi’r wa al-iltizam.”  SUNY Binghamton, Binghamton, New York, 1979
 

As a published poet in Modern Standard Arabic and Lebanese Dialect, I have been invited to give numerous poetry readings from my own works (both published and unpublished). Invitations have been extended from the Arabic Departments at the Defense Language Institute, the Comparative Literature Department and the Arabic Circle at the State University of New York at Binghamton, the Arab Club at Cornell University, the Christian Teaching Institute in Beirut, Lebanon, the Arab Club in Monterey, CA and the Arab Club and the Literary Circle in Beirut, Lebanon. Since 1972, I have given scores of readings from my own poetry.
 

“Learning Your Alif, Ba, Tas.  Arabic Students Struggling, Organizing to Learn Difficult Language.”  Columbia Spectator, November 2005.

“Unique Arabic Courses Introduced to Columbia” Columbia Spectator.  Columbia University, New York, New York, June, 2002

“New Columbia Arabic Summer Program to be Launched Through Continuing Education” Record, Columbia University, New York, New York, 2002

“Columbia Arabic Summer Program.”  Voice of America Radio, 2002

“Kahlil Gibran on Modernizing Arabic Language and Poetry.”  KAZU Radio, Pacific Grove, California, 1991

“The Middle East Crisis.”  Channel 7 Television, Binghamton, New York, 1982

“Crisis in Lebanon.”  Public Broadcasting television, Binghamton, New York, 1982

“The Middle East Crisis.”  WIBX Radio, Utica, New York, 1978
 

Attended 2006 MESA Conference, Boston, MA, and conducted interviews for candidates applying to Columbia University’s Arabic position, November 2006.

Attended and participated in the 2005 MESA Conference.  Washington D.C., November 2005
Presented a paper entitled: “Badr Shakir al-Sayyab and the Role of the Modern Arab Poet.”

“Total Immersion Curriculum for the Advanced Levels in Arabic” with Foazi El-Barouki, DLI.
A workshop presented at the North East Conference on the Teaching of Foreign Languages.  New York, New York, April 2005

Invited to present a paper and participate in the “Oxford Round Table” discussion of a special session entitled “Global Security in the 21st Century.”  Lincoln College, University of Oxford, England

Invited to give a presentation and participate in the Second International Conference on Kahlil Gibran.  University of Maryland, College Park, April 2006

Attended and participated in the 2004 MESA conference.  San Francisco, California, November 2004
Presented a paper entitled, “Beirut ’75 by Ghada al-Samman: An Autobiographical Interpretation.” Also chaired a panel, “Dynamics of Culture in the Gulf Arab States: Part II.” Represented MEALAC at the meeting of the Center for Arab Study Abroad (CASA)

Attended the “Seventeenth Annual Symposium on Arabic Linguistics,” sponsored by The Arabic Linguistics Society (ALS).  University of Oklahoma, March 2004

Attended ACTFL.  Pennsylvania, 2003

Attended AATA.  Pennsylvania, 2003

Attended "Foreign Languages Collaborations and the Web." Conference of the Consortium for Language Teaching and Learning.  University of Pennsylvania, 2002

Invited to present a paper on the contemporary Lebanese/Arab poet, Khalil Hawi, at the Arabic Literature Seminar held in conjunction with the ACLA annual convention.  San Juan, Puerto Rico, 2002

Invited to present a paper and participate in the open discussion at the Conference of L' Academie Culturelle Arabe.  Amman, Jordan, December 2002

Attended and read a paper at the First International Conference on Kahlil Gibran.  University of Maryland, 1999

Attended ACTFL.  Monterey, California, 1989

Attended ACLA.  New York University, New York, New York, 1982

Attended MESA.  Washington, D.C., 1980

Attended Comparative Literature association.  Chicago, Illinois, 1978

Attended ACLA, Graduate Student Conference.  Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, 1978
 

Chair of MEALAC Search Committee for selecting and hiring two new full time lecturers in Arabic Studies. Fall 2006 - Spring 2007

MEALAC Search Committee member to interview and select a new full time lecturer in Hindi/Urdu. Fall 2006

Fulbright Campus Committee member to review applications for evaluation and nomination. Fall 2006

Participated in the validation of the Defense Language Institute’s Proficiency Test (DLPT). Summer 2006

Member of the screening committee for NSEP (National Security Education Program) serving as the Middle East expert to review applications and recommend candidates for scholarships. 2006-2007

Member of a MEALAC senior thesis committee for a translation project of an Arabic novel. 2006 - 2007

Nominated to the Executive Board of AATA (American Association of Teachers of Arabic).

Co-Chair of MEALAC Search Committee for appointing a new Arabic Language Lecturer. 2005 - 2006

Member of NECTFL.  2005

MEALAC Search Committee Member for appointing a new Arabic Language Lecturer. 2004 - 2005

MEALAC Review Committee member for faculty evaluation. 2004 - 2005

Member of Ameen Rihani Organization, “Scholars’ Desk”

MEALAC Review Committee member for faculty evaluation. March 2003

MEALAC Search Committee member for selecting a new Turkish Language Lecturer. 2003

MEALAC Committee Chair for Summer Language Program. 2003-2004

MEALAC Committee member assigned to revise the Department’s Bylaws. 2004

MEALAC Committee member to revise application for Title VI grant. 2002

MEALAC search committee member for selecting a new Arabic language lecturer. 2002

Columbia Language Committee

Middle East Studies Association of North America

The Arabic Linguistics Society

American Association of Teachers of Arabic

Lebanese Studies Association

Curriculum Committee, Columbia University, Dept. of Middle East and Asian Languages and Cultures.  2000

Better Business Bureau of Central New York.  1997 - 1998

Faculty Advisory Council, Defense Language Institute.  1991 - 1993

Originator and Board Member of Middle East School Faculty Newsletter, Defense Language Institute.  1992

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Hispanic Employment Program Committee (HEPC), Chairman of Statistics and Analysis Committee and active in fund-raising activities, 1987

Arab-American Club of the Monterey Peninsula, 1986 - 1990

Modern Language Association, 1982 - 1984

National Teacher’s Association of Lebanon, 1973 - 1982

Vice-President, Departmental Graduate Student Association, State University of New York at Binghamton, 1977 - 1978

Founder, President and Life Member, Beirut Youth Cultural Society, Beirut, Lebanon, 1972 - present

Vice-President, The Cultural Assembly, Christian Teaching Institute, Beirut, Lebanon, 1970 - 1972
 

During my tenure as a manager at the Defense Language Institute, I have completed a wide variety of training courses to enhance my managerial skills. These courses in part addressed the role of leadership in the areas of positive communication, sustaining group dynamics, sharpening negotiating skills and building team cohesiveness. This training also focused on reinforcing the importance of good interpersonal relations, eliminating or successfully defusing conflict in the work place, and keeping the lines of communication between management and employees open. Topics like why to hire the handicapped and prevention of sexual harassment were thoroughly explored.