About

Mohamed K. Watfa

Associate Professor

With over 20 years of experience in academia and industry, Mohamed Watfa has held various leadership roles including Executive Dean, Associate Dean, Program Director, Head of IT and Innovation, Head of Smart Cities, AI and IoT, and Professor in various academic institutions including the American University of Beirut (AUB), University of Wollongong in Dubai (UOWD), and the British University in the UAE. Dr. Watfa’s leadership extends beyond academia as he has also served as the CEO of several companies, including The International School of Innovation, a pioneering IoT smart school that has garnered widespread acclaim for its innovative approach to education, and Tutoritto, a USPTO patent pending mobile app poised to revolutionize remote service provision and business operations.

Prior to his academic experience, he earned his PhD in Computer Engineering at the age of 24 from the University of Oklahoma, USA. He received his BS from AUB and MS from the University of Toledo, Ohio, USA. Throughout his academic career, Dr. Watfa has been recognized for his exceptional contributions, receiving prestigious awards such as the Research Excellence Award four times and the Teaching Excellence Award twice. In 2021, he was honored with the Best Professor in the Middle East Award (MEPRA) for his achievements.

Dr. Watfa is a prolific author/editor with three published books and an extensive body of research comprising over 20 research grants, five book chapters, and more than 100 peer-reviewed journal and conference publications. His research endeavors have attracted substantial funding from agencies, such as the Emirates Foundation and the National Research Foundation (NRF), totaling over 1.5 million USD as a principal investigator (PI). Dr. Watfa’s innovation was further showcased with multiple patented inventions to his credit when he emerged as a runner-up in the MBC TV show “Stars of Science” among thousands of inventors.

Research Interests

Dr. Watfa’s research interests span a wide array of fields, including wireless networking, sustainability and energy management, AI and IoT, machine learning, software engineering, big data analytics, smart cities, innovation, educational technologies, VR/AR, leadership, technology management, drones, and vehicular networks. Dr. Watfa continues to be a driving force in advancing cutting-edge technologies and shaping the future of education and industry.

SDGs Research Mapping

Dr. Mohamed K. Watfa conducts research relevant to the following SDGs:

Selected Publications

  1. Watfa, M. K. & Al tahan, A (2012). A position‐based routing algorithm in 3D sensor networks. Wireless Communications and Mobile Computing, 12(1), 33–52. https://doi.org/10.1002/wcm.888
  2. Watfa, M. K., Kamel, M. M.,  Lobo, B., & Sobh, D. (2017). Is enterprise gamification being cannibalized by its own brand? IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication, 60(2), 147–164. https://doi.org/10.1109/tpc.2017.2656598
  3. Watfa, M. & Sawas, M., (2015). The impact of cloud computing on Information Systems agility. Australian Journal of Information Systems, 19. https://doi.org/10.3127/ajis.v19i0.930
  4. Watfa, M., Bykovski, A., & Jafar, K. (2022). Testing automation adoption influencers in construction using light deep learning. Automation in Construction, 141(104448), 104448. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.autcon.2022.104448
  5. Watfa, M. K., Abdelrehim, A., Shahin, N., & Jaafar, K. (2023). A structural equation model to assess the impact of sustainability management on the success of construction projects. International Journal of Construction Management, 23(10), 1653–1664. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2021.1998302
  6. Watfa, M. K., & Akili, A. (2021). Factors influencing elders’ intention to use a housing community: a virtual reality approach extending the theory of planned behaviour. International Journal of Construction Management, 1–15. https://doi.org/10.1080/15623599.2021.1931769
  7. Watfa, M. K., Alghamdi, L. A., & Hamza, M. O. B. (2021). Optimal deployment of a distributed IoT acoustic surveillance system. International Journal of Sensor Networks, 37(1), 1. https://doi.org/10.1504/ijsnet.2021.10041423
  8. Watfa, M. K., Al-Hassanieh, H., & Salmen, S. (2013). A novel solution to the energy hole problem in sensor networks. Journal of Network and Computer Applications, 36(2), 949–958. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jnca.2012.07.011
  9. Watfa, M. K., AlHassanieh, H., & Selman, S. (2011). Multi-Hop Wireless Energy Transfer in WSNs. IEEE Communications Letters: A Publication of the IEEE Communications Society, 15(12), 1275–1277. https://doi.org/10.1109/lcomm.2011.092911.100129
  10. Watfa, M. K., & Audi, D. (2017). Innovative virtual and collaborative teaching methodologies. Behaviour & Information Technology, 36(7), 663–673. https://doi.org/10.1080/0144929x.2016.1275806
  11. Watfa, M. K., Hawash, A. E., & Jaafar, K. (2021). Using building information & energy modelling for energy efficient designs. Journal of Information Technology in Construction, 26, 427–440. https://doi.org/10.36680/j.itcon.2021.023

Academic Degrees

  • PhD in Computer Engineering, University of Oklahoma, USA, 2006.
  • MS in Engineering Science, University of Toledo, USA, 2003.
  • BS in Computer Science, American University of Beirut (AUB), Lebanon, 2002.