Dr. Samer Habre is an associate professor of mathematics in the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics.

He joined LAU in 1992. Since then he served the university in various capacities, from being the chair of the Faculty Senate, to chairing the Department of Computer Science and Mathematics, and lately serving as assistant dean. In 1998, Dr. Habre received a one-year Fulbright Scholarship grant that he spent at Cornell University as a visiting assistant professor. In the fall of 2005, he was a visiting scholar at California Polytechnic State University.

On the personal level, Dr. Habre is a lover of the arts; he enjoys singing and playing the electric organ from time to time.

Research Interests

While Dr. Habre’s degree is in pure mathematics, his research has focused on the the teaching aspect of undergraduate mathematics. His innovative learning methodologies constitute the backbone of his publications which have evolved from the role of visualization in mathematics, to the importance of writing, and lately to active learning techniques, in particular inquiry-oriented learning.

As a result of his expertise, he was asked to edit the book Enhancing Mathematics Understanding through Visualization: The Role of Dynamical Software, published by IGI Global in 2013 (available here). In addition, he has served as a guest editor for two special issues of the CODEE online journal (www.codee.org): Engaging Learners: Differential Equations in Today’s World (2020), and Linking Differential Equations to Social Justice and Environmental Concerns (2018). Dr. Habre has also numerous publications in related areas of pure mathematics and has published lately in the area of linear iterative systems.

SDGs Research Mapping

Dr. Samer Habre conducts research relevant to the following SDGs:

Selected Publications

1. Inquiry-Oriented Differential Equations: A Guided Journey of Learning, Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, DOI: 10.1093/teamat/hrz015, 2019.
2. Writing Assignments in a Complex Analysis Course, PRIMUS, DOI: 10.1080/10511970.2019.1660932, 2019.
3. Students’ Challenges with Polar Functions: Covariational Reasoning and Plotting in the Polar Coordinate System; published in the International Journal of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology (iJMEST), Vol. 48(1), 2017, pp. 48-66.
4. Improving Understanding in Ordinary Differential Equations through Writing in a Dynamical Environment. Published in Teaching Mathematics and its Applications, Vol. 31(3), 2012, pp.153-166.
5. Multiple Representations and the Understanding of Taylor Polynomials; published in PRIMUS, Vol. 19 (2), pp. 417-432, 2009.
6. Borderline Behavior of 2x2 Linear Iterative Systems; published in the International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics, Vol. 42, No. 4, 2008.
7. Prospective Mathematics’ Teachers View on the Role of Technology in Mathematics Education; published in Issues in the Undergraduate Mathematics Preparation of School Teachers: The Journal, Vol. 3, 2007.
8. Students’ Conceptual Understanding of a Function and its Derivative in an Experimental Calculus Course; published in the Journal of Mathematical Behavior, Vol. 25(1), 2006, pp. 57-72.
9. Investigating Students’ Approval of a Geometric Approach to Differential Equations and Their Solutions; published in the International Journal of Mathematical Education in Science and Technology (iJMEST), Vol.34, No. 5, 2003, pp. 651-662.
10. The Convergence of an Euler Approximation of an Initial Value Problem Is Not Always Obvious; published in The American Mathematical Monthly, Vol. 108(4), 2001, pp. 326 – 335.

Academic Degrees

• PhD in Mathematics, 1991, Syracuse University, US.
• MS in Mathematics, 1986, Syracuse University, US.
• BS in Mathematics, American University of Beirut, Lebanon.