Dr. Samar Aad
Assistant professor
Dr. Samar Aad is an Assistant Professor of Management at Adnan Kassar School of Business. Her interdisciplinary research focuses on AI in education, sustainability, digital transformation, employability, and the influence of student and media influencers. She co-authored After Generative AI: Preparing Faculty to Transform Education, Learning and Pedagogy (Great Debates in Higher Education), which explores how generative technologies are reshaping academic roles, learning design, and institutional strategies. Her current work examines how management education can better equip students for evolving labor markets through AI-integrated curricula and authentic learning experiences. Dr. Aad’s research also addresses trust, legitimacy, and monetization issues among digital influencers, particularly in the context of student employability and higher education reform. She is actively engaged in international research collaborations, including funded initiatives. She frequently contributes as a speaker and consultant on strategic planning, project management, faculty development, and cross-border educational innovation. Dr Aad also leads vertically integrated projects (VIPs), engaging students in ambitious, long-term, industry-scale, multidisciplinary projects that help bridge the gap between academia and industry. She has published papers on management and accreditation in academic journals. She also served as a reviewer in numerous refereed journals and participated as a speaker at international conferences.
Teaching Interests
- Higher Education in the digital age
- Quality Assurance, Accreditation and Ranking
- Marketing Management
- Digital Management
- Artificial Intelligence for Business
- E-business and e-commerce
- Management Information Systems
Selected Publications
- Kirikkaleli, D., Aad, S. & Kirikkaleli, N.O. Sustainable development and investment in artificial intelligence in the USA. Humanities Social Science Communications 12, 246 (2025). Scopus Q1. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-025-04417-7
- Aad, S., Dagher, G. K., & Hardey, M. (2024). How Does Cultural Upbringing Influence How University Students in the Middle East Utilize ChatGPT Technology? Administrative Sciences, 14(12), 330. Scopus Q2. https://doi.org/10.3390/admsci14120330
- Sayegh, N., Sayegh, N., Aad, S., & Karkoulian, S. (2024). The Mediating Effect of Knowledge Sharing and Usage on Human Resource Practices and Innovative Behavior: Developing vs. Countries of Crisis. International Journal of Knowledge Management (IJKM), 20(1), 1-18- Scopus Q2. https://doi.org/10.4018/IJKM.358007
- Raaper, R., Hardey, M., Aad, S. Negotiating authenticity and student transitions: Experiences of student -influencers on social media. Journal of Youth Studies – Scopus Q1 https://doi.org/10.1080/13676261.2024.2419085.
- Aad, S., Hardey, M. Title: Generative AI: Hopes, Controversies, and the Future of Faculty Roles in Education. Quality Assurance. (https://doi.org 10.1108/QAE-02-2024-004) (Accepted 25 August 2024) Scopus Q2. https://doi.org/10.1108/QAE-02-2024-0043
- Raaper, R., Hardey, M., Aad, S., “Filling the gap: Student influencers as support providers in marketized higher education”, Studies in Higher education journal-Scopus Q1. https://doi.org/10.1080/03075079.2024.2385614.
- Souki, K. Aad, S., Karkoulian, S. (2024). The correlation between 360 Degree Feedback Appraisals and their influence on Innovative behavior within the organization. Mediated by Organizational Justice. International Journal of Organizational Analysis. (Student thesis). Accepted May 2024- Scopus Q2-https://doi.org/10.1108/IJOA-12-2023-4146 (This research won the Young Researcher Award at LAU during the LAU Research Day Spring 2025.)
- Aad, S., Ginzarly, M., F.J. Srour (2023) The Interplay of Institutional Support and Faculty Roles during the Covid-19 Pandemic: Implications for the future of Online Teaching and Learning, Online Learning Journal. Status: Accepted July 2023- Published March 2024. Scopus Q1-https://doi.org/10.24059/olj.v28i1.3911
- Kertechian, K.S., Karkoulian, S., Ismail, H.N. and Aad Makhoul, S.S., 2022. A between-subject design to evaluate students’ employability in the Lebanese labor market. Higher Education, Skills and Work-Based Learning, 12(4), pp.732-748.
- Makhoul, S. A. (2019). Higher education accreditation, quality assurance and their impact to teaching and learning enhancement. Journal of Economic and Administrative Sciences.