On the occasion of International Women’s Day, Saturday, March 8, 2025, the IEEE WIE – UOB Student Branch joined forces with the IEEE WIE – Lebanon affinity group to organize “Breaking Barriers: Leading Women in STEM”, a conference that aimed to highlight pioneering women in the fields of sciences, engineering, and technology.
The event opened with introductory notes from Ms. Takla Sassine on behalf of IEEE WIE – UOB Student Branch, IEEE UOB Counselor and Director of Student Affairs at UOB, Mr. Michael Salem, WIE Lebanon Chair, Dr. Nadine Abbas, and IEEE Lebanon representative, Dr. Abdallah Kassem. Virtual introductions were also delivered by Prof. Winnie Ye (President of IEEE WIE) and Prof. Kathleen Kramer (President of IEEE).
In his opening speech, Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering at UOB, Prof. Rami Abboud set the tone for the event as a celebration of resilience and innovation. He expressed the aspiration that “this conference inspire bold ideas meaningful discussions and a renewed commitment to breaking barriers, together, man and woman”.
Following his remarks, Prof. Abboud introduced the conference’s Keynote Speaker, Prof. Lady Sue Black, Baroness Black of Strome, a world leading forensic anthropologist, anatomist, academic, and currently president of St. John’s College, Oxford University. Prof. Black introduced her latest research and discoveries in forensics in light of the case that inspired her innovative scientific contributions.
The conference followed with two panel discussions featuring distinguished women in STEM. The first panel, moderated by Dr. Marianne Saba, Assistant Professor at the Department of civil and Environmental Engineering at UOB, highlighted Women shaping STEM as leaders and the challenges and success they have experienced in their journey. Participating in the discussions were Prof. Jane Estephane, Chairperson of the Department of Chemical Engineering at UOB, Lieutenant Manar Iskandar, Technical Aviation Officer in the Lebanese Air Force, and Dr. Sirine Taleb, Visiting Assistant Professor at the Suliman S. Olayan School of Business OSB, American University of Beirut AUB.
The second panel focused on women who have reached leadership positions beyond the field of STEM, embracing multidisciplinary. Participating leading women were Dr. Habbouba Aoun, Director of the University of Balamand Campus in Souk el Gharb and Director for Community Engagement at the Faculty of Health Sciences at UOB, Ms. Jessica Obeid, founding partner of New Energy Consult, Dubai, Ms. Marie-Jo El Zaïk Onassis, founder and CEO of J-Tech Academy and ITRAIT Corporate, Dubai, and Dr. Mona Itani, Assistant Professor at OSB AUB. Dr. Yasmine Jabali, Assistant Professor at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at UOB moderated the session.
The event concluded with a slideshow showcasing first-hand success stories from leading women in STEM, followed by a workshop led by Ms. Diala Farah, Director of the Career Services Center at UOB, or creating a personalized career identity for impact.
“Breaking Barriers: Leading Women in STEM” exemplifies the University of Balamand’s dedication to fostering a sustainable, equal and inclusive environment with its community and beyond. With inspiring stories from leading women in STEM fields, the conference made a significant impact in challenging barriers within the field.
This conference aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goal 5: Gender Equality, a goal to which UOB is fully committed.
