Barakat joins international engineering committee

Associate professor of engineering Nael Barakat was nominated to join an international engineering organization that serves as a resource for global organizations such as the United Nations. 

Barakat, also chair of Grand Valley’s mechanical engineering program, is one of two people from the U.S. who will serve on the World Federation of Engineering Organization’s Anti-Corruption Committee. WFEO chose candidates nominated by the American Association for Engineering Societies (AAES), which includes The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Barakat served on AAES’s Ethics Committee for more than five years and is an ASME District Leader.

“My role on the WFEO committee will be to look at the global view on the ethics of the engineering profession and how engineers consider the societal impacts of their work,” said Barakat. “I am really looking forward to learning from other countries and educating them about engineering practices in the U.S.”

Paul Plotkowski, dean of the Padnos College of Engineering and Computing, said: “We are proud to have Nael represent Grand Valley at an international level and to see him continue work in the area of ethical engineering practices. His new role at WFEO reflects Grand Valley’s dedication to teaching ethical engineering practices.”

Barakat will begin his position on the committee in June.