She holds a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering (Tishreen University, Syria), and M.S. & Ph.D degrees in Civil Engineering (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign). Dr. Haikal’s research focuses on developing advanced computational models for simulating the response of complex structures and materials to extreme loading events. Dr. Haikal received several awards among them: the Fulbright Foreign Student Fellowship for graduate study for 2002-2004, American Arab Association of Engineers and Architects Student Scholarship in 2007, and the 2009 Mavis Memorial Scholarship sponsored by the College of Engineering at the University of Illinois.