Dr. Leila Halawi, a Fellow with the Royal Aeronautical Society (FRAeS), is a tenured associate professor and research coordinator in the Department of Aeronautics. She holds a DBA in Information Technology Management from Nova Southeastern University, a Master of Science in Aeronautics (MAS) from ݮƵ, and Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Business from the Lebanese American University (formerly Beirut University College). Prior to her academic career, she was a seasoned business operations professional with over 13 years of progressive experience (1993 to 2006) in operations management and business development across the U.S. and Lebanon.
In her current role, Dr. Halawi developed a comprehensive faculty mentorship program that serves as a scalable model for supporting faculty across their teaching, research, and service responsibilities. She is a certified DACUM facilitator and coordinator, with specialized certifications from the Sloan C Consortium in Online Teaching and Quality Matters in Applying the QM Rubrics. Her leadership roles have included program chair positions in Aviation and Aerospace Sustainability, Management Information Systems, and director of Research for the College of Business.
Dr. Halawi's research employs a multidisciplinary approach spanning business intelligence and analytics, information systems, the ethical implications of information technology, and trust dynamics in artificial intelligence. Her interdisciplinary methodology bridges technical, ethical, and organizational perspectives to address complex challenges at the intersection of technology and society.
She has secured multiple research grants, including Faculty Innovative Research in Science and Technology (FIRST) and WW Research Award funding. Her current research focuses on developing innovative curricula using the DACUM methodology, which bridges the gap between industry requirements and academic sustainability and information technology programs. She leads a NIST-funded research project on integrating engineering and aviation standards in higher education curricula. Extending this commitment to national and international standards development, Dr. Halawi serves as Vice Chair of the ANSI Advisory Committee for Education (COE) and as an Expert Delegate representing the United States on the US Technical Advisory Group (TAG) to ISO Technical Committee 279 (ISO TC279), contributing to the development of the ISO 56000 Family of Standards for Innovation Management Systems, both roles held since December 2025. Her work has contributed significantly to curriculum development, establishing the MMIS program, and strategic alliances with industry leaders such as SAS, Tableau, and Microsoft, leading to specialized offerings, including joint Business Intelligence and Analytics certification.
Dr. Halawi has established a notable scholarly record with 59 peer-reviewed articles, 3 books, 12 book chapters, 84conference presentations, and 24conference proceedings. Her research impact is evidenced by over 2,912 citations, an h-index of 20, and an i10-index of 30 according to Google Scholar metrics.
Dr. Halawi's contributions have been recognized through numerous awards, including the Distinguished Research Award from the Academy of Health Care Management (2009), the SAS Emerging Educator Award (2020), and recognition as a Textbook Affordability Champion at ݮƵ (2022). She has maintained the status of Peer Reviewer Extraordinaire with MERLOT since 2019 and has received Appreciation Awards at the Virtual OLC Innovate Conference from 2019 to 2026.
Dr. Halawi serves on multiple editorial boards, including the Enterprise Architecture Body of Knowledge (EABOK) at MITRE Corporation and MERLOT's IT editorial board. She regularly reviews for international conferences and journals, maintaining active involvement in the academic community through her commitment to open educational resources (OER) and educational accessibility. A lifetime member of Phi Beta Delta, the Honor Society for International Scholars, Dr. Halawi serves as Chapter Coordinator and President of the Theta Sigma Chapter at ݮƵ Worldwide Campus, a role she assumed in December 2025.
Based in Clearwater Beach, Florida, Dr. Halawi is deeply committed to community service beyond her professional and academic endeavors. Drawing from personal experience as a caregiver for her mother with dementia, she provides compassionate support and resources to other caregivers navigating similar challenges. She also advocates for and assists individuals with congenital heart conditions, offering guidance informed by her own journey within this community.
D.B.A. - Doctor of Business Administration in Information Technology Management, Nova Southeastern University
M.S. - Master of Science in Aeronautics: Research, ݮƵ
M.S. - Master of Science in Business, Beirut University College
B.S. - Bachelor of Science in Business and Management, Beirut University College
- FRAeS - Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society
- Society for Automotive Engineers (SAE) International Member – 2025- Present.
- Member of the Association for Information Systems since 2002
- Member of the International Association for Computer Information Systems since 2005.
- Member of the Decision Sciences Institute, from 2004- 2008, 2019-Present
Awards
ݮƵ Worldwide - College of Aviation Researcher of the Year 2024-2025
SAS2020 SAS Emerging Educator Award Recipient.
Recognition of an educator who has shown exemplary progress in advancing analytics education and preparing students for careers in analytics and data science. This prestigious award is given to an educator whose efforts and impact in the field, as well as their engagement with SAS, have spanned five years or fewer.
https://www.sas.com/en_us/news/press-releases/2020/june/education-awards-sgf20.html?
2020 College of Aeronautics Certificate of AchievementAward for 'Team Aero'
Distinguished Research Award from the Academy of Health Care Management, Oct 15, 2009
Recognition
- 2022Textbook Affordability Champions. Champions are ERAU faculty members or instructional designers who are engaged in open education and textbook affordability initiatives.
- ċRecognized during the Innovation and academic excellence celebrated by Embry-Riddle Worldwide during its annual Latitude Awards ceremony on Tuesday, November6, 2018, in Daytona Beach. Thesebi-annualawards, held in conjunction with the WWC, recognize the extraordinary efforts of Worldwide faculty and staff committed to student success.
Business Partner of the Year:
Andre de Waal (SAS) and Leila Halawi(College of Business)Achieved the Peer Reviewer Extraordinaire status with MERLOT (Multimedia Educational Resource for Learning and Online Teaching). MERLOT is an international initiative enabling faculty to integrate technology in higher education, and received Appreciation Award during the OLC Innovate Conference in Nashville, TN, on April 19, 2018, and in Denver, CO, on May 2, 2019, virtuallyin 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023,2024, 2025 and 2026.
Recognition for Excellence: Academic Program Oversight, ERAU Worldwide Online Education, June 22, 2017, Daytona Beach. Florida
Funded Research - Grants
PI:Integrating Engineering and Aviation Standards in Higher Education Curriculum
Research Team:Marwa El-Sayed(Co-PI), Mark Miller(Co-PI) and Sophia White (Co-PI)
Funding:National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), 09/15/2023-09/14/26.
PI:Rethinking Credentials for Aviation and Aerospace Aviation Sustainability: A DACUM Approach.ݮƵ Worldwide,FIRST GRANT CAT B 20/21,
PI: Information Systems (IS) and Information Security & Assurance (ISA) Curriculum Development and Design: A DACUM Approach. ݮƵ WorldwideResearch Competition 6th Place Team (2016).
Professional Growth Activities
- Certified Life Coach
- Graduate of 2019 Inaugural Practicing Leaders Program, ERAU Leadership Institute (May 7, 2019)