Bio

Dr. Evan Fakhoury is the Director of LAU Engine, the Lebanese American University’s innovation and entrepreneurship hub. In this role, he leads the university’s incubation and acceleration strategy, oversees startup development programs, and advances partnerships with industry, investors, and ecosystem stakeholders to strengthen entrepreneurship and innovation across the university.

Dr. Fakhoury is also Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering (2016) and an MSc in Advanced Mechanical Engineering (2012) from the University of Leeds, UK. His research focuses on high-impact applications of virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) in education, training, simulation, and interactive learning environments, with an emphasis on immersive technologies that enhance learning outcomes and real-world skills. He currently serves as the Director of LaunchX, LAU’s credit-bearing entrepreneurship program, where multidisciplinary student teams develop technology-driven ventures through applied, experiential learning.

In addition to his academic work, Dr. Fakhoury has founded and successfully led multiple applied innovation ventures, such as 1TRIBE, a fitness and wellness concept grounded in performance, technology, and community, and Tomorrow Today, a software consultancy focused on building immersive experiences for education, culture, and marketing. These entrepreneurial experiences informs his teaching and leadership approach, bridging theory with real-world execution.

Selected publications

Journals

1. Bacchetti A, Lloyd P, Taccola S, Fakhoury E, Cochran S, Harris RA, Valdastri P, Chandler JH. Optimization and fabrication of programmable domains for soft magnetic robots: A review, “Frontiers in Robotics and AI”, 2022 Nov, https://doi.org/10.3389/frobt.2022.1040984.
2. E. Fakhoury, P. Culmer, and B. Henson, “The Effect of Vision on Discrimination of Compliance Using a Tool”, International Journal of Human Computer Interaction, vol. 30, no. 11, pp. 882–890, 2014.

Conferences

1. Kouba, Paul El, Hayek, Samer, Saroufim, Joe, Kassas, Zaher M., Fakhoury, Evan, “Improved Starlink Satellite Orbit Prediction via Machine Learning with Application to Opportunistic LEO PNT,” Proceedings of the 37th International Technical Meeting of the Satellite Division of The Institute of Navigation (ION GNSS+ 2024), Baltimore, Maryland, September 2024, pp. 2424-2433. https://doi.org/10.33012/2024.19892
2. E. Fakhoury, P. Culmer, and B. Henson, “ The Impact of Visual Cues on Haptic Compliance Discrimination Using a Pseudo-Haptic Robotic System,” in IEEE International Conference  on Robotics and Biomimetics (Robio), IEEE, 2017.
3. E. Fakhoury, P. Culmer, and B. Henson, “The Effect of Indentation Force and Displacement on Visual Perception of Compliance,” in World Haptics Conference (WHC), 2015 IEEE, 2015, pp. 88–93.

Academic Degrees

PhD,Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, 2016
MSc, Advanced Mechanical Engineering, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK, 2011
BE,Mechanical Engineering, Lebanese American University, Lebanon, 2010

Professional Memberships

Member of IEEE, PacLab research group, Surgical Technologies research group.