Barbar J. Akle was born in Zgharta, Lebanon, on July 31, 1978. He later pursued graduate study in the United States and built an academic and research career linking advanced materials engineering with applications in robotics, sensing, actuation, assistive technology, and bioinspired systems.
Akle earned a Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering with distinction from the American University of Beirut in 2001. He then moved to Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he completed a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering in June 2003 and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering in July 2005. His doctoral work was conducted under the supervision of Donald J. Leo in the Center for Intelligent Material Systems and Structures and focused on ionic polymer transducers and related electroactive-material technologies.
Akle began his research career at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, where he worked in the Center for Intelligent Material Systems and Structures after completing his doctoral studies. His early research addressed the Direct Assembly Process, extensional and bending actuation in ionic polymer transducers, fluid-shear sensing, and the use of electroactive polymers in biologically inspired systems and micro-air-vehicle mechanisms. He joined Lebanese American University in January 2007 and became an associate professor in the Department of Industrial and Mechanical Engineering. At LAU he has developed research on electroactive polymers, ionic polymer-metal composites, smart-material sensors and actuators, self-healing structures, biologically inspired and nanostructured materials, robotic jellyfish, inner-ear hair-cell sensors, exoskeleton systems, buoyancy engines, and magnetic-field-resistant robots. He also contributed to the development of LAU's mechatronics engineering curriculum and has supervised student and interdisciplinary engineering projects. In academic administration, he served as Assistant Dean of the School of Engineering and Assistant Provost before becoming Associate Provost for International Education and Programs. He has also served as Executive Director of LAU New York.
Developed and contributed to the Direct Assembly Process for fabricating large-strain ionic polymer transducers.
Advanced the characterization and modeling of extensional and bending actuation in ionic polymer transducers and ionic polymer-metal composites.
Developed and investigated applications of electroactive polymers in robotic jellyfish, fluid-shear sensors, hair-like sensors, inner-ear hair-cell sensors, buoyancy engines, and assistive exoskeleton systems.
Published more than 80 peer-reviewed international articles and authored five United States patents.
Contributed to the development of the Bachelor of Engineering curriculum in mechatronics at Lebanese American University.
(Conference paper co-authored with Nakad Zahi on signal-co...)
2009(Conference contribution co-authored with Keyur B. Joshi, ...)
2011(Doctoral dissertation in mechanical engineering submitted...)
2005(Journal article co-authored with Wassim Habchi, Thomas Wa...)
2011(Journal article co-authored with Joseph Najem, Stephen A....)
2012(Research article co-authored with Matthew D. Bennett and ...)
2006(Research article co-authored with Matthew D. Bennett, Don...)
2007(Research article co-authored with Andrew J. Duncan, Timot...)
2009(United States patent US8839618B1, co-invented with John B...)
2014Akle has participated in the professional engineering community through the ASME Adaptive Structures and Material Systems Technical Committee. He has also served as an associate editor of the Journal of Intelligent Material Systems and Structures and has taken organizational and program leadership roles in international conferences on electroactive polymer actuators and smart structures.
