Center Leadership and Staff
United States
Sayfe Kiaei
Sayfe Kiaei
Project Director & Professor
Sayfe Kiaei is a professor in the School of Electrical, Energy, and Computer Engineering, the director of the Connection One Center (National Science Foundation (NSF) I/UCRC Center), and Motorola Chair in Analog and RF Integrated Circuits. Prior to leading the COE, he was the Director of the successful U.S.-Pakistan Centers for Advanced Studies in Energy (USPCAS-E) project funded by USAID. From 1993 to 2001, he was a senior member of technical staff with the Wireless Technology Center and Broadband Operations at Motorola. Prior to that, Kiaei was a professor at Oregon State University (1987-1993), where he taught courses and performed research in RF, Analog, VLSI, and Communication Systems. Kiaei has established two Industry-University Cooperative Research Centers: The Center for the Design of Analog/Digital ICs (CDADIC) where he was a co-director (1987-1993), and the Connection One Center at Arizona State University. He has published more than 200 journal and conference papers and holds several patents. His research interests are in RF, Analog and Digital IC, Transceiver design, and sensors.
Alana Burnham
Alana Burnham
Project Manager Research
Alana Burnham is a certified project manager specializing in global development projects and serves as the Project Manager Research for the Center of Excellence for Energy. Before joining the Center, she led key objectives for ASU-US’s Global Locust Initiative’s USAID-funded project in West Africa, Communities for Sustainable Agriculture (Bay Sa Waar). She excels in fast-paced environments that require cultural competency and quick adaptation, and she is passionate about supporting projects that bring research and innovative solutions to communities around the world. She has a background in community outreach and environmental and soil sciences. A former Peace Corps Volunteer, she served in the Agroforestry program in Senegal and is fluent in Wolof.
Carrie Whitten Simmons
Carrie Whitten Simmons
Director of Marketing and Communications
Carrie Whitten Simmons is a public and community relations professional with 25+ years experience leading marketing, communications, projects, community outreach, and public and governmental affairs efforts. Before joining the Center of Excellence for Energy as the Director of Marketing and Communications, she led the marketing, communications and community engagement teams for All of Us Research Program, a National Institutes of Health Initiative to increase diversity in health research. She is a three time fellow and has worked in non-profit development in organizations servicing victims of human trafficking, domestic and sexual abuse, homelessness, and underserved populations in education and health. She ran her own business for 20+ years and is adept at cultural immersion, diversity communications, and community outreach. Carrie serves on the Phoenix Women’s Commission in addition to several boards for organizations in education and health.
Tara Seaton
Tara Seaton
Financial Manager, Sr
Tara Seaton is a Certified Research Administrator with over 24 years of experience in research administration and specializes in post-award management. She serves as the Financial Manager, Sr, for the Center of Excellence in Energy. Before joining the Center, Tara served as the Fiscal and Operations Director for the ASU-led U.S.-Pakistan Center for Advanced Studies in Energy, a USAID-funded project where she was responsible for overseeing processes related to purchasing, award management, budgeting, financial reporting, reconciliation, forecasting, travel, and human resources. Prior to this, she worked at ASU’s Office for Research and Sponsored Projects Administration for 17 years where she started as an Intern and was progressively promoted to Associate Director leading the Award Management Team. She holds a B.S. degree in Accounting and Business Management from Arizona State University.
Delilah Gonzales
Delilah Gonzales
Business Operations Specialist, Sr
Delilah Gonzales serves as the Business Operations Specialist, Sr, for the Center of Excellence for Energy and is responsible for procurement processing and operations. She has been with Arizona State University since 2007 and has over 15 years of experience in business operations within the School of Electrical, Computer, and Energy Engineering, as well as the W.P. Carey School of Business. She also has 10 years of human resources experience and was responsible for the hiring and payroll of academic professionals, non-tenured faculty, post-doctoral scholars, research assistants, visiting scholars, and student workers. Originally from New Mexico, she lived in Anchorage, Alaska, from 2000 to 2006, where she worked under the civilian sector of Elmendorf Air Force Base Medical Center as a Program Assistant for five years in the Family Advocacy Program designated to address and prevent child abuse, neglect, and domestic abuse. Prior to that, she served as the Assistant to the Chief of Operations and various radio hosts at Alaska Public Radio Network.
Egypt
Dahlia El-Tayeb
Dahlia El-Tayeb
In-Country Director
Dahlia El–Tayeb has more than twenty-five years of experience working in international development, project management and implementation, and global education including her most recent position as the Senior Director of the International Programs and Services Office at the American University in Cairo (AUC). Prior to her work with AUC, El–Tayeb worked with multiple organizations including the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), Ministry of Family and Population and National Council forChildhood and Motherhood (NCCM). She has interfaced with over 220+ international universities around the globe that led to establishing collaborative partnerships, diverse development programs and initiatives. El–Tayeb holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and a diploma in the sustainable development program from AUC.
Radwa Altaf
Radwa Altaf
Procurement Manager
Radwa Altaf has more than 15+ years’ experience in procurement in the oil and gas sector. She has had a highly diversified career, primarily within BP, that reflects a breadth of procurement experience in many area: managing high spend and highly critical sourcing activities across the African region (i.e, Egypt, Angola, Mauritania and Senegal); managing central role as well as managing approvals and external relationships with National Oil Companies (NOC) and Joint Ventures (JV) environment. Radwa received her MBA from Arizona State University’s W.P Carey School of Business. She is a member of Chartered Institute in Procurement and Supply.
Amira Hussein Gaber
Amira Gaber
Finance
Amira Gaber has more than 30 years of experience working in the banking and finance industries. She began her career development by working for the Commercial International Bank for ten years, after which she changed careers and took on the role of finance and grants manager for two projects that were funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and carried out by the Save the Children Federation and University of Illinois. Ms. Gaber’s most recent post was 15 years as a senior director of the offices for externally financed grants and student accounts at the American University in Cairo, where she was accountable for securing university funds and adhering to AUC, federal, and state regulations and policies. Gaber graduated from The American University in Cairo with a bachelor’s degree in economics and a master’s degree in public policy and administration.
Ahmed Shehata
Ahmed Shehata
Exchanges and Training Manager
Ahmed Shehata has more than five years experience as a student exchange professional with a strong commitment to international education, youth development, and their social impacts. He has helped send over 300 students to universities in the U.S., providing them with valuable opportunities to gain new perspectives and expand their horizons. After completing his Bachelor of Science degree in chemistry from the American University in Cairo, Ahmed was awarded the Lazord Fellowship, focusing on STEM and youth development. Following this, Ahmed worked in Amideast’s Higher Education Initiative for five years as the Student Affairs and Study Abroad Officer. In addition, he also received a diploma in entrepreneurship from the Euro-Mediterranean University.
Rania Taher
Rania Taher
Communication Manager
Rania Taher is a versatile communication and marketing professional with a career spanning 20 years and multiple sectors. She excels in brand management, outreach strategies, and content development. In her most recent role as Director of Creative Services at The American University in Cairo (AUC), she led a team of creative professionals to develop strategic institutional messaging, ensure brand alignment, and develop quality campaigns and publications for campus stakeholders. Within AUC’s Communication Office, she also served as Copywriting Manager and Senior Editor before that. Earlier, as Marketing and Outreach Manager for the Bibliotheca Alexandrina Science Museum and Edutainment Centers, Rania raised project visibility through strategic outreach campaigns and a comprehensive rebranding initiative. In her previous roles in marketing and freelance writing, she has developed campaigns and collateral for a wide range of industries, such as education, nonprofit organizations, multinational FMCG companies, and construction.
Ahmed Hossam
Ahmed Hossam
Industry and Partnership Manager
Ahmed Hossam El-Din is a Certified Project Manager with over 13 years of experience in business development, project management, and digitalization. Throughout his career, he has spearheaded initiatives that drive innovation and growth, working on projects funded by international organizations like the World Bank, UNDP, GIZ, and UNIDO. For 13 years, Ahmed played a key role in business development at the Industrial Modernization Center (IMC), building bridges between academia and industry. He facilitated successful partnerships, managed collaborative projects, and implemented digital strategies to significantly enhance the IMC’s reach and impact. Ahmed’s expertise lies in managing complex projects from inception to completion, ensuring they stay within budget and deliver high-quality results. He excels at building strong relationships with key stakeholders, including international donors and government officials. Ahmed holds a Diploma in Entrepreneurship and Innovation Management from IULM in Italy and a Bachelor of Applied Arts.
Amina Talaat
Amina Talaat
Project Coordinator
Amina Talaat currently holds the position of Project Coordinator at the COE/E. She is an architectural engineering graduate with over 15 years of diverse work experience in various fields, the most recent being in higher education. Previously, she served as the Study Abroad Manager at The American University in Cairo (AUC), collaborating with over 200 universities worldwide. Before joining AUC, Amina worked at IBM and Schlumberger in project management and operations.
Mostafa Marei
Mostafa Marei
Assistant Technical Advisor, Ain Shams University
Professor Mostafa I. Marei received his BSc (Hons) and MSc degrees from Ain Shams University in Cairo, Egypt, in 1997 and 2000 respectively, and his PhD degree from the University of Waterloo, Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, in 2004, all in electrical engineering. From 2004 to 2006, he was a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Waterloo. Currently, he is a Professor in the Department of Electrical Power and Machines at Ain Shams University. His research interests include power electronics, distributed and renewable generation, microgrids, power quality, electrical drives, and artificial intelligence applications in power systems. Professor Marei has published more than 160 journal and conference papers and has supervised 17 PhD dissertations and 46 MSc theses. He is a holder of the State Incentive Award in Engineering Sciences from the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology. Professor Marei is a senior member of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). His biography is listed in the Marquis Who’s Who in the World.
Mohamed Afifi
Mohamed Afifi
Technical Advising Team, Ain Shams University
Mohamed Afifi has over 10 years of experience in both academia and industry. He has strong academic experience, working in the Department of Electrical Power and Machines at Ain Shams University’s Faculty of Engineering in addition to his academic advising role for the university’s Energy and Renewable Energy program. He is also involved in education management, including academic curriculum quality assurance and registrar administration. Furthermore, Mohamed has over six years of experience working for multinational companies in the field of energy management. He is an alumnus of the Fulbright Junior Faculty Development Program attended at the University of Texas at Austin. Mohamed holds a master’s degree in electrical engineering and is currently a PhD candidate with a microgrids and AI applications research focus.
Mohamed Tawfik
Mohamed Tawfik
Assistant Technical Advisor, Mansoura University
Dr. Mohamed Tawfik specializes in concentrated solar power (CSP), photovoltaic (PV) temperature control, spectral filtration of solar spectrum, and solar simulation. He earned his PhD from the School of Aerospace Transport and Manufacturing at Cranfield University in the United Kingdom and his MSc degree from the Faculty of Engineering at Mansoura University in Egypt.
Dr. Mohamed works as an Assistant Professor in the Mechanical Power Engineering Department and Manager of the Undergraduate Projects Unit at Mansoura University’s Faculty of Engineering. He has published multiple journals and scientific papers and has been awarded the Best Poster Presentation Prize twice.
Usama Khaled
Usama Khaled
Assistant Technical Advisor, Aswan University
Dr. Usama Khaled specializes in nanocomposite materials and dielectric nanofluids, preparation and surface functionalization of nanomaterials, water treatment using pulsed power technology, renewable energy, electric vehicles, experiments and simulation of high voltage technologies, ozone generation using dielectric barrier discharge DBD, discharge phenomena including atmospheric corona discharge, micro plasma streamer discharge, and electrostatic applications. He earned his PhD degree in electrical engineering from Cairo University in Egypt and Kyushu University in Japan through a Joint Scholarship in 2010. He has been an Assistant Professor and an Associate Professor with the College of Engineering at King Saud University from 2013 to 2020. He is currently a Professor and the Head of the Electrical Engineering Department at Aswan University’s Faculty of Engineering. He has participated in multiple research projects, published more than 100 scientific publications in various ISI journals, and won numerous awards.