UWF Rite of Passage lecture series presents Drs. Mohamed Khabou and Carla Thompson

The Rite of Passage lecture series celebrates University faculty recently promoted to full professor. The series gives professors the opportunity to share life lessons outside of the classroom with colleagues, students, friends and community members.

Khabou, chair of the electrical and computer engineering department, will present a lecture titled, “For the Love of Engineering: My Journey from North Africa to North America.” He joined UWF in 2002, after receiving his doctoral degree in electrical engineering from the University of Missouri in 1999. His areas of expertise include artificial neural networks, pattern recognition and digital image processing. He has completed numerous research projects in his fields of expertise, and he has succeeded at having his work published throughout book chapters and journal articles in prestigious venues. As the recipient of the IEEE Student Chapter Teacher of the Year award and UWF Faculty Excellence in Teaching award, Khabou is a highly experienced and respected engineer.

Thompson, professor of research and advanced statistics, will present a lecture titled, “Forever Changed.” Prior to joining UWF in 2006, she earned a bachelor’s degree in mathematics and petroleum engineering and a master’s degree in mathematics education. She also served in K-12 schools as a faculty member and associate dean at four institutions in Oklahoma over a period of 34 years. Thompson’s doctoral degree in education is focused on educational research, statistics and evaluation. She currently serves on several boards for community service agencies, and in 2007 she founded the UWF Community Outreach Research and Learning Center, where she has spearheaded more than 100 community-based research projects. Additionally, Thompson has been awarded 62 state and federal grants totaling over $8 million and has served as a national reviewer for the U.S. Department of Education and the National Science Foundation. Her personal research agenda has a focus of mathematics anxiety in children and adults.

A reception will immediately follow the lecture. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit the Rite of Passage website.