Lara Hanna-Wakim is a food process engineering and food security expert. She is the first scientist to represent the MENA Region as a member of the Governing Council of the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST) from 2014-2018. Currently she represents the MENA region in the IUFoST Taskforce on Food Systems and COVID-19, acts as Co-Chair of the IUFoST Working Group on Food and Nutrition Security, and serves as a member of the IUFoST Codex Committee.
As a seasoned professional whose contribution to learning and leadership development spans nearly 15 years, Lara is an advocate for communities, and has spent significant time since 2008 working as Strategy Food Safety Consultant at the Emirates Institute for Health and Safety, Abu Dhabi-UAE. She has also served as Focal Point of the Arab States Green University Network at UNEP, and National Food Safety Expert at UNIDO.
Lara is a prolific scholar with over 29 articles, 7 book chapters, 1 book in the most selective indexed journals and publishers and serves on editorial boards. She has participated in over 80 international conferences as keynote speaker.
Membership
Senior International Officer (SIO) at the Academy of Leaders in International Higher Education (AIEA), Duke University, North Carolina, USA.
Executive Consultant of STOCHOS, Sydney, Australia, and is a Member in the International Advisory Council at “Human Health Education and Research Foundation (HHERF), UK.
National Coordinator of the “Faith for Earth Initiative” at the United Nations for Environment Program (UNEP)
Formerly Vice-President of the Global Confederation of Higher Education Associations in Agriculture and Life Sciences (GCHERA), USA, in 2015.
She is Member of the National Advisory Board related to the WaterMedYin Project. Prof.
Hanna-Wakim is currently the National Contact Point (NCP) for “Climate action, resource efficiency and raw materials” for the EU Commission within Horizon 2020 Framework Programs.
Honors
Prof. Hanna-Wakim has been honored, at the Lebanese Parliament, as Women Leader in Lebanese Universities and Research Pioneers, by the National Initiative for the Centennial of Greater Lebanon.
Prof. Hanna-Wakim holds a PhD in Food Process Engineering from AgroParis Tech (Paris, France), and is currently Vice-Director of a Higher Center for Research