Rate My Professor Christelle Fayad

Christelle Fayad serves as a professor in Education at Northern Virginia Community College. With a robust academic background, she holds a bachelor’s degree in biology and a master’s degree in molecular biology from an American institution in Lebanon. She is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Science Education at Texas Christian University (TCU), having started her doctoral program in August 2022 with an expected graduation in 2026. Prior to her Ph.D., Fayad worked as a science teacher and laboratory instructor, gaining practical experience in science instruction.

At TCU, Fayad is a graduate assistant at the Andrews Institute for Research in Mathematics and Science Education. She has demonstrated exceptional leadership as President of the Graduate Student Senate, previously serving as Vice President for Student Engagement. In these roles, she led the first graduate student experience survey on academics, social life, and mental health, presenting findings to the administration, and organized family-friendly events including tailgates and museum visits. She also serves as the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) representative for the College of Education, hosting events to address relevant issues, and is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Cabinet. Her research specializations lie in science education, with a focus on scientific literacy in developing countries; she is developing her dissertation under Dr. Hayat Hokayem. Key publications include “The anti-cancer effect of series of strained photoactivatable Ru(II) polypyridyl complexes on non-small-cell lung cancer and triple negative breast cancer cells” (JBIC Journal of Biological Inorganic Chemistry, 2021, 38 citations), “Lebanese Undergraduate Students’ Perceptions of the Tentativeness and Evidence of the Theory of Evolution” (Science Education International, 2023, 1 citation), and “Using mathematical and technological skills to teach third graders about carbon footprint” (Science Activities, 2023). Fayad has been awarded the STARS stipend at TCU. Her future plans encompass a professorship in science education, research contributions, founding an international organization for science education, and promoting STEM in Lebanon.