Rate My Professor Fatin Samara

Dr. Fatin Samara is a Professor in the Department of Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences at the American University of Sharjah. She earned a PhD in Environmental and Analytical Chemistry from the State University of New York at Buffalo in 2007 and a BS in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico-Cayey in 2002. Following her doctorate, she completed postdoctoral research at the Environmental Protection Agency’s Air Pollution Prevention and Control Division in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. Dr. Samara joined the American University of Sharjah as Assistant Professor in 2009, was promoted to Associate Professor in 2015, and to Professor in 2021. She also serves as Adjunct Faculty in Environmental Sciences at American University in Washington, DC, since 2023.

Her research focuses on chemical and toxicological assessment of persistent organic pollutants in marine organisms, sediment, soil, water, and air; conversion of waste biomass to adsorbent materials; photodegradation of toxic compounds using zeolites and titanium-based catalysts; and the chemical, environmental, and health impacts of alternative tobacco products. Dr. Samara is Co-Chair of the UAE Climate Change Research Network established by the Ministry of Climate Change and Environment. She is a member of the American Chemical Society and the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, where she has held leadership roles including Vice-President of the Arabian Gulf Branch. Her teaching areas include Environmental Sciences, Environmental Chemistry, Soil and Water Chemistry, Environmental Toxicology, Forensic Chemistry, and Climate Change.