Dr. Diane Nauffal

Assistant to the President for Institutional Research & Assessment

Dr. Diane Nauffal joined LAU in 2008 with the mandate to establish the Department of Institutional Research and Assessment. In addition to serving as an Associate Professor of Education at the School of Arts and Sciences, she is currently the Assistant to the President for Institutional Research & Assessment.

In this role, Dr. Nauffal leads critical research and analysis initiatives that underpin strategic planning, policy development, accreditation, and institutional effectiveness. Her work transforms data into actionable strategies, driving institutional performance, enhancing student success, and ensuring alignment with LAU’s mission of continuous progress and academic excellence.

Dr. Nauffal’s academic research focuses on educational leadership, management, and policy, with an emphasis on higher education systems. She addresses complex issues such as organizational dynamics, strategic development, and the drivers of student development. In 2017, she conducted a pioneering study on the economic impact of LAU on the national economy, marking the first research of its kind in the Middle East.

Dr. Nauffal has shaped educational policy and governance through various roles. As a member of the Higher Education Reform Experts (HERE) team in Lebanon, she influences policy development at both national and institutional levels. Her contributions include serving on the Higher Education Policy Committee, the Quality Assurance Committee of the University Association of Universities (UAOLB), and the National Taskforce for University Governance. Her involvement in the 2023 review of Lebanon’s five-year Higher Education Strategic Plan and her role in drafting legislation for a Lebanese quality assurance agency in 2010 underscore her impact on university governance.

Internationally recognized for her expertise in institutional research, she served as president of the Middle East and North Africa Association for Institutional Research (MENA-AIR) from 2015 to 2020 and has been a member of the Association for Institutional Research (AIR) in the US since 2007. She is also a member of the Lebanese Association for Educational Studies (LAES), serving as its President from 2012 to 2014.

Dr. Nauffal earned her PhD in Education from the University of Birmingham, UK, and her BS in Mathematics and MA in Mathematics Education from the American University of Beirut. Prior to joining LAU, she was a faculty member at the University of Balamand for 14 years.

Contact:

Dr. Diane Nauffal
Assistant to the President for Institutional Research & Assessment
Lebanese American University

Tel: +961-1-786456, Ext. 1232
diane.nauffal@lau.edu.lb