Faisal Akkawi
Faculty Director, Information Systems
Faisal Akkawi is Associate Professor and Faculty Director of the Master of Science in Information Systems Program and the Bachelor of Science and undergraduate major in Information Systems at Northwestern School of Professional Studies. Akkawi is an experienced academic practitioner who is recognized as an innovative thought leader amongst peers in the innovative computer information systems field. For over twenty-three years, he has been designing and teaching undergraduate and graduate level courses. His area of specialization is software architecture for concurrent systems, and his research interests include reactive/adaptive intelligent systems and design issues of concurrent programming languages. He authored the MCSA (Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate) Guide to Microsoft SQL Server 2008, MCSA Guide to Microsoft SQL Server 2012, Oracle 11g Database Administration, & Linux Networking. Akkawi is continuously performing research in knowledge management, concurrent object-oriented software systems, aspect-oriented technology, and the evolution of technological education. Selected for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Faculty Fellowship Program in 2003, he designed and implemented a framework in the advanced diagnostic and caution and warning system for the International Space Station. In 2005, NASA, along with the American Society for Engineering Education and The Universities Space Research Association awarded him a Certificate of Recognition for research contributions.
In SPS, Akkawi teaches in the Master of Science in Information Systems Program and teaches undergraduate courses in Telecommunications Networks, Database Systems Design and Implementation, and Information Security. He was awarded the Distinguished Teaching Award in 2005 for outstanding teaching in SPS graduate programs. He has a Ph.D. in Computer Science and a M.S. and B.S. in Electrical Engineering from Illinois Institute of Technology. He also holds a Professional Internet Certificate (PIC) and an Intelligent Information Systems Certificate (IIS).
TEACHING APPROACH AND PHILOSOPHY:
Our asynchronous format caters to students who are juggling their working, personal, and academic lives. Within the CIS (Computer Information Systems) program, I designed my courses to be hands-on, project-oriented, and skill-driven, where our students will be able to take what they learn in the classroom and immediately apply it to their careers. My goal is to bridge the gap between what is taught in our classrooms and what the industry demands.