Mr. Abdallah Al Khal was appointed Assistant Vice President for Alumni Relations as of September 1, 2016, following 14 years of service during which he built a strong and active worldwide alumni network through the development of chapters, events, volunteering and fundraising.

Further to strategic efforts in alumni engagement, Mr. Al Khal oversees the operations of alumni chapters and committees to ensure their alignment with LAU’s mission. He also advises LAU schools and departments on alumni matters, and connects the university leadership with prominent former students and community leaders in Lebanon and abroad.

By the time he came back to his alma mater in 2002, Mr. Al Khal had acquired more than 15 years of experience in business management in the United States, Haiti and Lebanon. He started his career in the 1980s as an assistant mall manager in Detroit, Michigan, and went on to establish and run his own business, an import/export company out of Haiti, which later moved to Miami. On his return to Lebanon in 1998, he also took on the management of his family’s printing business.

He joined LAU in 2002 as Assistant Director of Alumni and Development, and went on to become Director of Alumni Relations in 2007 and Executive Director of Alumni Relations in 2011.

Mr. Al Khal holds a BS in Business (1984) and an MBA (2009) from LAU.

Ed Shiner joined the LAU staff in October 2006. With alumni relations in North America as his focus, he coordinates 15 official chapters in the USA and Canada. Shiner works with the LAU New York (NY) Development team and oversees his own portfolio of current and potential donors. In addition, he plans and manages various meetings and events, such as the September Board of Trustees meeting, the Chairman’s Dinner, the LAU NY Annual Gala and other cultural events at LAU’s Academic Center.

In May 2007, Ghada Majed (BA ‘00) joined the Alumni Relations office as Assistant Director and was later promoted to Associate Director in 2012. Since the very beginning, Ghada worked toward planning and implementing a comprehensive alumni relations program that fosters alumni participation and support through strong communication, personal interaction and organization of reunions and cultural events for alumni chapters worldwide. Her responsibilities include managing the alumni publications and website, and supervising the development of special programs - such as the mentoring program and the Keep Learning and Stay Aware lectures - that provide tangible benefits for alumni and current students.

Upon her graduation as a graphic designer from LAU in 2000, Majed was recruited by the university to manage and design all LAU publications for different departments, schools, centers and institutes (LAU Magazine, Alumni Bulletin, The Faculty Gazette and Facts & Figures, etc.) in addition to the LAU website. Her book designs include My Life Story with the Lebanese American University by former LAU President Dr. Riyad F. Nassar in 2007 and Art in Lebanon 1930-1975 by Frida Howling in 2005.

Majed was among 16 designers selected to complete an online master module on art, design and technology organized by UNESCO DigiArts portal in 2005-2006. Her work was chosen for the cover of Visual Narratives from Arabia, a publication that includes the pilot parts of the master module.

In her continued pursuit of higher education, Majed completed her Executive MBA degree at LAU in 2021.

Manwa Ghannoum (BS ‘15) (AAS ‘96) is responsible for establishing and maintaining contact with graduates of the university and improving relations with LAU alumni constituencies. Ghannoum provides support in planning and organizing alumni and chapter functions, and coordinates with various departments to ensure that these events are properly set up and managed. She works closely with the Registrar’s Office, IT Department, Advancement Services and Placement, and Strategic Communications Department for important alumni communications such as the LAU Magazine.