Academic Staff

Biography

Asst. Prof. Dr. Najmadeen Mohammed Saeed

Dr. Najmadeen is an assistant professor of civil/structural engineering in the civil engineering department and head of the engineering consulting office at the University of Raparin. He was graduated as a doctor of civil/structural engineering from Cardiff University-UK in 2014 with high honors. His Bachelor's and Master's degree are from the University of Sulaimani in Structural Engineering in 2002 and 2010, respectively. Dr. Najmadeen has 15 publications (in refereed international journals). He has experience in Force Method, Prestress Analysis, Displacement Control, Optimization, Deployable Structure, Structural Morphology, Foldable Structures, Pantographic Structures, Geometric Nonlinearity, Cable Structure, Cable Nets Structural Optimization, Shape Optimization.


https://sites.google.com/uor.edu.krd/asstprofdrnajmadeenmohammedsae

Philosophy of Teaching

Teaching Philosophy and Interests
My teaching philosophy combines two essential beliefs: First effective communication between instructor and student is vital, and Secondly learning in engineering is an iterative process of theoretical study, application and practical. It is through these principles that I reach my teaching goal to provide an environment that allows students to take initiative in their education, and in which every student, regardless of background, comes away with an understanding of core mechanical engineering concepts.
I am interested in teaching a broad range of engineering material and have particular interest in topics related to mechanics of material, theories of structures, controlling of structures, morphing of structures, deployable of structures and computational methods. My teaching is influenced by my research work in applied mechanics, plasticity, computer aided design, and the finite element method. I have served as the instructor for Engineering Mechanics with very positive student feedback.
Communication. As an instructor, I am responsible for the clear and deliberate communication of course material. This begins with the identification of course goals, taking into account student status, background, and destination. Next is perhaps the most important stage, the thoughtful preparation of course materials. My experience has shown that careful and thorough preparation is the most important effort I can make toward a successful class experience. This involves the distillation of material from a broad set of sources into a well-organized lecture emphasizing key concepts. Well organized must not be mistaken for rigid, however. The ability to recognize the underlying nature of students’ questions, and to respond accordingly, is vital to effective teaching.
Learning as an iterative process. My lecture and exercise preparation is driven by the idea that learning in engineering is an iterative process of theoretical study and hands on application. My own understanding of engineering material stems from the cyclic process of expanding on theory in the literature and applying it to problems in computational mechanics. Modern finite element software provides an example of how this process can be applied to teaching; theoretical concepts from the classroom come to life when students apply them to solve problems with these software tools.
Specific teaching interests. I would be glad to teach a broad range of topics in mechanical engineering, with a general focus in solid mechanics and computational methods. Examples of specific undergraduate material include statics, dynamics, strength of materials, engineering design, and computational methods. I am also interested in introducing new students to engineering through classes such as Introduction to Mechanical Engineering and Introduction to Engineering Computing. My interests in teaching at the graduate level are tied to my research work in applied mechanics. Specific graduate-level teaching interests include solid mechanics, finite element analysis, and parallel-computing methods.