Dr. Maamar has been leading the emerging technologies education initiatives at Full Sail University. On top of preparing students for innovative design and development careers in dynamic fields like Augmented and Virtual Reality, Simulation, Software, Gaming, Information Technologies, Cyber Security and Mobile and Web Development by creating, engineering, and delivering student-centered, technology-based curricula, Dr Maamar’s mission is to grow the emerging technologies footprint through partnerships and new program offerings and to improve the current offerings. Dr. Maamar is also leading two new initiatives to enhanced learning through the use of Extended Reality in education and building a metaverse for education.

Dr. Haifa Maamar is the recipient of several awards:

• 2022: The Spirit of Innovation award for the 2022 Women’s Inspired Leadership Awards
• 2022: Gold Globee winner at The Globee Business Awards – 2022 InformationTechnology World Awards.
• 2012: Nominated for the best PhD Thesis Award at the University of Ottawa
• 2008: Best MSc Thesis Award at the PARADISE Research Laboratory – University ofOttawaDr. Maamar has positively impacted Full Sail University’s emerging technologies offerings and further solidified the region’s status as a technology hub. Under her leadership, Full Sail’s emerging technologies degree programs have garnered several awards that have drawn attention to the innovative minds and talent within the region. Below are a few examples of recent projects and awards garnered for the degree programs she oversees:
  • 2022: Team of the Year | During COVID-19 (Information Technology Bachelor of Science and Cybersecurity Bachelor of Science Educators | Gold
    Winner) — Globee – IT World Awards
  • 2022: Information Technology Professional of the Year | Training and Development (Jay Bunner-Sorg | Gold Winner) — Globee – Golden Bridge Awards
  • 2022: Technical IT Professional of the Year non-executive (David Nguyen | Bronze Winner) — Globee – Golden Bridge Awards
  • 2022: Technical Cybersecurity Professional of the Year non-executive (Jeanier Anderson | Silver Winner) — Globee – Golden Bridge Awards
  • 2022: EdTech Awards Higher Education Technology Leader (Rob Catto) — EdTech Digest
  • 2022: Top 20 Game Design Schools and Colleges in the South — Animation Career Review

• 2022: Top 5 Game Design Schools and Colleges in Florida — Animation Career Review
• 2022: Best Game Design Degree Programs — Intelligent.com
• 2014 – 2022: Named one of the “Top 50 Best Undergraduate Game DesignPrograms” by The Princeton Review
• 2014 – 2022: Named one of the “Top 25 Best Graduate Game Design Programs”by The Princeton Review
• 2021: Top 10 Augmented/Virtual Reality Schools in the South — AnimationCareer Review,
• 2021: Top 25 Private Augmented/Virtual Reality Schools in theU.S. — Animation Career Review, 2021
• 2020: Named the “Most Innovative Solution” by I/ITSEC’s Iron Dev
• 2020: Named to the “TopRank List: Bachelor’s degree programs in Cybersecuritywith AI Concentration” by Florida Trend.
• 2020: Starvent Ventilator which is a single cam bag-valve-mask (BVM) orAmbu-bag style ventilator
• 2020: Overlay Project for Echelon Fit bike
• 2018: Interactive Ladder designed to help children with motor functiondisabilities.
• 2019: NASA Launch Services Program educational gamesDr. Maamar’s influence has helped the university engage and foster many partnerships that have and continue to benefit students, alumni and faculty. From large-scale organizations – like NASA and HP –, to medium or small-scale organizations like Epic Games, MSI, Magic Leap and Echelon Fit, these organization continue to seek out Full Sail and the talent it is producing for their projects, prototypes, research, and usability studies. This will further solidify the region’s place as a technology hub and continue to attract major names.Dr. Maamar contributes to bringing students from far and wide – including from across the globe from places like Latin America, Africa, and Asia – to the region through international university partnerships and scholarships like the Emerging Technologies Scholarship that she helped initiate. The Emerging Technologies Scholarship honors the commitment to forward-thinking education by awarding eligible candidates with a full-tuition scholarship for select technology- focused bachelor’s degree programs at Full Sail.Being originally from Tunisia, Dr. Maamar has been on several advisory boards to help tech companies in North Africa and Middle East with the research, development, and deployment of their products. In addition, Dr. Maamar served on several advisory committees to review and revise program offerings of universities in North Africa, Middle East and Asia.Dr. Maamar is the Full Sail representative on the board for the VR/AR Association’s local Orlando chapter, as well as the Orlando Tech Council.Prior to coming to Full Sail University, Haifa was Software Solutions Architect at the Montreal TMX Stock Exchange and was responsible for designing software solutions for the trading systems of Montreal Exchange, Toronto Exchange, Boston Exchange, Milan Exchange and

London Exchange. Prior to her position at the Montreal TMX Exchange, Haifa was Research Assistant at the PARADISE Research Laboratory at the University of Ottawa and was fortunate enough to be part of different research projects such as wireless multimedia, collaborative virtual environments (CVE), Augmented Reality, Vehicular Ad-hoc Networks (VANET) based class of applications as well as Network Security.