Dr. Simon A. Abou Jaoude was recently appointed as the Assistant Vice President for Academic Support (AVPAS), at Notre Dame University – Louaize (NDU), overseeing, on behalf of the Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Office of Admissions, Office of Registrar, Office of Student Affairs Office and the NDU Libraries, as well as the Office of Alumni Affairs.
Dr. Simon Abou Jaoude has been a full-time member at the Faculty of Humanities since October 1991 and currently holds the rank of Assistant Professor in Clinical Psychology & Psychopathology. His record of administrative experience at NDU includes nine years in Student Affairs, eight years in Alumni Affairs, and four years as Assistant Vice President for Academic Support (2013-2017).
Dr. Abou Jaoude holds a PhD degree in Clinical Psychology from the Université de Caen – Normandie, France. His clinical background is in psychopathology and psychotherapy. His teaching record ranges from undergraduate to graduate courses and supervising master’s thesis. Dr. Abou Jaoude is also involved in community outreach and service and delivered workshops for psychologists and educators on psychological assessment and self-care management. He has been a certified psychotherapist since 2001 and a supervisor/trainer by the European Association of Psychotherapy (EAP) since 2010.
About his appointment, Dr. Abou Jaoude said, “'I have been at NDU for the past 31 years and my pride and enthusiasm for this institution have only continued to grow over the years. I truly believe that we are challenged for the next important phase in the life of this special institution, and we will get there under the leadership of NDU President, Fr. Bechara Khoury, who says that the greatest strength of this institution is its people.”
Dr. Abou Jaoude reflects on these challenging times, “I find myself wondering how we can deal with the uncertainties we have had over the last two years at this university that stood empty for far too long due to the corona pandemic. How can we ensure that the capacities we have used in the face of Lebanon’s compound crises persist and enrich the years to come? How can we tell our new students that NDU is ready to embrace them? Nelson Mandela said, “There is no passion to be found playing small and settling for a life that is less.”