Women in Engineering
IEEE WIE Session at ICCE 2026 Sustainable and Trustworthy AI for Consumers Empowering Women Leaders in Consumer AI and Edge Intelligence Date: Tuesday, February 3, 2026 Location: Ballroom Time: 4:15PM – 5:45 PM
1. Opening Remark Dr. Diana Dawoud Chair of IEEE UAE Section Women in Engineering Chair IEEE UAE Section ComSoc/SPS Joint Chapter Associate Professor, University of Dubai
Dr. Lina Bariah Lead AI Scientist, Khalifa University Dr. Lina Bariah received the Ph.D. degree in communications engineering from Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2018. She was a Visiting Researcher with the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, in 2019, and an Affiliate Research Fellow at the James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK. She also served as a Senior Researcher at the Technology Innovation Institute and Lead AI Scientist at Open Innovation AI. She is currently an Adjunct Professor and AI Scientist at Khalifa University, and an Adjunct Research Professor at Western University, Canada. She is also a Consultant for AI and Data Science at LightOn, Paris. She serves as the Industry Chair for the IEEE GenAINet ETI, a member of the Technical Advisory Committee – AI for Good (Innovate for Impact), a Steering Board Member of the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF), and a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (VTS). Dr. Bariah is a Senior Member of IEEE, IEEE Communications Society, IEEE Vehicular Technology Society, and IEEE Women in Engineering. She is the founder and lead of the Women in Machine Learning and Data Science (WiMLDS) – Abu Dhabi Chapter, and was recently named among the “100 Brilliant and Inspiring Women in 6G” by the Women in 6G organization. She is a frequent speaker at international forums and industry events on topics related to generative AI, 6G, and AI-driven telecom transformation. She has authored/co-authored over 100+ research papers and book chapters in top-tier journals and flagship conferences and currently serves as an Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications. Her research focuses on Generative AI for Telecom, Large Language Models, and AI for Communications. Following the keynote, the session will continue with a high-level technical panel discussion focusing on how generative and edge AI technologies can be designed and deployed to meet the strict constraints of consumer electronics, including energy efficiency, data privacy, scalability, and real-world usability.Panelists will share insights from both industrial deployment and research perspectives, discussing lessons learned, open challenges, and future directions for sustainable and trustworthy AI at the edge. Moderators Dr. Diana W. Dawoud Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering University of Dubai Dr. Marzieh Amini Associate Professor at the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering Carleton University Panelists Dr. Veena Mahesh General Manager, Critical Infrastructure, Edge Computing Group, Intel Dr. Safal Otoum Associate Professor, College of Technological Innovations, Zayed University Dr. Lina Bariah Lead AI Scientist, Khalifa University Dr. Veena Mahesh (General Manager, Critical Infrastructure, Edge Computing Group, Intel) Veena leads the delivery of human-centered solutions using edge AI, video, and emerging technologies to enable the digital transformation of infrastructure for safety, mobility, and sustainability. An industry veteran with over 25 years at Intel, she has held leadership roles across manufacturing, product line management, sales enablement, and marketing, and currently leads the critical infrastructure business. She holds undergraduate degrees in Physics and Education and Master’s and Doctorate degrees in Educational Technology from Arizona State University. Veena is deeply committed to diversity and inclusion, having served on the Women at Intel Network board for several years, and is the recipient of the 2013 Arizona Diversity Leadership Lifetime Achievement Award. Dr. Safal Otoum (Associate Professor, College of Technological Innovations, Zayed University)Dr. Safa Otoum, Ph.D., P.Eng., FHEA, is an Associate Professor at the College of Technological Innovation, Zayed University (UAE), and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Ottawa (Canada). She received her M.A.Sc. (2015) and Ph.D. (2019) in Computer Engineering from the University of Ottawa, where she also completed a postdoctoral fellowship before joining Zayed University in 2020.In addition to her academic career, she has strong industrial experience. She has been working as a data scientist at xAnalytics Inc. in Ottawa since 2020 and previously served as a data scientist at CheetahNetworks in 2019.Her research focuses on network security, intrusion detection and prevention, blockchain applications, IoT security, and AI-driven solutions for critical systems. She is also actively pioneering research in Metaverse security and privacy, with particular emphasis on healthcare in the Metaverse, addressing secure access control, privacy-preserving data sharing, and trust in virtual healthcare environments.Dr. Otoum has led and contributed to numerous funded research projects, serving as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator on collaborative initiatives such as the TII–ZU research collaboration, the ASPIRE Visiting Professorship Award, and multiple Zayed University Research Incentive Fund projects, as well as start-up and short-term research grants. Dr. Lina Bariah Lead AI Scientist, Khalifa University · Dr. Lina Bariah received the Ph.D. degree in communications engineering from Khalifa University, Abu Dhabi, UAE, in 2018. She was a Visiting Researcher with the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering at Carleton University, Ottawa, Canada, in 2019, and an Affiliate Research Fellow at the James Watt School of Engineering, University of Glasgow, UK. She also served as a Senior Researcher at the Technology Innovation Institute and Lead AI Scientist at Open Innovation AI. She is currently an Adjunct Professor and AI Scientist at Khalifa University, and an Adjunct Research Professor at Western University, Canada. She is also a Consultant for AI and Data Science at LightOn, Paris. She serves as the Industry Chair for the IEEE GenAINet ETI, a member of the Technical Advisory Committee – AI for Good (Innovate for Impact), a Steering Board Member of the Wireless World Research Forum (WWRF), and a Distinguished Lecturer of the IEEE Vehicular Technology Society (VTS). Dr. Bariah is a Senior Member of IEEE, IEEE Communications Society, IEEE Vehicular Technology Society, and IEEE Women in Engineering. She is the founder and lead of the Women in Machine Learning and Data Science (WiMLDS) – Abu Dhabi Chapter, and was recently named among the “100 Brilliant and Inspiring Women in 6G” by the Women in 6G organization. She is a frequent speaker at international forums and industry events on topics related to generative AI, 6G, and AI-driven telecom transformation. She has authored/co-authored over 100+ research papers and book chapters in top-tier journals and flagship conferences and currently serves as an Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications. Her research focuses on Generative AI for Telecom, Large Language Models, and AI for Communications. WIE Organizers Committee Dr. Diana W. Dawoud is an Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering at the University of Dubai and an IEEE Senior Member. Her expertise includes wireless communications, optical wireless systems (VLC/LiFi), and secure networking protocols. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Surrey (5G Innovation Centre) and holds M.Sc. and B.Sc. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the University of Jordan. Her contributions include a U.S. patent on unipolar transmission for visible light communication and publications in leading IEEE venues. She is the Principal Investigator of an AED 1.5M Dubai Future Foundation–funded project in collaboration with the University of Cambridge on next-generation, energy-efficient communication systems. Dr. Dawoud is active in IEEE leadership, chairs international workshops, and mentors award-winning student teams, including IEEE ComSoc Student Competition winners recognized at IEEE Globecom. She founded and chairs the IEEE UAE Women in Engineering International Leadership Summit and has received the University of Dubai’s Outstanding Research Output Award and Excellence in Service Award. Dr. Marzieh Amini is an Associate Professor in the Department of Systems and Computer Engineering. She is the Optical Systems and Sensors undergraduate program coordinator. She is the founder and director of the Intelligent Sensing & Perception Laboratory (ISP Lab). Her research interests include computer vision, deep learning, signal processing, autonomous vehicles, and multi-modal sensor fusion. She is Associate Editor in Journal Circuits, Systems and Signal Processing and Associate Editor in Journal Franklin Open, Elsevier. She is the Chair of Women in Engineering in the IEEE Consumer Electronic Society, and she serves as the board of governor member of the IEEE Consumer Electronic Society. She is the Chair IEEE Ottawa Industry Relations Committee. She was an Assistant Professor of the School of Information Technology at Carleton University between 2020-2025. She was the chair of the IEEE Montreal Industry Relations Committee between 2021-2022. She served as a red judge in final round of IBM Watson AI XPRIZE from 2019-2020. She is a Professional Engineer licensed in Ontario, Canada. Dr. Vini Chaudhary, Mississippi State University, USA Dr. Vini Chaudhary is an Assistant Professor with the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Mississippi State University, USA.Prior to this, she was a Postdoctoral Research Associate at Northeastern University, USA. Her research interests include AI/ML/XAI-enabled technologies for wireless communications (5G/6G, RIS, ORAN), quantum communication network protocols, quantum computing for large-scale wireless network design, multimodal fusion with data footprint reduction, and green sensing & communications. She received her Ph.D. and M.Tech. degrees in Electrical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and IIT Kanpur, respectively. She is the Principal Investigator of a $1M National Science Foundation-funded project on providing experiential AI/ML learning to future innovators in cybersecurity, healthcare, and communications. She is an active member of IEEE and serves different organizing committee roles (TPC, Poster chair, WIE chair) in various IEEE/ACM conferences. 4. Closing Note This IEEE WIE Tech Forum aims not only to advance technical discussion, but also to foster mentorship, visibility, and leadership opportunities for women shaping the future of consumer electronics and artificial intelligence. All ICCE 2026 attendees are warmly invited to engage in the discussion and contribute to building a more inclusive and innovative AI ecosystem.
This session will be an informal, interactive discussion between the panelists, organizers, and attendees, focusing on the challenges women face as a minority in engineering environments. The discussion will provide a safe space for sharing experiences, exchanging perspectives, and offering practical guidance on leadership development, career progression, and navigating workplace barriers. Sample text. Click to select the Text Element.
CTSoc AdministratorCharlotte Kobert charlotte.kobert@ieee.org
