Raafat Zaini

Raafat Zaini is an Assistant Professor in the Integrated Science and Technology department at James Madison University’s College of Integrated Science & Engineering. He holds a Ph.D. in System Dynamics and Organization Behavior from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, an MSc in Aeronautical Engineering from Purdue University, and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals (KFUPM). Before joining JMU, he served as a research scientist at Worcester Polytechnic Institute’s Social Science and Policy Studies department, MIT’s Sociotechnical Systems Research Center, and consulted for the Advance Management Group.

His research focuses on systems thinking applications in organizational design, knowledge management, higher education strategies, and human body dynamics modeling. Notable projects include modeling immune system responses to COVID-19, cyber-learning environments’ impact on student performance, and organizational dissent dynamics in universities. Zaini has over 25 years of industry experience in engineering and management roles.

Publications span topics like peer mentoring effects on graduate student life, university growth strategies, and stakeholder analysis in emerging research institutions. His work bridges complex systems theory with real-world institutional challenges, emphasizing simulation-based solutions for dynamic systems.