Sirine Maalej

Biography

Dr. Sirine Maalej holds a B.S. in Complex Systems and an M.S. in Computational Mechanics from École Polytechnique de Tunisie, and earned her Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Centrale Lille in France. She is also a licensed Professional Engineer in Canada. With a background spanning micromechanics, computational mechanics, and advanced mechanical design, Dr. Maalej brings a multidisciplinary, applied, and global perspective to engineering education and research.

Before joining the University of Washington, Dr. Maalej served as a faculty member and Program Head at the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT) in Canada. In this role, she contributed in advancing the Mechanical Engineering B.Eng. program and leading cross-disciplinary research initiatives bridging mechanical systems, automation, and applied AI.

Dr. Maalej’s industry experience includes the design and implementation of complex, multi-axis robotic systems for industrial automation. She was instrumental in developing sophisticated 16-axis robotic solutions for the sawmill industry, integrating innovative design and automated control systems for enhanced operational efficiency. This hands-on experience with large-scale design and automation informs both her teaching and research, providing students with practical insights into the challenges and opportunities in modern engineering design, manufacturing and robotics.

At UW, Dr. Maalej teaches courses in mechanics of materials and engineering design, with an emphasis on applied problem-solving. 

Deeply committed to inclusive education and community engagement, Dr. Maalej is passionate about fostering curiosity, creativity, and purpose in the next generation of engineers, and about building academic spaces where diverse perspectives drive innovation and meaningful impact.

Education

• Mechanical Engineering, Centrale Lille, France
• Computational Mechanics, École Polytechnique de Tunisie
• Complex Systems, École Polytechnique de Tunisie

Previous appointments

• Program Head, BEng, Mechanical Engineering, British Columbia Institute of Technology
• Faculty at the Mechanical Engineering Department, British Columbia Institute of Technology

Select publications

1. P. Norouzi, S. Maalej, R. Mora, Applicability of Deep Learning Algorithms for Predicting Indoor Temperatures: Towards the Development of Digital Twin HVAC Systems. Buildings 2023, 13, 1542
2. S. Wilson, S. Maalej, A Hunter , Increasing the Efficiency of HVAC Systems using Schedule-Based Control. 2022 IEEE 13th Annual Ubiquitous Computing, Electronics & Mobile Communication Conference (UEMCON), New York, USA, 2022, pp. 0238-0243.
3. S. Maalej, Z. Lafhaj, J. Yim, P. Yim, C. Noort, Prediction of HVAC System Parameters Using Deep Learning. eSim 2022, Ottawa, Canada.
4. T. Pooya, R. Philip, S. Maalej. Makerspaces in First-Year Engineering Education. Education Sciences 2020, 10, 8.
5. S. Maalej, Z. Lafhaj, M. Bouassida, Micromechanical modelling of dry and saturated cement paste: Porosity assessment using ultrasonic waves. Mechanics Research Communications, Volume 51, 2013, Pages 8-14
6. Ismail Yousfi; Sirine Maalej; Zoubeir Lafhaj. Evaluation of Dilute Inclusion Model by Finite Element Method: Application to the cement paste. International Journal of Microstructure and Materials Properties. 2012, 7,5.
7. W. Zhou, S. Maale, R. Zouari. Flutter Monitoring with the Statistical Subspace Method for the 2-D Structure. Proceedings of the 25th International Modal Analysis Conference (IMAC-XXV), Orlando, Fl, US. 2007.

Honors & awards

• Applied Research – New to Research, Employee Excellence Award- BCIT, 2022
• Eiffel Excellence Scholarship, 2009
• Professional Engineer - EGBC Canada