• Ph.D. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The City University of New York
• M.Phil. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The City University of New York
• M.E. Department of Mechanical Engineering, The City College of the City University of New York
• B.Sc. Department of Mechanical Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Baghdad. Magna Cum Laude (first in a class of 172 graduates)

• Fluid-Thermal Sciences
• Renewable Energy Applications
• Instrumentation and Measurements
• Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning
• International Education
• Exchanges and University Partnerships

• Director, Advanced Thermal-Fluids Laboratory
• Professional Registration and Certification
  • Registered as a Professional Engineer, State of Delaware License #10267
  • Certified Level I Thermographer. Infrared Training Center, 2012
  • Certified Level II Thermographer. Infrared Training Center, 2014
• US-Iraqi Faculty
• Over 25 years of academic experience teaching mechanical engineering, instrumentation, Energy and applied science at JMU, University of Turabo in Puerto Rico and the City College of the City University of New York
• U.S. Department of State, Office of Near Eastern Affairs-Iraq (NEA/I), Washington DC:  Franklin Fellow. Foreign Affairs Officer-Expert. Capacity building in Iraq with the focus on Higher Education and building partnerships between U.S. and Iraqi Universities
• Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, New Mexico: Visiting Faculty. Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations of a hybrid system solar concentrator and the development of a light-weight, wind-turbine-rotor-based data acquisition system
• NASA Langley Research Center, Hampton, Virginia: Visiting Faculty. Flow quality improvement in the 8 ft High-Temperature Hypersonic Tunnel
• Tie Communications, Inc., Seymour, Connecticut: Consultant. Analysis of tolerance in the design of the central control unit of business telephone systems

• “Solar Tracking Sensor Array,” Karim Altaii and Benjamin Thomas*, U.S. Patent Number 8,692,173, 2014.
• “Inverted-Sprinkler System: Base and Support,” Karim Altaii, U.S. Patent Number 8,453,948,
• “Shape Memory Alloy Motor,” Karim Altaii and Benjamin Thomas, U.S. Patent Number 8,316,840, 2012.
• “Shape Memory Alloy Motor,” Karim Altaii and Benjamin Thomas, U.S. Patent Number 8,307,818, 2012.
• “Shape Memory Alloy Motor as Incorporated into Solar Tracking Mechanism,” Karim Altaii and
• Benjamin Thomas.*  U.S. Patent Number 7,692,091, 2010.

     * Benjamin Thomas is a JMU Alumni.