Basem Shihada obtained his Ph.D. in Computer Science from the University of Waterloo, Canada, in 2007. Shortly after completing his studies, he joined KAUST as a Founding Faculty member in 2008. Currently, he is a Professor of Computer Science in the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences & Engineering Division at KAUST. His expertise lies in developing cutting-edge wireless systems, where he has made groundbreaking contributions across various domains, including intelligent wireless systems, wireless underwater systems, molecular communication systems, and non-terrestrial systems. Dr. Shihada’s notable achievements are the creation and successful demonstration of Aqua-Fi, the world’s first 
underwater Wi-Fi. This pioneering work represents a significant breakthrough, enabling high-speed internet connectivity in aquatic environments. Collaborating closely with his students and fellow researchers, his work has been recognized with several best paper awards at renowned conferences within his field. His invaluable contributions have also been published in prestigious scientific journals such as Nature Electronics, IEEE Transactions on Communications, and IEEE Transactions on Wireless Communications.