Ihab’s Biography
3D Designer, Filmmaker, Animator, and Photographer
Born in Syria with a pencil in his mouth, figuratively, and passion for art and music in his DNA from both sides of the family. He grew to learn English and Spanish, to play music, soft and hard skills, and a lot of computer experimentations. After working in the oil field in Abu Dhabi for a while, he realized that he cannot live without being immersed in art studies. So he went back to Syria and eventually he got into Graphic Design as the closest degree to learning animation in Syria, at the International Institute of Science and Technology (IUST). Later, thanks to his college teacher Manar, Ihab was told and encouraged to apply for the Fulbright Scholarship. So he did and he was awarded the opportunity of an MFA in 3D Film & Animation in the US, at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT).
Ihab graduated in 2014 after being awarded the Outstanding Student of College of Imaging Arts at RIT, and he was chosen as the delegate of all RIT grad students. His teaching career took-off in 2014 as an adjunct Professor in the School of Film and Animation (SOFA), he was hired later as a visiting professor at the 3D Digital Design program (3DDD), where he later was offered the position of an Assistant Professor, a position he currently holds. He is now also an affiliate Professor of the Center for Media, Arts, Games, Interaction & Creativity (MAGIC).
In addition to teaching academically, for several years Ihab has taught 3D modeling and animation to kids at the RIT Tiger-Camps. He has also been volunteering to teach animation to kids at the Joseph Avenue Arts and Culture Alliance.
Throughout his career at RIT Ihab worked on several personal and commissioned films, which reaped him numerous film recognitions including a permanent display of Iroquois Creation Story at Ganondagan’s Seneca Art & Culture Center and two Best Animation awards, in addition to a permanent display of Soap Film at the Exploratorium Museum of Science. As a Professor, Ihab was nominated for Teaching with Technology in 2022, the Eisenhart Nomination – RIT Outstanding Teaching Award in 2018, and a Nomination for Outstanding Teaching Award for Non-Tenure-Track Faculty in 2015.