Yashar joined ACENET in 2023 and is based in Nova Scotia. He has extensive experience managing research projects, developing curriculum, and teaching courses in various disciplines including Engineering, Physics and Chemistry. Most recently, he was one of the principals who developed and taught ACENET’s 100-hour online Microcredential in Advanced Computing. Yashar completed his PhD at Dalhousie University (Electrical and Computer Engineering Department) in 2018 where he studied statistical nonlinear optical systems and noisy pulse propagation in optical fibers. He also worked on computational and experimental aspects of plasmonic nanomaterials and nanostructures and their applications in spectroscopy, photothermal therapy, water desalination, and biosensing in previous postdoc appointments. Yashar secured several academic grants and scholarships, has published over 40 research articles in top-tier scientific journals and has been the primary instructor in courses at multiple universities.