September 2011

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology at Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

BEACON 2011 September 2011 / Shawwal 1432 Volume 2, Issue No.1

the

www.kaust.edu.sa

VENTURING TO THE EDGE

LOOK INSIDE for a

COMMUNITY

GUIDE

OF CAMPUS, THUWAL, AND JEDDAH

Convocation Issue

OF KNOWLEDGE AS the University begins its third academic year and welcomes a new class of students, The Beacon sat down with President Choon Fong Shih to get his perspectives on research and on growing a culture of excellence at KAUST. Beacon: As a graduate student at Harvard, what kept you excited about your graduate studies and research?

President Shih: I was energized and motivated by the thrill of looking at problems from new angles and thinking up new ideas and debating them with my advisors and peers. Each time I stepped into the lab – a shared facility between Harvard and MIT with an IBM 360 computer – it felt like a new adventure was beginning. The possibility of unraveling an unsolved problem, of getting new results, made the long hours and hard work fun and fulfilling – so much so that I was happy doing the graveyard shift from 8:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m.! After all, during Boston’s frigid winter nights, the computer lab was the warmest place I could find.

I recall how I would jump out of bed each morning after only a few hours of sleep because I couldn’t wait to get to work and talk with people about the results and ideas that came to me the night before.

We had great fun bouncing ideas off one another and helping each other with experiments and trying out new things.

Beacon: As a professor at Brown, how did you stimulate your students’ passion for discovery?

President Shih: I think the secret to keeping students engaged and passionate about their research is to give them challenging problems and questions that can stimulate fresh thinking and spark excitement, enthusiasm, and energy. Andre Geim, the winner of the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics, put it this way: “Never torture students with boring/dead projects!” I couldn’t agree more. I always encouraged students to be curious, to challenge conventions and received views, and to explore “outside the box.” With curiosity and passion, work and play become intertwined – play becomes work and work becomes play.

My students worked (and played) hard. We were in the computer lab all the time, including nights and weekends. I often ran into students late at night when I went to the lab to pick up results and graphical outputs. This would lead to energetic midnight discussions out of which came many good ideas and some of which turned into nothing when morning came!

Beacon: It sounds like interacting with colleagues and students was a big part of your research.

How is this aspect of research different today than it was when you were a graduate student?

President Shih: In these days of email and Facebook, colleagues and students don’t have to wait until morning to discuss questions or ideas. Today, dialogue is facilitated by electronic communications and you can share ideas with people across the world with the click of a mouse, any time, day or night.

One caveat. These ways of interacting virtually can be quite linear and one-dimensional, though this is rapidly changing. Face-to-face interactions offer many advantages including body language, mental energy, enthusiasm, excitement, and spontaneity, besides being non-linear and multi-dimensional. The next level in digital interactions may need to accommodate or even facilitate the sparks ignited by to-ing and fro-ing among young minds and experienced researchers, between new ideas and long-held theories, discussed over virtual coffee. I believe the chemistry of face-to-face exchanges, amplified by digital networks that extend the reach of KAUST, can create a multiplier effect on creativity and research productivity.

By and large, advances in research tend to arise from the interplay of (1), thinking deeply and working out ideas by yourself and (2), the flood of ideas and input from colleagues and friends.

Beacon: Could you elaborate on how a passion for discovery can make the long hours and hard work of research fun and fulfilling?

President Shih: Research is hard work. There is no getting around putting in the hard work and the hours – in the evenings, over weekends, et cetera. The life of a researcher demands a level of commitment that few other professions do. This level of commitment is extremely difficult to sustain if you are not excited by your research and driven by a passion for discovery.

At the same time, if you have this passion for discovery, you will love what you do. This is the fun side of research. I never saw my everyday work as thankless toil. On the contrary, I felt a sense of adventure in trying to unravel an unsolved problem. And the solution of each problem – the eureka moments – brings elation and satisfaction beyond compare.

Of course, for every success, there are many, many more “failures” – things that did not work or ideas that went nowhere. Research is an adventure with dead-ends and surprising and often disappointing turns. You have to be prepared to miss the mark many times, pick yourself up, and persevere until you succeed, hopefully.

Beacon: Taking a cue from what you just said, why not focus your research in areas that are more certain of success?

President Shih: Contrary to conventional wisdom, scientific progress and breakthroughs don’t always occur through a logical analysis of what will fail or succeed. There may be a moment when all the training, all the logic, all the accumulated knowledge of an entire discipline, lead a researcher to the very edge of knowledge. Peering over the edge into the unknown, all that appears is an abyss.

The choice is stark – to be safe and tinker on the known side of the cliff or to take a leap into the unknown. In these leaps of faith and intuition, scientific breakthroughs often take place.

I remember the scene in “Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade" where Indie comes to the edge of a cliff. It was only as he stepped into the dark void that a bridge appeared. I wish achieving research breakthroughs was this simple.

When I started out as a graduate student at Harvard, I was among the first to use computational modeling to study fracture problems. This predated the development of computational mechanics and computational science. At the time, I was an engineer going into a new field at the intersection of mechanical engineering and materials science. Had I kept on the well-trodden path, the way forward would have been more congested and breaking new ground would have been more difficult. By taking the less-trodden path, I have had an intellectually fulfilling and rewarding adventure.

To do research that addresses the big questions of our generation – as KAUST aims to do in our primary research thrusts of energy, water, food, and the environment – we cannot be content with safe, incremental research. We need to be adventurous and not be afraid of failing many times before we succeed.

Beacon: You have often spoken about research culture. What is the culture and practices that will enable “research that addresses the big questions of our generation” that you just mentioned?

President Shih: You might ask, “What is a culture of excellence”? I believe this is a culture of hard work and teamwork, where each of us strives to reach our full potential, where we help others reach their full potential, where failure is acceptable. It is a culture that entrenches the tireless pursuit of excellence and celebrates individual and collective talent, passion, and ambition.

Having such a research culture is an essential ingredient of the growth of KAUST as a center of learning, discovery, and innovation for future generations. It is this research culture that can help crystallize the talents and expertise of our University to address the big questions of our generation. I believe that each of us has a part to play in fostering a research culture of excellence for KAUST. I will speak more about the culture of excellence, its importance to KAUST, PRESIDENT Shih mentions Nobel Laureate Andre and how we are working towards fosGeim's educational philosophy of fun and scientific tering this culture in my speech during challenge. Geim and fellow Nobel Laureate Konstantin the Academic Convocation on Monday, Novoselov won the 2010 Nobel Prize in Physics for September 5. It will be an exciting their isolation of graphene — work that started as a event and I look forward to seeing our fun experiment. The carbon sheets quickly became an community there! 

“There may be a moment when all the training, all the logic, all the accumulated knowledge of an entire discipline, lead a researcher to the very edge of knowledge."

WHAT IS CONVOCATION? THE word “convocation" is derived from the Latin verb convocare, which means to assemble, come together, or convene. In the history of universities, Convocation was a ceremonial gathering of students and faculty to legislate or deliberate. Convocations are steeped in tradition and institutional interpretation, and each university has its own Convocation etiquette and procedures. Whatever the event’s design, it still remains one of the singular periods when a university’s entire community comes

together in a shared purpose. At King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Convocation celebrates the anniversary of the University’s first day of classes in 2009 while welcoming new students and welcoming back returning students and faculty. Although the phrasing may seem confusing, Commencement is not the ceremony that starts off the year, it’s the ceremony during which diplomas are presented to graduating scholars who will then take their first steps as talented scientists.

What: Second Academic Convocation, Where: Auditorium, Building 20 When: Monday, September 5, 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m., followed by a reception in the foyer Who: All Faculty, Students, Academic and Research Staff, and Administrative Staff

GIVING GRAPHENE A GO

GRAPHENE | Continued on p.2

INSIDE:

News 1-2

New Faculty 3

News 4-5

Research 6–7

Community 8

2

News

September 2011 THIS 2011 Convocation Issue of The Beacon kicks off our third academic year and features President Choon Fong Shih’s thoughts about creating the culture of excellence intrinsic to our journey of becoming a world-class graduate research university. Each one of us taking small steps of excellence, commitment, hard work, and passion will inevitably, over the days, weeks, months, and years ahead, lead to us

The Beacon

collectively establishing KAUST in the first ranks of academia. This issue captures a few of the individual steps many of you have recently taken. Prof. Osman Bakr’s new nanoparticle characterization techniques, Prof. Ying Wu’s hybrid elastics acoustical research, and Prof. Thoroddsen and colleagues’ inverted Leidenfrost effect drag-reduction research are all fascinating examples of how step by step we can “venture to the edge of knowledge.”

—THE BEACON Editorial

IN BRIEF FLOOD FORECASTING ON THE FAST TRACK

The Beacon, Volume 2, Issue 1, September 2011. Published by The Communications Department, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia.

Contact Salah Sindi +966 (2) 808-3221, email salah.sindi@kaust.edu.sa, or Michelle D'Antoni +966 (2) 808-3178, email michelle.dantoni@kaust.edu.sa © King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Printed on partially recycled paper.

KAUST MATRIX FOR ACADEMIC INTEGRATION

FOLLOWING the June Board of Trustees meeting, KAUST’s Provost, Professor Stefan Catsicas, can implement the new organization of the academic campus. Two new vice presidents, redefined roles for the Deans, and consolidation of all research and education under a unified guidance allow the University to enter into a new phase of its young history. With this greater consolidation of resources and increased authority and autonomy comes a much greater need for accountability and responsibility, Prof. Catsicas stresses. “I call on each faculty member to share with me the responsibility of bringing together the best of ourselves and our global experiences as we continue to build our University and create an impeccable academic culture.”

When The Beacon last spoke with Prof. Catsicas, after his first month of duty in February, he referred to one of the biggest challenges many existing universities face: the hindrance of siloed approaches, which often has the effect of limiting discovery and innovation.

“What struck me when I first arrived in January was the speed at which the campus was developed. Of course, one of the reasons we were able to grow so fast was the quality of people involved, their commitment, their energy, and their focus on their specific activity to accomplish the job at unprecedented speed,” Prof. Catsicas says. “But to achieve start-up state by opening day of September 5, 2009, all of the activities were necessarily separate — building the campus, recruiting founding faculty, developing an international network.” Now that all of the pieces

are established, Prof. Catsicas is helping to weave them together into a single, integrated tapestry.

To buttress this increased accountability, the Provost’s office will roll out, over a realistic time frame of several years, a systematic look at each component of the academic house. Whether it’s research centers, programs, or individual faculty members, we will be looking at instituting a comprehensive and purpose-built process of performance review. Indeed, good academic culture is always characterized by appropriate review, whether by selected peers, students, or the broader scientific community. The key is the quality of the process and the timeframe.

“Academic achievements take time to mature and demonstrate themselves and we must explain and justify this to all stakeholders,” Prof. Catsicas says. The initial review of the first center is slated to begin in January 2012. In parallel, the academic leadership will visit all programs, starting this fall, to meet the faculty and share the fundamentals of the University’s mission.

“This will allow the University’s four main research thrusts of water, food, energy, and the environment to be revisited, defined, and strengthened,” Prof. Catsicas says.

The essentials of the restructuring (see below) are all designed to reinforce both the cohesiveness and accountability of the University’s academic performance. Grouping divisions, research centers, core labs, and management of research funding into a single academic structure will optimize education and research outcomes. The three vice president positions are Vice President of Education (VPE), Vice President of Research (VPR), and Vice President of Academic Operations (VPAO). With the Deans they represent a new matrix of campus-wide and thematic expertise reporting to the Provost.

The VPE will coordinate with the three Deans to leverage the graduate student access to world-class facilities in the research centers and core labs, in addition to the divisions. But we also expect a more visible role for the program chairs, a revamping of the curricula, and a more rational grouping of the programs within each of the divisions. The input of the faculty and the Deans will be of paramount importance and the VPE will be responsible of making the University’s educational offerings truly unique and capable of attracting highly talented Saudi and international students.

The VPR will optimize our research investments by coordinating competitive funding opportunities and balancing the ratio of basic research, goal-oriented research, and research services across divisions, research centers, and core labs, respectively. Two key deliverables are already implemented, Prof. Catsicas explains.

“Education, research, divisions, centers, and core labs, integrated into one academic home."

WELCOME NEW SCHOLARS! HUNDREDS of new faces have arrived on campus, eager to start the unique educational adventure offered by King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. One of the greatest joys of living, working, and studying at the University is the cultural diversity of the campus, which has faculty, staff, and student representation from many countries around the world. The returning student body hails from 61 nations, but the influx of new students bring that number to 73. Our new scholars are sure to relish the access to world-class research and educational facilities and feel welcomed by the international community at the University.

INCOMING STUDENT FACTS

275 • •

new students (total 848) 200 new master’s students 75 new PhD students

Incoming students by region:

10%

US, Europe, Africa, UK, GCC, and Australia

32% Female

Male

10

%

The Americas

Incoming students by division:

48%

Physical Sciences and Engineering

26%

Mathematical and Computer Sciences and Engineering

26%

One, focusing Global Collaborative Research’s capacities on the academic house here in Thuwal will be accompanied by a new and expanded commitment to a competitive “faculty initiated” research process.

And two, externally, and in a significant milestone for the University, KAUST has fulfilled one of Catsicas’ priorities upon his arrival, in becoming eligible for competitive European funds.

“This will be a game changer as our faculty will be able to compete at the highest international level. I also expect significant additional resources in due time for the campus.”

Finally, the VPAO will be tasked with providing all planning and resource management expertise to the Provost’s office, division, research center, and core lab operations. The VPAO will also introduce a management capacity to address the need for coordinated procurement, asset management, and laboratory safety. “It is a key position,” Prof. Catsicas says. “Academic vision needs to be complemented and supported by outstanding managerial expertise.”

Deans will have broader responsibilities within the research and education areas of their divisions as well as in leading recruitment strategies and managing their own budgets in a more independent manner. They will also provide an increased level of management support to the research centers affiliated with their division.

Liberated from excessive administration, center directors will be able to focus on their goals and ensure their center’s high-flying vision and its implementation. “Aligning the interests of Deans and center directors is the centerpiece of the new campus.”

The reorganization integrates strategy, planning, and resources across all areas of academic endeavor, for both education and research. The vice presidents ensure quality of education and research campus-wide; and the Deans ensure that recruitment, education, and research activities of their respective divisions and research centers are top-notch and are all thematically integrated into one academically focused home.

“We must be role models of academic and research integrity for those we teach and lead. The quid pro quo is simple,” Catsicas says.

“The increased responsibility we have been granted requires a more profound commitment to accountability.” 

GRAPHENE | Continued from p.1

Incoming students by gender:

68%

CHRISTIAN Claudel, Assistant Professor, Electrical Engineering, arrived at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in October 2010, just before the devastating November and January 2011 floods in Jeddah.

Prof. Claudel’s research centers on environmental sensors, and through collaborative efforts with the Technology Transfer & Innovation program at the University, he was able to initiate a sensor network pilot program at KAUST to monitor and forecast flood and traffic patterns. This will be one of the largest sensor network systems for either flood or traffic prediction. The pilot will collect data for three months to help optimize sensor data processing before a larger scale pilot is developed for Jeddah. 

Chemical and Life Sciences and Engineering

34% Asia

% 30 16 %

Middle East & North Africa

Saudi Arabia

*Entering Student Data as of August 9, 2011

overnight superstar in the world of science.

Graphene is a flat, one-atom-thick sheet of carbon rings arrayed in a honeycomb-like lattice. A great deal of research is ongoing to develop methods to produce graphene reliably and in commercial-scale quantities, which is a necessary step to take advantage of the sheet’s beneficial qualities.

Since the initial publication of the material’s isolation in Science just seven years ago and the Nobel Prize in Physics award for the research in 2010, graphene has shown potential in countless applications.

Graphene acts as a semiconductor with excellent electron mobility, and the thin sheets have promise for smaller, faster, and more powerful electronics, such as the development of innovative flexible electronic devices—imagine an iPad that you can roll up or fold and stick in your pocket.

The strength of the material, its flexibility, and its light weight also give it potential for use in composite materials for automobiles, airplanes, and even clothing. The number of applications and innovations graphene may inspire are as yet immeasurable — the material could revolutionize manufacturing the way the introduction of plastics did. As Andre Geim stated during his Nobel Lecture, “Whenever you touch any phenomenon with graphene, it turns out something new, something unique.” 

www.kaust.edu.sa

New Faculty

NEW PROFESSORS WITH the start of the academic term, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology is happy to welcome new professors into our collaborative, cutting-edge research family, as approved by a recent Board of Trustee meeting. Several professors, through their vision, skill, and hard work, were appointed from the University’s ranks of dedicated research scientists.

Associate Professor, Chemical Sciences, Chemical and Life Sciences and Engineering Division Professor Luigi Cavallo was an assistant professor at the University of Naples, Italy, for eight years and an associate professor at the University of Salerno, Italy, for nine years before joining the faculty at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology as an Associate Professor, Chemical Sciences. He obtained a laurea degree in 1987 and a PhD in 1991, both in chemistry from the University of Napoli. Prof. Cavallo focuses his research on the application and development of computational techniques to advance catalysis.

Satoshi Habuchi Associate Professor, Bioscience, Chemical and Life Science and Engineering Division Professor Satoshi Habuchi will arrive at the University in early 2012 as Associate Professor of Bioscience. He comes from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, where he has been a professor of organic and polymeric materials since 2008.

Prof. Habuchi received his master’s in 1999 and his PhD in 2001, both in chemistry from Hokkaido University, Japan. Prof. Habuchi’s research focus is on the hidden roles of static and dynamic disorders in complex polymer systems. His research interests include single-molecule microscopy, DNA-protein interactions, and biological and polymeric systems.

Professor, Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, Mathematical and Computer Science and Engineering Division

Nikos Hadjichristidis Professor, Chemical Sciences, Chemical and Life Sciences and Engineering Division Professor Nikos Hadjichristidis comes to KAUST as Professor, Chemical Sciences. He has a long history in education, having supervised more than 100 master’s and PhD students, and a long history in research, both academic and industrial with more than 400 peer-reviewed papers and 10 patents. He has served as the Director of the Industrial Chemistry Laboratory and the Chairman of the Chemistry Department at the University of Athens, Greece, for more than 20 years. Prof. Hadjichristidis has also served as the President of the European Polymer Federation, President of the State Highest Chemical Board, and Director of the Institute of Organic & Pharmaceutical Chemistry of the National Hellenic Research Foundation.

Xabier Irigoien Professor, Marine Science and Engineering, Red Sea Research Center, Chemical and Life Sciences and Engineering Division Professor Xabier Irigoien brings to the University a rich background of oceanographic experience. He was the head of Pelagic Fisheries and Biological Oceanography sections in the Marine Research Division of the AZTI Foundation, in Spain, where he started as a senior researcher in 2002. Prior to that, he worked at the Southamption Oceanography Centre, in the UK; the National Environmental Research Council, in the UK; and the Institute of Marine Science (CSIC), in Spain.

He obtained a master’s in experimental ecology from the Univeristy of Pau in 1990 and a PhD in oceanography from the University of Bordeaux I in 1994.

Professor Irigoien’s research projects at KAUST will focus on marine biodiversity using molecular tools to determine the real diversity, and habitat modeling to understand the factors controlling biodiversity distribution.

Peter Markowich Professor, Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, Mathematical and Computer Science and Engineering Division Professor Peter Markowich comes to the University from a dual appointment as a professor of applied mathematics at the University of Cambridge, UK, and a professor of applied analysis at the University of Vienna, Austria. He joins KAUST as Professor, Applied Mathematics and Computational Science. Prof. Markowich acquired a diplomingenieur (equivalent to a master’s in engineering) in 1979 and a Dr. Techn. in 1980 from the Technical University of Vienna. He completed his Habilitation in applied and numerical mathematics in 1984. Prof. Markowich’s research focuses on partial differential equations, with an integrated approach involving mathematical analysis, numerical analysis, computational mathematics, and mathematical modeling.

Yu Han Associate Professor, Chemical and Biological Engineering, Chemical and Life Sciences and Engineering Division Professor Yu Han has been with the University since February 2009 as Assistant Professor. He has now been promoted to Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering. Prof. Han is a materials scientist and his research has been focused on nanoporous materials. His special ability to control the structure and morphology of these materials promoted his great success in developing novel applications for them. Prof. Han holds a bachelor’s of science in chemistry and a doctorate in inorganic chemistry, both from Jilin University, China.

Niloy J. Mitra Associate Professor, Computer Science, Mathematical and Computer Sciences and Engineering Division Before his most recent appointment to Associate Professor of Computer Science, Professor Niloy Mitra had been serving as Assistant Professor since May 2009. His research interests are in geometric modeling, geometry processing, shape analysis, structure-preserving manipulations, and visualization. Prof. Mitra also works on detection of symmetry and structural regularity in three-dimensional geometry and using geometry processing in architectural design and other art forms. He received his master’s and doctoral degrees in electrical engineering from Stanford University in 2002 and 2006, respectively.

Peter Wonka Associate Professor, Computer Science, Mathematical and Computer Sciences and Engineering Division Professor Peter Wonka joins the University as Associate Professor, Computer Science, after seven years as a professor at Arizona State University. He completed his diplom-ingeneur in 1997 and Dr. Techn. in 2001, both in computer science, at Vienna University of Technology, as well as another diplom-ingeneur in urban planning in 2002, also at Vienna University of Technology. Prof. Wonka’s particular research interests lie in visualization, remote sensing, and computer graphics, with a focus on visualization, modeling, and analysis of urban and geospatial data.

Vivek Polshettiwar Assistant Professor, Chemical Sciences, Chemical and Life Sciences and Engineering Division Professor Vivek Polshettiwar came to the University as Senior Research Scientist in the KAUST Catalysis Center in 2009, and has now been appointed as Assistant Professor, Chemical Sciences. Prof. Polshettiwar obtained a master’s in chemistry from Amravati University, India, in 1999 and a PhD in chemistry from the DRDO, Gwalior, in India in 2002. His Nano-Catalysis group (KAUST NanoCat) will work in the area of advanced nanomaterials synthesis with controlled shape and morphology and their application as nanocatalysts that allow for more sustainable and green production processes.

William Roberts

Xiangliang Zhang

Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Clean Combustion Research Center, Physical Sciences and Engineering Division

Assistant Professor, Computer Science, Mathematical and Computer Sciences and Engineering Division

Professor William Roberts was a professor at North Carolina State University for 16 years and director of its Applied Energy Research Laboratory for a decade.

He has also served as an aerospace engineer for Analytical Services (ANSER), near Washington, DC, and as a research engineer at the NASA Langley Program Office. He received his BSE in 1986 and his PhD in 1992, both in aerospace engineering from the University of Michigan. Prof. Roberts’ research focuses on soot formation in fuels at high pressure, high-pressure combustion, alternative energy such as aviation biofuel production via genetically modified marine algae, and optical diagnostics.

3

Luigi Cavallo

James Calvin Professor James Calvin has been with the University since fall 2009 as a Visiting Professor and also as Acting Associate Provost for Academic Affairs since 2010.

He now joins the ranks of full professors at the University. He earned his master’s in 1980 and PhD in 1985, both in statistics from Colorado State University.

Previously, Prof. Calvin held a professorial position at Texas A&M University since 1989 and served as the university’s Head of the Department of Statistics, interim Vice President for Research, and Director of the Institute for Applied Mathematics and Computational Science - an institute supported by KAUST through a Global Research Partnership award.

September 2011

Professor Xiangliang Zhang has been with the University since 2010, when she started as a research scientist in the Research Center for Extreme Computing.

Through her dedication to quality, world-class research, she was appointed to Assistant Professor, Computer Science. She obtained a master’s degree in electronic engineering from Xi’an Jiaotong University, China, in 2006 and a PhD in computer science from INRIA and the University of Paris-Sud 11, France, in 2010. Her research is focused on developing algorithms for machine learning and data mining to discover knowledge from complex and large-scale data sets for diverse applications and to design autonomic computing systems.

4

News

September 2011

The Beacon

PRESIDENT SHIH HONORED FOR OUTSTANDING SERVICE

President Shih with community members and students.

PRESIDENT Choon Fong Shih has been awarded an Outstanding Service Award by the National University of Singapore (NUS), where he served as president for almost a decade before joining KAUST. NUS cited President Shih for leading its transformation into an internationally renowned and "highly regarded research university with an entrepreneurial dimension.”

Receiving the award at the NUS University Awards ceremony in Singapore on April 29, 2011, President Shih said he was both "honored and humbled" to receive the university’s highest honor for service.

As he reflected on his time at NUS, he shared that “My stint as NUS President gave me the opportunity to break down bureaucratic barriers that impeded performance and productivity, and promote a no-walls research culture where individuals pursue excellence as well as help others reach for their best."

Shih continued to explain that NUS’s success was thanks to the hard

work and teamwork of the entire university community, as well as the commitment of a leadership team who aligned their ambitions and energies with the institution’s goals and mission. President Shih said that his greatest joy was serving the university in helping foster a community spirit that encouraged others to pursue their passions and advance the university together.

In response to a question about his philosophy on life, President Shih said, “I view life as a never-ending and ever-changing journey of learning and discovery. Being true to your passions, values, and beliefs makes the journey all the more meaningful and fulfilling – and fun.”

Serving at NUS from 1997, first as Deputy Vice Chancellor and then taking over as Vice Chancellor and President in 2000, President Shih left his native Singapore in December 2008 to take his current position as KAUST’s founding President. 

ALL IN ONE: CHARACTERIZING NANOPARTICLE PROPERTIES NANOPARTICLES, some of the most advanced yet minute pieces of technology produced, hold opportunities in many fields.

They already have a variety of applications, from drug delivery and anticancer therapies to solar power and lithium-ion batteries. Some nanoparticles are built to self-assemble into intricate structures, emulating natural systems with the eventual goal of creating devices with new functionality or extremely high performance.

But making such small particles with uniform characteristics is difficult, and most processes generate particles with varied properties, altering a material’s expected performance.

To determine — in a single experiment — the composition and variation in samples of these modern molecules, Osman Bakr, Assistant Professor, Materials Science and Engineering, enlisted the aid of an instrument almost a century old coupled with new mathematical modeling. His work was published this summer in a Nature Communications paper.

Nanoparticle characterization usually involves multiple tests.

Assistant Professor Ying Wu

This research could lead to better characterization and purification of nanoparticles such as the ones used in solar devices, increasing the devices’ efficiency.

With the process described in his recent paper, Prof. Bakr is able to deduce size, mass, and density distributions of entire nanoparticle samples — all in a single experiment.

Knowing the compositional variation in nanoparticles can help determine separation methods to remove heterogeneities. “One of the major obstacles right now in nanomaterials-based devices is that there’s always a variation in nanomaterials,” Prof. Bakr says.

“It’s very difficult to control the composition, so when you integrate them into a device, it does not perform as well as you’d like it to.”

The experimental method was tested using known samples, which allows Prof. Bakr to verify the validity of the process and the measurements obtained, so he can be confident that values acquired from unknown samples are accurate.

Using an analytical ultracentrifuge — invented in 1925

by Theodor Svedberg, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1926 for his work using the machine — as well as making a mathematical assumption that the nanoparticles are

hydrodynamically spherical, Prof. Bakr is able to calculate nanoparticle size, mass, and density by observing how the particles sediment during centrifugation.

“Surprisingly, mathematically, assuming a nanoparticle is spherical gives us the right result,” Prof. Bakr says. One nanoparticle tested has an aspect ratio of 1.3, meaning it’s slightly elongated, but its size and density were measured within 4% accuracy.

“Our method is an approximation, but it’s a pretty good approximation,” Prof. Bakr says.

Prof. Bakr’s next focus is developing methods based on ultracentrifugation to better separate and purify nanoparticles. This research could lead to better characterization and purification of nanoparticles that would be used in solar devices, increasing the devices’ efficiency. Such improvements would reduce the cost of energy generated by the devices, which is important to drive the growing global alternative energy sector. 

STRETCHING THE BOUNDARIES OF ELASTICITY UNIVERSITY research into hybrid elastics, recently published in the June edition of Nature Materials, has developed a new type of metamaterial that is absent in nature.

The research, carried out in conjunction with Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and Soochow University, discusses a design of an elastic material that contains several possible resonances within its structure.

Ying Wu, Assistant Professor, Mathematical and Computational Science and Engineering; HKUST faculty Ping Sheng and ZhaoQing Zhang; and Yun Lai of Soochow discovered that the material has unusual acoustic properties.

At certain frequencies, the material transmits only pressure waves and becomes “fluid-like,” bluring the distinction between a fluid and a solid.

At other frequencies, however, the material displays “super-anisotropy” (directional dependency), observed by directionality of the movement of compression waves and shear waves.

These unusual traits don’t have any similar examples in conventional solids and could lead to novel applications in wave polarizers, transformation acoustics, controlling elastic and seismic waves, and wave imaging and confinement. 

SLEEK cars, fast boats, and stealth jets all have many things in common — one of the most important is a design that reduces drag forces that could slow the machine down. Now, fundamental research done by scientists at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology adds to the pool of potential dragreducing options.

Improving hydrodynamic drag-reduction methods can help increase efficient use of energy in, for example, nautical applications, pipeline transport, and microfluidic devices. Reducing drag cuts down the amount of energy needed to move an object through water, or increases its speed or distance it’s able to go with the same amount of energy.

Some current nautical drag-reduction methods employ bubble formation to decrease drag on an object in water, but KAUST researchers Dr. Ivan Vakarelski, Dr. Jeremy Marston, and Professor Sigurdur Thoroddsen, along with colleague Derek Chan, a professor at the University of Melbourne, in Australia, show in their recent Physical Review Letters paper “Drag Reduction by Leidenfrost Vapor Layers” that an undisrupted vapor layer offers much greater drag-reduction potential. The study was highlighted in Nature Physics, Nature Middle East, and Wired.

The researchers utilized a concept described more than 250 years ago — the Leidenfrost effect. The effect is easily noticed when a drop of water skates around on a hot pan. The water moves around because liquid that’s placed on a surface heated past a critical point generates an insulative gas layer, protecting the liquid from evaporating and allowing it to move around.

The researchers inverted this centuries-old observation to generate a drag-reducing gas layer around an object moving through liquid — instead of dropping a liquid onto a heated surface, they dropped a heated surface into a liquid. The gas layer produced around the object allows it to move more freely through the liquid.

PHOTO BY DR. IVAN VAKARELSKI

GAS IS NO DRAG

Magnetically held steel spheres illustrate the two drag-reduction methods compared by Dr. Vakarelski and his colleagues: bubble injection (right) and gas layer (left). A fully encompassing gas layer around an object greatly reduces the drag forces on it as it moves through a liquid. Bubbles around an object reduce drag forces to a lesser extent.

Dr. Vakarelski and colleagues used high-speed video to record what happened when they dropped the spheres into the perfluorinated liquid. The videos enabled them to determine the spheres’ terminal velocity, which they used to calculate the spheres’ drag coefficient.

Drag coefficient is related to both an object’s velocity and the energy needed to move it. The researchers can use the value to predict the velocity a gas-layer-enclosed object can achieve as well as the force needed to reach that velocity. With this predictive ability, researchers could determine whether the energy input for the gas-layer drag-reduction model would be appropriate for certain applications.

The team is now focusing on sustainable formation of gas layers in water, which will bring the concept closer to application, such as to reduce energy use of submarines or ships and to optimize liquid flow through microfluidic devices. 

News

September 2011

5

Here, the CAVEcam and its two cameras are photographing a temple’s columns. The two cameras are positioned side by side, like eyes, to allow for the stereo 3D effect when the resultant images are viewed with 3D glasses.

Researchers Greg Wickham and Adel Saad and Calit2 researcher Thomas A. DeFanti photographed the Temple of Luxor at night using the CAVEcam.

PHOTO BY GREG WICKHAM

PHOTO BY GREG WICKHAM

www.kaust.edu.sa

CYBERARCHAELOGY: PHOTOGRAPHING THE PHARAOHS IN 3D

PHOTO BY GREG WICKHAM

Tom DeFanti and the CAVEcam

PHOTO BY KENNETH MOORE

FEW people are capable of carrying an Egyptian temple home with them, but that’s exactly what researchers from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology and the University of California, San Diego (UCSD), did — with permission, of course.

In a proof-of-concept trial to evaluate the CAVEcam photography equipment in the hot, dusty, blindingly bright conditions of the Nile River Valley, Dr. Greg Wickham and Adel Saad of the Visualization Lab at KAUST and Thomas A. DeFanti of UCSD’s California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology (Calit2) captured high-resolution images of stunning historic cultural sites at Luxor.

Shooting in the scorching desert heat from 6:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. for two days in a row, the expedition was challenging.

A single grain of sand could obstruct a camera’s shutter, so the equipment was carefully stored in plastic bags and cases.

The team sampled about 20 sites with the CAVEcam, including pillars at Karnak, Medinet Habu, and floodlight-illuminated statues at the Temple of Luxor at dusk.

Only three of these CAVEcams exist: one with the inventor, Dick Ainsworth, and one each at KAUST and Calit2. The CAVEcam has two Lumix GF1 cameras that are positioned next to one another, like human eyes, to allow for the lifelike three-dimensional effect. The cameras are calibrated to take simultaneous 10 megapixel photographs, and for a single 360-degree panoramic scene, each camera shoots 72 photographs. The robotic GigaPan Epic Pro repositions the cameras at regular intervals for subsequent photographs to capture the entire scene, from sky to ground.

All of these photographs are painstakingly stitched together to create seamless, 3D panoramas that can be displayed in KAUST’s CORNEA and NexCAVE visualization facilities.

“If all the focal points come in aligned together easily, you can have an image whipped up in about 12 hours. That’s if everything goes smoothly and with a lot of expertise,” Saad says.

But some scenes require more finessing and can take up to a week to stitch.

KAUST’s NexCAVE and CORNEA visualization facilities are available for researchers, faculty, and students from all disciplines, enabling collaboration and new views of data sets, as well as a digital walk through the lifelike scenery photographed by the team.

“They say ‘A picture is worth a thousand words,’" Saad says.

“I believe NexCAVE and CORNEA is cube that. It’s unreal.” 

Adel Saad operates the NexCAVE at KAUST, showing an immersive 3D panorama of the temples that the three researchers photographed. With use of regular 3D glasses, the high-definition images focus and appear true to life.

WELCOME TO THE FAMILY

Adel Saad at the entrance to Medinet Habu, one of the temples the team photographed using the CAVEcam.

ON August 1, 2011, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology officially in-sourced its security function through successful completion of the Security Transformation Project.

Rather than continue to outsource this vital function, the project aimed to consolidate and streamline security services by integrating security staff into the KAUST family, strengthening the service provided by security and creating a more efficient and sustainable operation.

Prior to August 1, the majority of security services were performed and delivered by several entities: the University security department, AlMajal G4S contractors, and Saudi Aramco security staff. By enabling the highest performing AlMajal G4S staff to join our family and committing to their continued training

and development, security has taken a big step toward fulfilling its vision and mission – achieving the highest level of security and safety of the community.

To qualify for transfer to an employee of the University, AlMajal G4S staff underwent rigorous scrutiny and a detailed selection process in order to ensure the highest performing candidates were selected. The process lasted several months and involved in-depth candidate evaluation, including assessment of previous experience, current performance, English proficiency, and medical checkups. The security department worked hard with other relevant departments of the University to create a fair and standardized selection process that would enable the screening of AlMajal G4S candidates while maintaining the optimum level of security operations.

The University welcomes these well-trained men and women to our family. 

6

September 2011

Research

The Beacon

WATER FOR THE WORLD WATER is one of the world’s most abundant and yet inaccessible resources. Most water is locked up in the oceans, full of salt and other compounds, unable to meet the demands from rising populations, industry, and agriculture. In arid regions such as Saudi Arabia, fresh water is scarce, so treating seawater and reusing

municipal and industrial wastewater are necessary to fulfill these water-use needs. The University’s Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) is at the leading edge of water-treatment technologies that are more sustainable and can provide potable water for people in Saudi Arabia and throughout the world.

WDRC research projects focus on optimizing existing processes and developing new processes to treat seawater and wastewater for industry, agriculture, and human drinking water needs.

Featured here are three promising water-treatment processes currently being developed within the Center.

FORWARD OSMOSIS MOVES FORWARD is enticed to cross the membrane because of an osmotic pressure gradient — the draw solution pulls out the water from the feed to balance the water content on both sides of the membrane. Then, the water is purified from the draw solution and able to be used.

FO is a relatively new process that isn’t yet widely used, Dr. Yangali notes. Reverse osmosis is one of the desalination industry standards. It uses hydraulic pressure to force water across a membrane when, chemically, it would prefer to stay in the feed — in the case of desalination, the feed is seawater. This requires a lot of energy, but Dr. Yangali’s FO process uses only half that of reverse osmosis processes — and the reduced energy requirement means lower operational cost, as well.

Dr. Yangali and his team at the University have completed a number of experiments and developed several FO process configurations at the lab scale. They are now moving into the pilot plant scale, which will be able to treat 1 cubic meter of water each day. Korean firm GS E&C will help develop the pilot system, which is planned to be installed at KAUST’s desalination plant near the wastewater treatment plant. “The idea is to recycle the wastewater from the treatment plant, consuming less energy,” Dr. Yangali says.

How it works: Feed water (FW) is pumped into a forward osmosis (FO) tank. Water Dr. Yangali’s FO process is realistic from inception passes through the FO membrane in the tank into the draw solution (DS), and the to end-use: not only is the process designed for more process is couple with low pressure reverse osmosis (LPRO) to extract the pure water.

“SAUDI ARABIA is one country that is really going into water reuse aggressively,” says Dr. Victor Yangali, a postdoctoral researcher in the University’s Water Desalination and Reuse Center. He and his team, which includes Dr. Zhenyu Li and master’s students Rodrigo Valladares and Qingyu Li, as well as WDRC Director Gary Amy, are studying a new forward osmosis (FO) process to treat wastewater and seawater to obtain purified water suitable for industrial and agricultural use.

FO is a process that uses membranes to collect usable water from wastewater or seawater (the feed). With the feed on one side of a membrane and a “draw solution” on the other, water

DEVELOPING DISTILLATION ALTHOUGH membrane distillation (MD) research has been under development for several decades, it is still considered a novel desalination technology and no commercial plant utilizes MD processes yet. MD shows great promise and has many advantages over the most prevalent water-treatment process, reverse osmosis — the purity of water obtained through MD is almost independent of the feed water salinity, whereas feed water quality impacts the output of the more traditional desalination process, reverse osmosis.

Much of the current research on MD technologies focuses on membrane materials, says Dr. Noreddine Ghaffour, a process engineer and Principal Research Scientist in the Water Desalination and Reuse Center. With more than 18 years of water-treatment experience and a focus on desalination process development, Dr. Ghaffour believes his approach could bring this promising technology closer to market.

Dr. Ghaffour and his team are working to optimize the MD process by focusing on energy consumption, water recovery rates, and how to combine this technology with other watertreatment processes. The MD team is starting from scratch to optimize the process because there is “a very big gap between results from different research groups, so the best approach is to optimize it in our own way,” Dr. Ghaffour says.

The University's MD unit is an experimental bench-scale setup that uses direct-contact MD in order to optimize the process. Soon, the process will be scaled up to a pilot unit, which may include other MD techniques, such as air-gap and vacuum systems.

The various MD methods use the same general process: seawater is heated on one side of a membrane to create pure water vapor, which crosses the membrane and is condensed and collected on the other side, leaving behind salts and particulates in the seawater.

The distinction between the processes lies in how the pure water is collected and in the condensation options — either through cooling or by vacuum, both of which create a differential pressure that drives the technology.

A system’s needs and how it might be combined with other processes for increased water recovery will determine which methods are used.

The MD team is working with industry and academic membrane partners to help develop membranes for the process, including WDRC Prof. Suzana Nunes. Dr. Ghaffour will also look at the hydrodynamics of the process, as well as developing simple pretreatment options to increase water flow and prevent membrane fouling.

In his process, Dr. Ghaffour is also working to address the challenge of energy requirements for heating and cooling. “The efficiency of the system should have promise to compete with existing technologies,” he says. So the plans for the pilot plant include harnessing Saudi Arabia’s year-round solar radiation by using solar panels to heat the seawater and to produce energy to run pumps.

Dr. Ghaffour says, “We want to make this pilot plant fully driven by nature, autonomous from an energy grid, so we can use it in remote locations.” 

sustainable energy use and associated cost reductions, but it has been developed and tested using real seawater from the Red Sea as the draw solution and wastewater effluent from a treatment plant in Jeddah as the feed. As water is removed from the wastewater, it dilutes the seawater, which can then be desalinated as needed for industrial or agricultural use.

Using what the system will encounter in practical applications makes the WDRC team’s process development different from the rest of FO research, which generally tests a system that utilizes devices with high energy requirements and water spiked with compounds to mimic seawater, Dr. Yangali says. This realistic approach helps in developing more accurate assessments of the process and in improving it earlier in the scale-up process.

The attention to potential challenges and working out how to address them also makes the process more attractive when it is ready to be used commercially in treatment facilities.

A common challenge to using wastewater and seawater in a membrane-based processes is membrane fouling. Because the FO team uses real seawater in their lab-scale testing, they could take transparent exopolymer particles (TEP) into account. TEP are very small substances made by sea organisms and cannot be seen by the eye but can stick to the membrane and reduce the flow of water. The team plans to collaborate with WDRC’s Prof. Suzana Nunes to develop new FO membranes that can further improve the efficiency of the process. 

Dr. Ghaffour (third from right) and his membrane distillation team

How it works: The direct-contact membrane distillation process requires both a heat source and a source of cooling. The feed water (seawater) is heated and passed by an MD membrane. On the other side of the membrane lays a draw solution of chilled water, which draws pure water vapor from the feed water across the MD membrane.

Research

www.kaust.edu.sa PROFESSOR Kim Choon Ng and his team at the University’s Water Desalination and Reuse Center are working to introduce solar-powered water desalination technology in Saudi Arabia.

Ng is a visiting professor in the WDRC from the National University of Singapore (NUS).

The technology is adapted from Ng’s adsorption desalination (AD) project at NUS, where he has a prototype water plant built for cooling applications such as air conditioning.

In March 2008, a team of KAUST executives visiting NUS experienced a live demonstration of Ng’s prototype plant.

Impressed with the project, the team suggested that the prototype be used in joint collaboration with KAUST and extend the technology to desalination.

In March 2009, Ng began working with engineers from HOK, the firm that designed the University campus, on the design specifications for the prototype plant to be built at the University. Two years later, the prototype is fully automated and operational. It is being used for research purposes only.

This year Ng’s two postdoctoral fellows, Young Deuk Kim and Kyaw Thu, joined him at the University to work on the project.

“The idea is to bring AD technology to KAUST and eventually have it being used in Saudi Arabia. This is something we are actively working towards achieving,” Ng says. “The Kingdom is a country that receives a lot of solar radiation, so the project fits well with the country’s environment and needs.”

The plant produces water at a low energy consumption of 1.38 kWh/m3, which is around twice the thermodynamic limit of 0.78 kWh/m3, the lowest possible energy needed to extract water. Conventional desalination technologies such as reverse osmosis consume energy at rates five to ten times higher than the thermodynamic limit.

Solar panels placed on the WRDC roof (Building 2) collect heat and transfer this heat to seawater stored in the prototype plant.

Two things then happen: adsorption-triggered evaporation of the water, which cools the water at between 5 and 20 ºC, and desorption-activated condensation, where solar or waste heat (from 55 to 85 ºC) desalinates the seawater through a mesoporous adsorbant into a potable form with a pH of between 7.4 and 7.8.

“We are very close to a commercial stage,” Choon Ng explains. “We are now entering the commercial prototype stage,

September 2011

SOLAR-POWERED WATER ADSORPTION DESALINATION PROTOTYPE

DESALINATION PLANT

LAB GEAR MEMBRANES FOR WATER DESALINATION AND REUSE

and with help from Economic Development at KAUST, we are in talks with a Saudi company to take up the license from the University.”

The technology can be efficiently driven by solar power or by harnessing waste heat, which can be obtained from industrial processes in factories, plants, or other major facilities. With very few moving parts, the plant requires low maintenance and can be built vertically or horizontally, making the technology adaptable for application throughout the Middle East and the world.

“In principle the technology can be run from anywhere — it can extract heat from turbines or other industrial processes.

Desert areas like Saudi Arabia get a lot of sunlight, so it’s hugely beneficial for the Kingdom,” Ng explains. 

WDRC Director Gary Amy (center) at the University's desalination plant.

KING Abdullah University of Science in Technology stretches along the beautiful coast of the Red Sea, and vast reefs team with marine life close to the shores of the campus. But anyone who goes on a weekend snorkeling adventure gets a true taste of the knowledge that the rich waters are not suitable for human drinking.

The University’s desalination plant transforms seawater from the Red Sea into potable, safe drinking water. It provides the entire campus with water for domestic use and irrigation for landscaping plants. The facility uses the desalination industry standard reverse osmosis process and is able to process up to 40,000 cubic meters of water each day.

Red Sea seawater is first treated to remove particulates such as organic materials from the seawater before it enters the reverse osmosis process. Then, the facility uses reverse osmosis membranes to desalinate the water — this process is done by creating a pressure gradient across the membrane that forces pure water through the membrane, leaving behind salt and other compounds. Pre- and post-treatment chemical additives ensure optimum plant operation as well as water quality that conforms to local and international guidelines. 

MEMBRANES are integral to the water-treatment processes featured in this issue of The Beacon. The development of a treatment process is just as important as the development of a specific membrane for that process. Professor Suzana Nunes heads the Nanostructured Polymeric Membrane Lab within the WDRC, complementing research on membrane-based water-treatment technologies. Her group designs new polymeric materials and nanocomposites and develops membranes for water application.

Membrane manufacture involves interdisciplinary steps, starting with polymer and copolymer synthesis, film casting and porosity control, surface functionalization, and module fabrication in flat sheets or hollow fibers. The group also uses advanced microscopy and scattering methods for membrane characterization and works directly with other scientists in the WDRC to improve membranes for various applications.

Each water-treatment process requires a unique membrane.

Reverse osmosis (RO) and forward osmosis (FO) generally use membranes based on polyamide/polysulfone thin-film composites. Pore blocking and solute adhesion to the surface, known as fouling, challenge the optimization of RO membranes, but modifying the surface with hydrophilic regions or with charged groups may help prevent fouling. For FO membranes, greater flux, or rate of water’s movement through the membrane, is needed. New approaches using nanocomposites with carbon nanotubes and zeolites hold potential for this application.

Membrane distillation (MD) has promise for use in many fields and is an alternative to RO for desalination, but completely different membranes are required — they must block liquid from passing through, but allow fast evaporation and the flow of water vapor through pores. A high porosity as well as high hydrophobicity are needed. These membranes are now being manufactured using fluorinated polymers.

Membranes are used in other processes, as well: nano-, ultra-, and microfiltration required tailored pore sizes and distributions.

Solution casting and immersion in water is the usual procedure for making these membranes, and thermodynamics and kinetics of the solution drive pore formation. Uniformity of pore size is critical to the selectivity of the membranes.

Membranes can also be functionalized, allowing them to be used for catalytic conversion of pollutants, and respond to specific stimuli such as pH, temperature, and light. 

7

8

Community

September 2011

THE KAUST SCHOOL IS GROWING WITH an expanding program and growing enrollment (as well as teacher replacement), the KAUST School recruited over 50 new teachers for the 2011-2012 school year. Also new this year is the state-of-the-art Garden Campus, now home to the secondary school (grades 6-12). The elementary

school remains at the Harbor Campus, among three building: the Harbor ECC (K1-K2); Harbor East (K3-grade 2); and Harbor West (grades 3-5). The KAUST School is fully authorized in the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum, offering international education for students aged 3 to 19. 

The Beacon

SAUDI RESEARCH SCIENCE INSTITUTE The SRSI participants

ACCOLADES DR. Basel Khraiwesh, a postdoctoral researcher in the Plant Stress Genomics Research Center at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, was

THREE computer science PhD students placed 4th in the third annual SIGMOD programming contest. The SIGMOD conference, held in Athens, Greece, from June 12 to 16 and organized by Massachusetts Institute of Technology, is a prestigious

selected to be an editor for the Journal of Biotechnology & Biomaterials. Dr. Khraiwesh was chosen to serve in this capacity for his research focus on plant biotechnology. 

meeting for data management research.

The three students, Majed Sahli, Razen Harbi, and Ehab Abdelhamid, (pictured to the right) were invited to the conference and received their award during the conference’s plenary session. 

THE Society for Industrial Applied Mathematics (SIAM) honored Professor David E. Keyes, Dean of the Division of Mathematical and Computer Sciences and Engineering, with its Prize for Distinguished Service to the Profession for his lifelong leadership in advocacy in the field. Since 2009, Prof. Keyes has maintained a full teaching and advising load at KAUST, in addition to his responsibilities as Dean of his division and his service to the field. 

MY UNIVERSITY LAST December, the University’s first class of master’s students graduated. After 18 months of the unique instruction offered at our institution, the graduates took the next steps in their lives.

Most chose to remain in the Kingdom: many accepted positions

in Saudi Arabia, and even more decided to continue their PhD studies at the University. Featured here are the experiences of some of those continuing students and their choice to continue into a PhD program in Thuwal.

ISMAIL AL-QERM THE University’s commitment to quality educational opportunities, the focus of the programs, and the diversity of the community all attracted Ismail Al-Qerm, born and raised in Saudi Arabia, to the campus as a founding master’s student in 2009.

Because the University has a transdisciplinary focus, Al-Qerm studied electrical and mechanical engineering as well as computer science during his master’s program. “This added more value to my research and enhanced my experience,” he says.

“What makes KAUST different from other institutions is all the modern research facilities that support highquality research, the professionalism in the academic environment, and the quality of students who are studying here.” These factors helped Al-Qerm choose to return for his PhD at the University. Al-Qerm’s PhD research lies between electrical engineering and computer science — he studies cognitive radio, focusing on design of components that control radio parameters. 

DAMIAN PABLO SAN ROMAN ALERIGI “I have always been captivated by the nature of light, from its classical description to its quantum counterpart,” says Damian Pablo San Roman Alerigi, who came to the University from Mexico and Argentina.

And he found Prof. Boon Ooi and the Photonics Laboratory to be an exciting place to explore new ideas on the frontier of photonics when he started his master’s at KAUST in 2009. His work in the lab during his master’s formed the basis of his PhD work on light manipulation (controlling, reshaping,

trapping) for a wide array of optical applications.

“It is the vision driving KAUST, its location and environment, that sets it apart as an institution.

KAUST does not have an established history, nor a set of fixed traditions; its very nature is, after its first two years of life, to be ever-evolving,” San Roman says. “The University’s future lies in the hands of each and every one of its inhabitants, making it a rare opportunity that is difficult to find anywhere else.” 

LAUREN YUM LAUREN Yum’s interest in KAUST was sparked well before the University ever opened. Before starting her undergraduate studies, Yum attended an international relations and history of the Middle East class that enthralled her. KAUST offered her a way to gain a world-class education while pursuing her interest in the region.

Speaking of the adventure and thrill of coming from the US to Saudi Arabia, Yum says: “You need a certain type of personality to live in a country like Saudi Arabia and enjoy it. It’s that

type of personality that I’m drawn to and what makes me love the people I’ve met and my life here.” Yum’s PhD research is in collaboration with Helmholtz Zentrum München, where she conducted an internship developing HIV protein screens as a master’s student. Her PhD work with Prof. Christian Voolstra and Helmholtz is similar: she is developing an anti-dengue virus screening platform and testing crude extracts from the Red Sea for antiviral activity to identify molecules that prevent the dengue virus from entering target cells. 

FOR six weeks this summer, a select group of academically motivated high school students from throughout Saudi Arabia had the opportunity to conduct university-level research under the mentorship of KAUST professors. The Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI) program was developed as a partnership between Saudi Aramco, King Abdulaziz & His Companions Foundation for Giftedness & Creativity MAWHIBA, the Center for Excellence in Education (CEE), and KAUST. SRSI is modeled after the internationally acclaimed Research Science Institute (RSI) that is cosponsored by the CEE and MIT. SRSI is headed by Program Director Dr. Ghadah Fakieh, under the Young Talent Development & Retention Division of Saudi Initiatives at the University, headed by Executive Director Dr. Najah Ashry. More broadly, the Saudi Initiatives Department was created to support KAUST in its development of Saudi Arabian scientific and economic growth. SRSI is an initiative under the Young Talent Development and Retention Initiatives, which are managed by Dr. Ashry.

Over the months of July and August, students in the SRSI program stayed at KAUST and conducted research as part of a rigorous academic program that emphasizes advanced theory and research of the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“The amount of knowledge I managed to grasp is amazing,” SRSI student Naif Alhomoud says about how much the inaugural SRSI program offered him. Alhomoud completed the project “Synthesis of Palladium N-Heterocyclic Carbene Complexes Derived from Amino Acids and their Catalytic Applications in Cross-Coupling Reactions” under the direction of Prof. Jörg Eppinger. Alhomoud won one of the four Best Scientific Papers awards, won one of the four Best Oral Presentation awards, and was voted by his fellow SRSI students as SRSI Student of the Year. “To be honest, I didn’t expect any of those awards. The thing is, I just worked hard, because I love my project, I love my research area. When you love something, you work so hard, so passionately, and you end up getting great results.”

“I am hugely proud of our talented young students, who have shown in both their scientific and personal development here that they have what it takes to face the challenges of becoming successful scientists and leaders,” Dr. Ashry says.

General Secretary of MAWHIBA Dr. Khalid Al Sabti says, “This program represents a major milestone in the journey of innovation, giftedness, and creativity in the country. It shows that the ecosystem of innovation in Saudi Arabia is maturing.”  From left: Executive Vice President of Administration and Finance Nadhmi Al Nasr, President Shih, and Dr. Khalid Al Sabti presenting a certificate to Naif Alhomoud.