2017 March Beacon

March 2017 Jumada Al-Akhirah, 1438 Volume 8, Issue No. 3 ‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬

‫ المملكة العربية السعودية‬،‫ثول‬

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

www.kaust.edu.sa

‫طلبة جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ً ‫عاليا‬ ‫يرفعون اسم الجامعة‬

Students make KAUST proud Page 6

Engineering success in the pursuit of glory Page 16

Faculty new faces on campus Page 12

'The new way we do things' Page 22

Choosing to fly Page 14

Building minds at KAUST Page 24

The world of the future Page 18

WEP 2017 closing gala and awards ceremony Page 26

Exploring the Blue Economy Page 20

In brief

The University Library offers a variety of trainings and classes designed to help researchers and students get the most from the Library’s wide array of resources and to improve their research skills. Sessions are available to all members of the KAUST community. To reserve your seat, visit libguides.kaust.edu.sa/libtraining.

Distinguished Professor Nikos Hadjichristidis hosted the Polymers - Designing Macromolecules for Applications research conference from February 5 to 7. The conference covered the most appealing topics in contemporary polymer sciences and technologies, including recent developments, trends and perspectives in catalytic polymerization and polymer catalysis, macromolecular architecture and characterization, properties-structure relationships and high-tech applications. For complete information, visit https://kcc.kaust. edu.sa/Pages/2017-KAUST-ResearchConference.aspx.

The 1st Annual KAUST Inter Department Football Championship kicked off on January 27 and January 28 at the Harbor Sports Club track and field. Fun activities for the community at the championship included cross bar challenges, free kick challenges and inflatables for the children, and food and beverages for everyone were also available.

The KAUST Supercomputing Core Laboratory co-organized with NVIDIA a one-day tutorial about accelerating scientific applications using GPUs on February 5. The event was followed by a two-day hackathon during which selected teams of developers were guided by OpenACC and CUDA mentors from NVIDIA and KAUST to port and accelerate their domain science application to GPU accelerators. For more information, visit https://www.hpc.kaust.edu.sa/GPU-2017 or contact training@hpc.kaust.edu.sa.

The Beacon Volume 8, Issue No. 3 PUBLISHED BY MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS King Abdullah University of Science and Technology Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

The Beacon Staff Managing Editor: Nicholas Demille Arabic Editor: Salah Sindi English Editor: Caitlin Clark Designer: Mahjubeh R. Mashhadi Writers: David Murphy, Meres J. Weche Translator: Adel Alrefaie Photographers: Ginger Lisanti, Lilit Hovhannisyan The Beacon is published monthly. Š King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

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THE BEACON | MARCH 2017

KAUST and the United States National Science Foundation (NSF) jointly organized the KAUST-NSF Research Conference on Interactive Electronics 2017 from January 30 to February 1. The goal of the conference was to assemble the global scientific community on a common platform to stimulate discussion on progress and opportunities in electronic materials and devices. The conference gathered some of the world's leading researchers and scholars to exchange ideas and foster a collaborative framework.

The event also featured a Poster Session on February 1.

The organizers of the Angklung Ensemble offered a three-evening workshop on February 5, 12 and 20. Participants attended to gain experience and confidence in playing the instruments. The angklung is a traditional Indonesian musical instrument made of bamboo tubes that are attached to a frame.

For more information, contact Wardana Suputra at wardana.saputra@kaust.edu.sa or Andika Perbawa at andika.perbawa@kaust. edu.sa.

The University's Workshop Core Laboratory organized a series of training sessions for users. These sessions are offered every semester to provide hands-on instruction for lab users. This semester, training sessions include information on how to use basic electronic lab equipment, introduction to LabVIEW and data acquisition, the importance of Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing (GD&T), basic and advanced solid works and building parts with 3-D printers. The first session started on February 7. Visit https:// corelabs.kaust.edu.sa/Events for more information.

The KAUST Global IT Summit for Leading Research Institutions took place from February 8 to 10. The summit brought together CIOs, CTOs and IT thought leaders to evaluate the University's current state of IT; benchmark against peers and global industry standards; and contribute to the future strategic roadmap for KAUST IT. For more information, visit https://itsummit.kaust.edu. sa/2017.

The KAUST student chapter of the Institute of Engineering & Technology (IET) organized the Campus Treasure Hunt 1438 on February 18 at 9:30 a.m. The treasure hunt was open to all KAUST graduate students and community members and was sponsored by the Graduate Affairs' Office of Graduate Events & Recreation. For further information, contact dinesh.mahalingam@kaust.edu.sa or hanan. mahmood@kaust.edu.sa.

The International 2017 KAUST Research Conference on Environmental Epigenetics took place from February 12 to 15 on the KAUST campus. The event marked a strategic partnership between the KAUST Environmental Epigenetics Program (KEEP), the Center for Epigenetics and Metabolism (CEM) at the University of California, Irvine, and the Laboratory of Gene Expression at Salk Institute. For more information, visit https://keep.kaust.edu.sa/KAUSTEpigenetics-2017.

KAUST community members submitted their original works of visual art for display in the University Library as part of the Artists of KAUST 2017 exhibit. The exhibition opened with a reception on March 1 and ran until March 14. Work featured in the exhibit included paintings, photography, textiles, jewelry, sculpture and ceramics. For more information, visit thelens.kaust.edu.sa.

The University hosted the Advanced Membranes & Porous Materials Center (AMPMC) KAUST Research Conference: New Materials Horizon for Energy-Intensive Industrial Separations from February 20 to 23 in the level 0 lecture hall between Al-Jazri and Al-Kindi (bldgs. 4 & 5). For more information, email AMPMC.Admin@ kaust.edu.sa.

The University’s first TEDx event took place on March 4 from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. The event featured nine inspiring KAUST speakers, including faculty, staff, students and community members discussing topics related to the theme of Impact Factor.

The event was sponsored by Innovation and Economic Development.

The Sci-Café: “Can Big Data Solve My Health Problems?” took place on February 27 from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m. in the University Library.

Speakers included Professors Takashi Gojobori, Xin Gao and Robert Hoehndorf from the University's Computational Bioscience Research Center (CBRC).

The High Performance Computing Saudi Arabia conference (HPC Saudi) took place on March 13 to 15 on the KAUST campus.

It was a premier regional event in the field where participants met each other, shared ideas and discussed collaborations. This was the seventh HPC Saudi event, and this year it focused on coordinated efforts for the advancement of the HPC ecosystem in the Kingdom. Visit HPCSaudi.org for more information.

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Accolades Hadjichristidis receives national appointment

KAUST startup Hachid wins business plan competition

KAUST Distinguished Professor of Chemical Science Nikolaos Hadjichristidis has been appointed chair of the National Council for Science and Innovation of Greece.

The National Council for Research and Technology (NCRT) is the supreme advisory body of the state for the formulation and implementation of the national policy for research, technology and innovation. The council is appointed by and reports directly to the minister of education.

KAUST startup Hachid won the best Venture Pitch at the Annual Vision Industry and Entrepreneur Workshop (VIEW 2016) on June 26, 2016, in Las Vegas, Nevada, U.S. The award was part of the 29th IEEE Conference on Computer Vision and Patten Recognition (CVPR), which brought together high-tech startups and industry representatives from computer vision, robotics and graphics.

1. KAUST Distinguished

The council provides advice to the minister on policy, on the selection of directors of the research centers and directors of research institutes to provide advice on all matters relevant to research, technology and innovation.

2. KAUST startup Hachid won

Hadjichristidis is the principal investigator in the University's Polymer Synthesis Laboratory. He was named a distinguished professor of chemical science in November 2016 by KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau.

His research focuses on the synthesis of well-defined polymeric materials with complex macromolecular architecture using anionic polymerization (AP) high vacuum techniques, as well as combinations of different polymerization methodologies.

Professor of Chemical Science Nikolaos Hadjichristidis was appointed chair of the National Council for Science and Innovation of Greece. File photo.

the best Venture Pitch at the Annual Vision Industry and Entrepreneur Workshop (VIEW 2016) on June 26, 2016, in the U.S.

3. Muhammed Sameed, a 2012 KAUST master's degree alumnus currently working at CERN in Switzerland, co-authored a paper recently published in Nature focusing on antimatter.

Photo by Usman Amin Fiaz.

Hachid, founded in 2013, is a spinoff of the KAUST Visual Computing Center (VCC). During the conference, it beat four other finalists with the most effective and innovative business preview. Bernard Ghanem, KAUST assistant professor of electrical engineering and Hachid cofounder, gave the successful pitch in front of judges from academia and industry.

Ghanem and Hachid co-founders Jens Schneider, a research scientist in the VCC; Mohamed Shalaby, a senior research scientist in the VCC; and Usama Elnily, a former research software engineer in the VCC, focus on systems and methods for crowd counting and tracking. Hachid is recently patented, with the team creating a hardware and software solution that enables highly accurate and real�time analytics (for example, speed, count, congestion, etc.) for dense crowds.

Replacing obsolete camera-based analysis, the team utilizes data generated by local processing on sensors wirelessly communicated to a larger network. A large number of people can be counted with a 90 percent accuracy rate. The system was successfully piloted during two seasons of Hajj in Makkah.

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THE BEACON | MARCH 2017

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Former KAUST student featured in Nature Muhammed Sameed, a KAUST material science and engineering master's degree graduate (2012), co-authored a paper recently published in Nature that focuses on antimatter and specifically antimatter spectroscopy. Sameed conducted his research at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) in Geneva, Switzerland, where he currently works as a research scientist. The publication is accessible at http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature21040.

"At CERN, I work on an experiment called ALPHA, where we study the properties of something known as antimatter. Since antimatter is extremely rare in nature, we artificially make atoms of antimatter in the lab and then experiment with them using electric and magnetic fields. The Nature publication is special because it is the first time we have been able to measure how atoms of antimatter interact with light," Sameed explained. "We shined laser light on trapped atoms of antimatter and observed how these atoms absorb light of a very specific color."

Sameed noted that “having a research publication in a prestigious journal like Nature is the dream of every scientist. I was both extremely excited and humbled at having accomplished this accolade at such an early stage of my career. This achievement was not an individual effort but the culmination of countless hours of hard work by the entire ALPHA team. It is also testament to the quality of knowledge and experience we have received during our academic careers."

"KAUST was a delightfully edifying experience for me," he continued. "In addition to being taught by remarkable professors, I was amazed by the amount of learning that went on outside the classroom: my favorite memories include discussing philosophical paradoxes at the diner and solving intricate puzzles at the Student Center. At KAUST, I discovered that there are no limits to gaining knowledge and learning new things; indeed, the best ideas come from the most unexpected of places."

KAUST startups FalconViz and Sadeem made the all-star list of Forbes Middle East 50 Most Promising Saudi Startups at numbers 5 and 13.

See all of their innovative ideas by following their Twitter accounts.

Sadeeem – Sadeem helps people face floods by creating high-performance flood sensing systems for smart city applications. Its founders are 2016 KAUST Ph.D. graduates Mustafa Mousa, Edward Canepa and Ahmad Dehwah.

Follow Sadeem @sadeem_wss.

Mustafa Mousa – Mustafa Mousa is a co-founder of KAUST startup Sadeem.

Follow him @Mustafa_Osama.

Edward Canepa – Follow Sadeem co-founder Edward Canepa @escanepa.

FalconViz – FalconViz provides the next generation of 3-D aerial surveying and mapping solutions.

Follow the high-tech startup @FalconViz.

Luca Passone - KAUST Ph.D. student Luca Passone is a co-founder of FalconViz. Follow him @lucapassone.

/KaustOfficial

kaustofficial

@KAUST_News

/kaust

/kaustedu

/company/kaust

kaustofficial

KAUST Official

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Students make KAUST proud

By Caitlin Clark In 2010, KAUST Professor of Material Science and Engineering Husam Alshareef petitioned the U.S.-based Materials Research Society (MRS) to start a student chapter at KAUST.

The student chapter team was also involved in a critical component of the Fall Meeting, the Student-Organized Events, a three-day series of seminars and workshops covering writing and publishing skills.

“At the time, MRS did not allow student chapters outside of the U.S., so it took some lobbying to get the chapter approved at the end of 2011. Our chapter was finally established in the spring of 2012 as the first student chapter outside of the U.S.,” Alshareef said. Alshareef and Osman Bakr, KAUST associate professor of material science and engineering, stepped up as faculty advisors for the new chapter.

The University, the KAUST Solar Center, KAUST Graduate Affairs and MRS co-sponsored the events, with KAUST chapter members Dr. Guy Olivier Ngongang Ndjawa, Rahim Munir, Maha Alamoudi, Sanaa Alshammari and Dr. Ahmed Mansour and Alshareef organizing the seminars and workshops. Mansour is also the lead organizer of the international MRS Student Events Working Group.

Since 2012, response to the chapter has been “overwhelming, and membership rose very, very quickly,” Alshareef noted. The MRS student chapter organizes a variety of events for its members, including seminars, members’ gatherings, lecture series and discussion panels, conferences and poster sessions, attendance at yearly MRS meetings abroad and visits to corporate partners such as the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).

Writing and publishing: essential to science and academia

“I was happy the chapter was approved, and I’ve been proud to advise our students since its establishment,” said Alshareef. “It’s very important for KAUST to stay engaged with MRS because this is beneficial for our students and our institution.”

2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit In late November and early December of 2016, members of the KAUST MRS student chapter and a team of fellow KAUST students, faculty and staff attended the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S. The team set up a booth at the MRS Career Fair, an important part of the Fall Meeting, to recruit prospective students, faculty members, staff and postdoctoral fellows to the University. KAUST Ph.D. students and faculty members also participated in and gave talks at the event about their research.

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THE BEACON | MARCH 2017

“We were delighted to find that our MRS students decided to organize an academic writing workshop at the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit,” said Dr. Faizi Ghodsi, director of development and support in Graduate Affairs. “Improving our students’ academic writing is one of our endeavors in Graduate Affairs, and it did not take much persuading by the students to earn our support for their efforts. Because the workshops were recorded, we look forward to later offering these same sessions to our KAUST students on campus.”

“Writing and publishing skills are essential to both beginning and advancing your academic career,” noted Lorri Smiley, MRS professional services and awards coordinator and liaison to MRS University Chapters.

“This fact is very well acknowledged in colleges and universities, but we have come to recognize that students and other scholars rarely receive the guidance needed to help propel them toward the career of their dreams.

“The Student-Organized Events were systematically planned, organized and monitored along the way, and each session went extremely well and had great attendance. The KAUST student chapter’s project

1. KAUST attendees at the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in Boston, Massachusetts, included (from left to right) Dr. Jafar Iqbal Khan, Dr. Ahmed Mansour, Professor Husam Alshareef, Ph.D. student Esma Ugur, Ph.D. student Rahim Munir, Dr. Guy Olivier Ngongang Ndjawa, Ph.D. student Ahmed Hesham Balawi and Dr. Taesoo Kim. Photo by Nicholas Demille.

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management skills are second-to-none, and MRS is grateful for their involvement and the support of their faculty advisors. These talented and resourceful students are commended for their time and efforts. It was a pleasure for MRS to work directly with the KAUST team.”

Speakers for the Student-Organized Events were Kenneth Graham from the University of Kentucky, who spoke on “Writing Scientific Papers;” Seth Marder from the Georgia Institute of Technology, who spoke on “How to Write Effective Research Proposals and Grants Applications in Science;” Bruce Gnade from The University of Texas at Dallas, who spoke on “How Major Funding Agencies Screen Proposals;” and Melanie Parker from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Global Education & Career Development, who spoke on “Academic Resumes, Cover Letters and CV Writing.”

A ‘passion for learning and sharing’ Guy Olivier Ngongang Ndjawa, a 2016 KAUST Ph.D. graduate in material science and engineering and a member of the MRS student chapter since 2013, noted that he was “very pleased by the attendance at our writing and publishing workshops and the way they unfolded. Our workshops I attended both as a learner and an organizer left a lasting impression on me—they were of high quality and gave unique perspectives on writing, and our chapter was acknowledged for our leadership in organizing the events.”

Ahmed Mansour, a 2011 KAUST master’s degree and a 2016 Ph.D. graduate in materials science and engineering, described the academic writing skills event as “remarkable,” noting the audience included “fresh Ph.D. students to laboratory PIs.”

huge amount of positive feedback we received from the audience, workshop speakers and MRS personnel. We even received an appreciation letter from MRS President Kristi Anseth and MRS Executive Director Todd Osman.”

“We managed to make our Student-Organized Events successful despite our daily Ph.D. work at KAUST, and this signifies our team’s passion for learning and sharing,” added Rahim Munir, a current Ph.D. student in material science and engineering. Munir became a chapter member in 2012 and served as chapter treasurer from 2013 to 2014.

MRS—a golden opportunity “Our student chapter in many ways reflects the professionalism of MRS as an organization. As a KAUST MRS member, I’ve benefitted from important scientific tutorials the chapter has organized, had several opportunities to hone my leadership skills and I’ve enjoyed working with motivated people who seize any opportunity to make an impact,” said Ngongang Ndjawa.

“Completing your Ph.D. is not only about research, but it should also cater to extracurricular learning,” said Munir.

“From the chapter, I have discovered how each team member can contribute a fresh outlook and new and innovative ideas. My membership has been a golden opportunity for me, enabling me to meet the ‘gurus’ of my field and learn so many things outside of the lab.

“In addition, participation in MRS conferences gives students an opportunity to meet professors and students from other parts of the world—this provides alternative viewpoints and discussions about the technology we create in our labs. The ‘give and take’ of feedback is essential for successful research.”

Mansour, a founding member of the KAUST MRS student chapter who served as chapter treasurer from 2012 to 2013 and vice president from 2013 to 2014, said, “I’m very proud of the great success of our events and the

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Sharing research and ideas “My time with the MRS chapter has given me the opportunity to learn how to engage with diverse groups of people and develop skills in communication, leadership, organization and management. More importantly, I also get the chance to meet people and build good friendships,” noted Maha Alamoudi, the current MRS student chapter president and a Ph.D. student in material science and engineering. Alamoudi joined MRS in 2013, becoming the chapter secretary in 2014 and president in 2016.

“The 2016 Fall Meeting & Exhibit enabled me to get together with people from a wide range of backgrounds whom I would not otherwise meet, giving me the chance to expand my knowledge, find solutions to problems I face in my research and share my ideas,” she continued.

“My experience with the chapter has been an enjoyable and enriching journey, as it has greatly improved my leadership and teamwork and communication skills,” added Mansour. “The University’s involvement with the international scientific community—such as being part of the MRS conferences and the student chapter—has led to great collaborative experiences from which I’ve learned a lot.”

Jafar Iqbal Khan, a postdoctoral fellow in Associate Professor Frederic Laquai’s group and a conference attendee, noted, “The Fall Meeting & Exhibit gave insight into other people’s research, with career connections being made. Representing KAUST was also important, as the University is a unique place with state-of-the-art facilities used for researchers to establish outstanding research profiles.”

Ph.D. student wins poster prize Not only was Alamoudi part of the MRS student chapter at the event, but she also won a best poster award at the conference for her poster entitled “Photophysical Processes in Polymer:Non-fullerene Small Molecule Acceptor Bulk Heterojunctions for Organic Solar Cells.”

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THE BEACON | MARCH 2017

“This was the first time I had a poster presentation at an international conference, so it was very special for me to win the award, as it came quite unexpectedly,” she said.

“The recognition of my work provides me with a lot of motivation for the remainder of my Ph.D. studies and gives me confidence for my ongoing research projects.”

Frederic Laquai, Alamoudi’s Ph.D. supervisor and a fellow participant in the conference, stated, “Maha’s award is a great motivation for her and for our researchers to intensify the efforts towards developing a more precise picture of the physics behind energy conversion in novel photovoltaic materials.”

VSRP at MRS Ahmed Balawi, a current KAUST Ph.D. student in the University’s Solar Center and a conference attendee, acted as an ambassador for the University’s Visiting Student Research Program (VSRP) at the KAUST booth, speaking to interested students about both the VSRP program and the University’s Ph.D. program.

Balawi came to KAUST as a VSRP intern in February of 2015 and stayed for six months under the supervision of Associate Professor Aram Amassian, working on optimizing chemically and photo-stable hole transport layers for organic solar cells. After completing his VSRP internship, he immediately began his Ph.D. studies in Frederic Laquai’s group.

VSRP attracts visiting research interns from all over the world to the University to experience the unique research environment KAUST offers, recruiting highly motivated students in their baccalaureate or post-baccalaureate studies to carry out research with KAUST faculty members in specific research areas for three to six months.

“Towards the end of my master’s degree at the University of Toronto, I attended a presentation about the VSRP program.

Because I completed my bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering at King Fahd University of Petroleum and

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3 Minerals (KFUPM) in 2013, I already knew about KAUST, and I thought VSRP would be a good opportunity to learn how to fabricate solar photovoltaic devices at the University,” Balawi said. His current Ph.D. work focuses on charge generation and charge recombination in organic solar cells using several unique ultrafast spectroscopy techniques.

“VSRP is a great way to introduce young researchers to KAUST and get them to visit and explore the possibility of research here,” he noted. “Many attendees came to the KAUST booth to ask about master’s degree and Ph.D. programs, although some weren’t sure about making a commitment to joining. When I explained about VSRP—and KAUST giving us the opportunity to use high-tech facilities under the supervision of PIs who share their passion for finding answers to scientific questions—this grabbed their interest.”

The talented and resourceful KAUST MRS student chapter students are commended for their time and efforts. It was a pleasure for MRS to work directly with the KAUST team.”

-L orri Smiley, MRS professional services and awards coordinator and liaison to MRS University Chapters

A successful event “The University’s representation at the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit and the Student-Organized Events were essential to the success of our institution,” noted Alshareef.

“I was proud of our student chapter for putting together a successful symposium. Although we had some top-notch speakers at the events, our students were really the ones who stood out to me—they were outgoing and sociable and made KAUST proud.”

2. KAUST students and postdoctoral fellows were

an important part of the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit. From left to right: 2016 Ph.D. graduate Guy Olivier Ngongang Ndjawa, Ph.D. student Rahim Munir, 2016 Ph.D. graduate Ahmed Mansour, Ph.D. student Maha Alamoudi, postdoctoral fellow Jafar Iqbal Khan.

3. Dr. Ahmed Mansour stands next to his research poster at the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit.

4. KAUST Ph.D. student Esma Ugur presents her

research work during the poster session component of the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit. Photos by Caitlin Clark.

Scan here to see more photos of the University's participation in the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit.

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‫‪5. A team of KAUST staff, faculty and‬‬

‫‪students acted as important representatives‬‬ ‫‪for the University at the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting‬‬ ‫‪& Exhibit.‬‬

‫‪6. Murali Banavoth, a KAUST postdoctoral fellow‬‬ ‫‪in the University's Solar Center, stands next to‬‬ ‫‪his research poster at the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting‬‬ ‫‪& Exhibit. Photo by Caitlin Clark.‬‬ ‫‪7. KAUST Ph.D. student Mohamed Amen‬‬

‫‪Hammami presents his research work at the‬‬ ‫‪poster presentation session during the MRS‬‬ ‫‪Fall Meeting & Exhibit. Photo by Caitlin Clark.‬‬

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‫دكتوراه جدد وباحثي مختبرات رئيسيين‪ .‬وقال الدكتور أحمد الذي سبق أن شغل‬ ‫منصب أمين صندوق الفرع بين عامي ‪ 2013-2012‬ونائب رئيس الفرع ‪-2013‬‬ ‫‪" :2014‬أنا فخور ً‬ ‫جدا بالنجاح الكبير لفعالياتنا وعدد الحضور وكمية ردود األفعال‬ ‫اإليجابية التي تلقيناها من الحضور‪ ،‬والمتكلمين في ورشة العمل والعاملين في‬ ‫جمعية أبحاث المواد (‪ .)MRS‬كما أننا تلقينا خطاب تقدير من رئيس جمعية أبحاث‬ ‫المواد‪ ،‬كريستي أنسيث والمدير التنفيذي لها تود أوسمان"‪.‬‬ ‫وقال طالب الدكتوراه في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬رحيم منير والذي انضم إلى‬ ‫عضوية الفرع في عام ‪" :2012‬تمكنا من تنظيم هذه الورشة بنجاح على الرغم من‬ ‫انشغالنا اليومي في الدراسة في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬وهذا يدل على مدى‬ ‫الشغف الذي يتحلى به فريقنا لطلب العلم ومشاركة المعرفة‪ .‬لقد تعلمت من‬ ‫خالل هذا الفرع أن كل عضو في الفريق يمكنه المساهمة بأفكار جديدة ومبتكرة‪،‬‬ ‫واستفدت ً‬ ‫جدا من عضويتي في فرع طلبة جمعية أبحاث المواد في جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل ألنها قدمت لي فرصة ذهبية للقاء المتخصصين في مجال دراستي‬ ‫وتعلم أشياء كثيرة خارج المختبر‪".‬‬

‫مشاركة أفكار األبحاث‬ ‫تقول مها العمودي‪ ،‬طالبة الدكتوراه في هندسة وعلوم المواد والرئيسة الحالية‬ ‫لفرع طلبة جمعية أبحاث المواد في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪" :‬تعلمت من فرع‬ ‫الطلبة كيفية التعامل مع مجموعة متنوعة من الناس‪ ،‬وتطوير مهاراتي في‬ ‫االتصال والقيادة والتنظيم واإلدارة‪ .‬أتاح لي ملتقى ومعرض جمعية أبحاث المواد‬ ‫(‪ MRS) 2016‬الفرصة كي أجتمع بمجموعة واسعة من العلماء والباحثين من‬ ‫مجاالت مختلفة يصعب تواجدهم في مكان واحد‪ ،‬حيث قمت بالنقاشات العلمية‬ ‫وتبادل األفكار األمر الذي ساهم في إثراء معرفتي وساعدني في إيجاد حلول‬ ‫لبعض المشاكل في أبحاثي"‪.‬‬ ‫كما تحدث زميل ما بعد الدكتوراه‪ ،‬جعفر إقبال خان من مجموعة األستاذ المشارك‬ ‫فريدريك الكويا‪ ،‬تحدث عن المعرض لهذا العام وقال‪" :‬أعطى الملتقى والمعرض‬ ‫فكرة لجميع الحضور عن األبحاث المعروضة‪ ،‬وكان مناسبة مهمة للتواصل‬ ‫الوظيفي‪ .‬وقد تشرفت بتمثيلي لجامعة الملك عبداهلل كونها مؤسسة علمية‬ ‫فريدة من نوعها بما تحتويه من عقول ومرافق بحثية متطورة"‪.‬‬

‫فوز طالبة الدكتوراه بجامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫بجائزة ملصق األبحاث‬ ‫حصلت طالبة الدكتوراه مها العمودي من جامعة الملك عبداهلل على جائزة أفضل‬ ‫ملصق أبحاث في ملتقى ومعرض جمعية أبحاث المواد (‪ MRS) 2016‬وقالت‬ ‫بهذه المناسبة‪" :‬لهذه الجائزة قيمة خاصة بالنسبة لي كونها المرة األولى التي‬ ‫أشارك فيها بملصق أبحاث في مؤتمر دولي‪ ،‬كما أنها جاءت بشكل غير متوقع‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫كبيرا ألبذل المزيد في الفترة المتبقية من دراستي‬ ‫دافعا‬ ‫تماما وقد أعطتني‬

‫وأشار البروفيسور فريدريك الكويا‪ ،‬المشرف على رسالة الدكتوراه للطالبة مها‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫كبيرا للطالبة مها‬ ‫دافعا‬ ‫العمودي والمشارك في المؤتمر‪" :‬تشكل هذه الجائزة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫شخصيا ولباحثينا بصور عامة كي يكثفوا جهودهم في أبحاث تحويل الطاقة في‬ ‫مواد الخاليا الضوئية الجديدة"‪.‬‬

‫برنامج أبحاث الطلبة الزائرين (‪)VSRP‬‬ ‫يجذب برنامج أبحاث الطلبة الزائرين (‪ )VSRP‬المتدربين من جميع أنحاء العالم إلى‬ ‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل لتجربة بيئتها البحثية الفريدة‪ .‬ويستقطب البرنامج الطلبة‬ ‫المتفوقين في دراستهم لشهادة البكالوريا أو ما بعد البكالوريا إلجراء األبحاث مع‬ ‫أعضاء هيئة التدريس في جامعة الملك عبداهلل في مجاالت بحثية محددة لفترة‬ ‫تتراوح من ‪ 3‬إلى ‪ 6‬أشهر‪.‬‬ ‫عمل طالب الدكتوراه في مركز أبحاث هندسة الطاقة الشمسية والخاليا الضوئية‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫سفيرا لبرنامج أبحاث الطلبة الزائرين في جناح جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫أحمد بلوي‪،‬‬ ‫في المعرض حيث تحدث مع الطلبة المهتمين وزوار الجناح عن البرنامج والدرجات‬ ‫األكاديمية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل كونه انضم إليها من خالل نفس البرنامج‬ ‫في فبراير من عام ‪ 2015‬وتدرب لفترة ‪ 6‬أشهر تحت اشراف األستاذ المشارك أرام‬ ‫أمسيان ثم أكمل دراسته العليا لدرجة الدكتوراه في مجموعة األستاذ المشارك‬ ‫فريدريك الكويا‪ .‬ويصف أحمد البرنامج بقوله‪" :‬برنامج أبحاث الطلبة الزائرين هو‬ ‫وسيلة رائعة لتعريف الباحثين الشباب بجامعة الملك عبداهلل وإعطائهم الفرصة‬ ‫لزيارة واستكشاف قدراتها البحثية‪ .‬تلقيت أسئلة كثيرة من زوار جناح جامعة الملك‬ ‫عبد اهلل في المعرض عن الجامعة ودرجة الماجستير والدكتوراه‪ ،‬وعلى الرغم‬ ‫من أن بعض الزوار كانوا مترددين في االنضمام للجامعة‪ .‬إال أنهم تحمسوا كثيراً‬ ‫عندما شرحت لهم عن برنامج أبحاث الطلبة الزائرين وكيف أن الجامعة تمكن‬ ‫الطلبة الزائرين من استخدام مرافقها ذات التقنية العالية تحت إشراف هيئة تدريس‬ ‫مرموقة يقاسمونهم نفس الشغف في األبحاث العلمية‪".‬‬

‫فعاليات ناجحة‬ ‫أشاد البروفيسور حسام الشريف بالفريق الذي مثل الجامعة في ملتقى ومعرض‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصوصا جودة تنظيم الفعاليات الطالبية‬ ‫جمعية أبحاث المواد (‪،MRS) 2016‬‬ ‫والتي تكللت بالنجاح والقت استحسان الجميع من مشاركين وزوار ومنظمين‪،‬‬ ‫وقال البروفيسور حسام‪" :‬أنا فخور ً‬ ‫جدا بطلبة الفرع على جهودهم الكبيرة من‬ ‫أجل تقديم ندوات وورش عمل ناجحة ومتميزة‪ .‬وعلى الرغم من تواجد متحدثين‬ ‫بارزين في هذا المؤتمر إال أن طلبتنا خطفوا جميع األضواء بنشاطهم ومهاراتهم‬ ‫التنظيمية والقيادية وقدرتهم على التواصل مع الحضور بسهولة ورفعوا اسم‬ ‫ً‬ ‫عاليا في هذه المحفل العلمي الكبير"‪.‬‬ ‫الجامعة‬

‫لدرجة الدكتوراه وزادت من ثقتي في مشاريعي البحثية الجارية "‪.‬‬

‫‪THE BEACON | MARCH 2017‬‬

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‫طلبة جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫ً‬ ‫عاليا‬ ‫يرفعون اسم الجامعة‬ ‫في عام ‪ ،2010‬تقدم البروفيسور حسام الشريف‪ ،‬أستاذ علوم وهندسة المواد‬ ‫بجامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية بطلب لجمعية أبحاث المواد (‪ )MRS‬في‬ ‫الواليات المتحدة األمريكية إلنشاء فرع للطلبة في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ .‬يقول‬ ‫البروفيسور حسام‪" ":‬في ذلك الوقت‪ ،‬لم تكن جمعية أبحاث المواد تسمح بإنشاء‬ ‫فروع للطلبة خارج الواليات المتحدة‪ ،‬لذلك تطلب األمر مجهود كبير للحصول على‬ ‫موافقة الجمعية والذي تم في نهاية عام ‪ 2011‬وتم تأسيس الفرع في ربيع عام‬ ‫‪ 2012‬كأول فرع للطلبة خارج الواليات المتحدة"‪ .‬وتم تعيين البروفيسور حسام‬ ‫الشريف والبروفيسور عثمان بكر‪ ،‬وهو أستاذ مشارك بقسم هندسة وعلوم المواد‪،‬‬ ‫كأعضاء هيئة تدريس مشرفين للفرع الجديد‪.‬‬ ‫ويشير البروفيسور حسام إلى أن الفرع يحظى بإقبال كبير منذ عام ‪ ،2012‬كما أن‬ ‫عدد الطلبة المنتسبين له في ازدياد‪ .‬وينظم فرع جمعية أبحاث المواد في جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل مجموعة من الفعاليات ألعضائه تشمل الندوات واللقاءات‪ ،‬وسلسلة‬ ‫من المحاضرات وحلقات النقاش والمؤتمرات والدورات ومعرض لملصقات‬ ‫األبحاث‪ ،‬باإلضافة الى حضور اجتماعات الجمعية السنوية في الخارج وتحضير‬ ‫الزيارات لشركاء الجامعة مثل الشركة السعودية للصناعات األساسية (سابك)‪.‬‬ ‫ويقول البروفيسور حسام الشريف‪" :‬سعدت ً‬ ‫جدا بعد حصولنا على موافقة الجمعية‬ ‫على إنشاء فرع لها لطلبة الجامعة‪ ،‬وتشرفت ً‬ ‫جدا باإلشراف على الفرع وتقديم‬ ‫المشورة لطلبتنا منذ تأسيسه‪ ،‬وأنا أرى أن التواصل مع جمعية أبحاث المواد مفيد‬ ‫ً‬ ‫جدا لجامعة الملك عبداهلل ولطلبتنا‪".‬‬

‫ملتقى ومعرض جمعية أبحاث المواد (‪)MRS‬‬ ‫في خريف عام ‪2016‬‬ ‫حضر فريق من جامعة الملك عبداهلل ملتقى ومعرض جمعية أبحاث المواد الذي‬ ‫عقد في أواخر نوفمبر وأوائل ديسمبر ‪ 2016‬في مدينة بوسطن في الواليات‬ ‫المتحدة األمريكية‪ .‬وضم فريق الجامعة أعضاء من فرع طلبة جمعية أبحاث المواد‬ ‫في الجامعة وأعضاء من هيئة التدريس والموظفين والطلبة من التخصصات‬ ‫المختلفة‪ .‬وتم إعداد جناح جامعة الملك عبداهلل في معرض الوظائف الذي أقيم‬ ‫هناك والذي يعتبر من أهم فعاليات ملتقى الخريف للجمعية بهدف استقطاب‬ ‫الطلبة وأعضاء هيئة التدريس والموظفين وزمالء ما بعد الدكتوراه المحتملين‬ ‫للجامعة‪ .‬كما شارك طلبة الدكتوراه وأعضاء هيئة التدريس من جامعة الملك‬ ‫عبداهلل في الملتقى وتحدثوا عن مشاريعهم وأبحاثهم‪.‬‬ ‫وشارك أعضاء فرع طلبة جمعية أبحاث المواد في جامعة الملك عبداهلل في‬ ‫فعالية طالبية مهمة في ملتقى هذا العام‪ ،‬وهي عبارة عن سلسلة من الندوات‬ ‫وورش العمل لمدة ثالثة أيام تركز على مهارات الكتابة والنشر وقام بتنظيمها‬ ‫الطلبة أنفسهم برعاية مشتركة من الجامعة‪ ،‬ومركز أبحاث هندسة الطاقة‬ ‫الشمسية والخاليا الضوئية‪ ،‬وشؤون الدراسات العليا في الجامعة وجمعية أبحاث‬ ‫المواد (‪ .)MRS‬وضمت قائمة أعضاء فرع الطلبة لجمعية أبحاث المواد في‬ ‫الجامعة ًّ‬ ‫كال من الدكتور غاي أوليفير‪ ،‬رحيم منير‪ ،‬مها العمودي‪ ،‬سناء الشمري‪،‬‬

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‫‪www.kaust.edu.sa‬‬

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‫والدكتور أحمد منصور‪ ،‬والبروفيسور حسام الشريف حيث تشارك الجميع في تنظيم‬ ‫الندوات وورش العمل‪ .‬كما قام الدكتور أحمد منصور بقيادة مجموعة تنظيم‬ ‫الفعاليات الطالبية الدولية لجمعية أبحاث المواد (‪.)MRS‬‬

‫أهمية الكتابة والنشر للعلوم والدراسات األكاديمية‬ ‫قال الدكتور فايزي قدسي‪ ،‬مدير التطوير والدعم في شؤون الدراسات العليا‬ ‫في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪" :‬سعدنا ً‬ ‫جدا بقرار طلبتنا تنظيم ورشة عمل عن الكتابة‬ ‫األكاديمية في معرض جمعية أبحاث المواد (‪ )MRS‬لخريف عام ‪ .2016‬فتحسين‬ ‫الكتابة األكاديمية لطلبتنا أمر بالغ األهمية ونحن نتطلع إلى تقديم تسجيالت لهذه‬ ‫الدورات في وقت الحق لطلبة جامعة الملك عبداهلل في الحرم الجامعي"‪.‬‬ ‫كما أشادت لوري سمايلي‪ ،‬مسؤولة الخدمات المهنية في فروع الجامعات‬ ‫لجمعية أبحاث المواد (‪ ،)MRS‬بجهود فرع طلبة جامعة الملك عبداهلل والتنظيم‬ ‫المتميز لورش العمل حيث قالت‪" :‬قام طلبة الفرع بتنظيم الدورات واإلشراف عليها‬ ‫بصورة رائعة ومنسقة للغاية وانعكس ذلك على كمية الحضور الكبير لكل دورة‪.‬‬ ‫لقد أدهشتني مهارة طلبة فرع جامعة الملك عبداهلل المتميزة في إدارة المشاريع‪،‬‬ ‫ونحن في جمعية أبحاث المواد ممتنون لمشاركتهم و لدعم مرشديهم من أعضاء‬ ‫ً‬ ‫جنبا إلى جنب مع فريق‬ ‫هيئة التدريس‪ .‬لقد كان من دواعي سرورنا أن نعمل‬ ‫موهوب كفريق جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية‪".‬‬ ‫وضمت قائمة الطلبة المتحدثين في الفعاليات الطالبية الدولية كل من‪ :‬كينيث‬ ‫جراهام من جامعة كنتاكي‪ ،‬حيث تحدث عن "كتابة األوراق البحثية"‪ ،‬وسيث ماردر‬ ‫من معهد جورجيا للتقنية الذي تحدث عن "كيفية كتابة المقترحات البحثية الفعالة‬ ‫وطلبات المنح العلمية"‪ ،‬وبروس جنادا من جامعة تكساس في داالس‪ ،‬الذي‬ ‫تحدث عن "كيف تختار المنظمات الكبيرة المانحة للتمويل المقترحات"‪ ،‬وميالني‬ ‫باركر من قسم التعليم العالمي والتطوير الوظيفي في معهد ماساتشوستس‬ ‫للتقنية‪ ،‬والتي تحدثت عن "كتابة الخطابات والسير الذاتية األكاديمية"‪.‬‬

‫شغف التعلم والمشاركة‬ ‫وعبر الدكتور غاي أوليفير الذي تخرج من جامعة الملك عبداهلل في عام ‪2016‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أيضا أحد األعضاء المنتسبين لفرع طلبة‬ ‫من قسم هندسة وعلوم المواد وهو‬ ‫جمعية أبحاث المواد (‪ )MRS‬منذ عام ‪ ،2013‬عبر عن عميق سعادته بحجم الحضور‬ ‫في ورشة عمل الكتابة والنشر التي نظمها مع فريق جامعة الملك عبداهلل وقال‪:‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫نظرا‬ ‫جميال لدي‬ ‫انطباعا‬ ‫"شاركت في ورش العمل كطالب علم ومنظم وترك ذلك‬ ‫لجودة المحتوى والتنظيم والمعلومات القيمة التي تم طرحها‪ ،‬ورأيت الجميع‬ ‫يشيد في قيادتنا في تنظيم مثل هذه الفعاليات "‪.‬‬ ‫كما وصف الدكتور أحمد منصور‪ ،‬الحاصل على درجة الدكتوراه من جامعة الملك‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أيضا عضو مؤسس لفرع طلبة‬ ‫عبد اهلل في هندسة وعلوم المواد عام ‪ ،2016‬وهو‬ ‫جمعية أبحاث المواد في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬وصف ورش عمل مهارات الكتابة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫مشيرا إلى الحضور الكبير لهذه الورش الذي اشتمل على طلبة‬ ‫األكاديمية بالرائعة‬

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Faculty new faces on campus

By David Murphy Antonio Adamo

Dominik Michels

Antonio Adamo joined KAUST in February 2016 as an assistant professor of bioscience in the Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division. Adamo’s research interests focus on the study of the transcriptional and epigenetic mechanisms dysregulated in metabolic disorders such as insulin resistance (IR) and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). His team relies on the use of an innovative reprogramming technique to derive induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from fibroblasts obtained from large cohorts of patients and healthy donors. iPSCs can be differentiated to virtually all cell types of the human body and therefore constitute an unprecedented cellular platform to model disease progression.

Dominik Michels is an assistant professor of computer science in the University’s Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Division. Prior to joining KAUST, Michels lived, worked and studied in Germany, Russia and the U.S., including spending time at universities and research institutions such as Caltech, Harvard, the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research, NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Stanford and the University of Bonn.

He received his master’s degree in medical biotechnologies and molecular medicine and his Ph.D. in biotechnologies and molecular medicine from the University of Milan. After defending his Ph.D., he was offered a postdoctoral fellow position at the Barcelona Centre for Regenerative Medicine (CMRB) (Universitat de Barcelona). After this, he joined the European Institute of Oncology (IEO) in Milan as a FEBS senior postdoctoral fellow.

Adamo chose to come to KAUST because he was thoroughly impressed with the University and its campus, which he saw while attending a conference at KAUST in 2014. After an initial meeting with KAUST Professor Valerio Orlando, Adamo was convinced he should join the University.

“After my first visit and after looking at the KAUST website, I was amazed, so I contacted Valerio to ask to whether there were any job possibilities at KAUST, and there were, so I applied, and here I am two years later,” Adamo said.

Through his work, Adamo believes he can add to the already impressive research conducted at KAUST and that the opportunities for “blue skies research” at the University are unlimited.

“I believe I have good ideas, and I am grateful that KAUST believed in me and gave me the opportunity to test my capabilities as a PI and as a scientist. I am confident this pairing will bring good results,” he said.

His research at KAUST includes examining the fundamental and applied aspects of computational mathematics and physics and addressing open research questions in algorithmics, computer algebra, symbolic-numeric methods and mathematical modeling to solve practically relevant problems in scientific and visual computing.

“My research is centered on developing new algorithms capable of highly accurate and efficient computer simulations that are beneficial in different areas of science and engineering. I work at the intersection of computer science, mathematics and physics, and I am fascinated by the ability to create fundamental algorithms and methods that can solve complicated real world problems,” he said. “Outside of my academic research, I am very active in technology transfer and am doing a lot of work with different industry partners.”

Michels completed his bachelor’s degree in computer science and physics, his master’s degree in computer science and his Ph.D. in mathematics and natural sciences at the University of Bonn. He did his postdoctoral studies in computing and mathematical sciences at Caltech. In 2014, he became the youngest faculty member in Stanford’s computer science program, and later he became the youngest faculty member in the computer, electrical and mathematical science and engineering programs at KAUST. On why he chose to come to KAUST, Michels responded, “I joined KAUST because it is one of just a select few universities that has the potential to create tremendous global impact in science and society. KAUST initiates educational, economic and social change in the region, and from a purely scientific perspective, KAUST addresses current global challenges, including energy and environmental issues.”

Michels also enjoys the international “work-live-play” environment that KAUST offers.

“I really like the international community here on campus because it implements a culture of diversity beyond pure numbers and statistics,” he said.

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1. Antonio Adamo, assistant professor of bioscience 2. Dominik Michels, assistant professor of computer science 3. Sahika Inal, assistant professor of bioscience 4. Marco Canini, assistant professor of computer science

Sahika Inal

Marco Canini

Sahika Inal is an assistant professor in the KAUST Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering (BESE) Division. Inal's research focuses on the area of bioelectronics, and her research interests cover organic electronic materials and devices that can address research and clinical health monitoring and therapy needs. Inal started her career in textile engineering at the Istanbul Technical University. Because of her interest in polymer engineering research, she moved to Germany, where she completed her master’s degree in polymer science in 2009 and her Ph.D. in experimental physics in 2013.

Marco Canini is an assistant professor in the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering (CEMSE) Division. His research interests are in the principled construction and operation of large-scale networked computer systems, and specifically in distributed systems, large-scale computing and computer networking with an emphasis on cloud computing and programmable networks. His current work focuses on improving networked systems design, implementation and operation along several vital properties such as reliability, performance, security and energy efficiency.

After completing her doctoral studies at the University of Potsdam, where she focused on polymer-based pathogen sensors, she then moved to École nationale supérieure des mines de Saint-Étienne (France) to learn about how to design micron-scale polymer-based electronic devices that can interface with living tissue.

A particular thrust of his research centers around the development of Software-Defined Advanced Networked and Distributed Systems (SANDS). Canini noted, “I design, build, measure and analyze large-scale networked systems that span multiple autonomous and potentially untrusted entities. I am excited for the ultimate goal of my work, which is to distill fundamental principles towards enriching our knowledge on how to build scalable, dependable and future-proof systems worthy of society's trust.”

During her three years of training as a postdoctoral fellow in bioelectronics in France, she started to search for the next step in her career, leading her to KAUST. “As a polymer scientist, I was was aware of the worldclass scientists at KAUST. Moreover, I was convinced that the facilities and collaborators here and the research environment available in BESE would provide the necessary ingredients for a young scientist to grow, and KAUST was a natural next step,” she said.

Inal, who has been at KAUST since October 2016, is particularly interested in ionic-electronic conduction in organic electronic materials and explores the potential of these materials for recording small biological signals and modulating biological events. At KAUST, she works in close collaboration with chemists and biologists.

“Being at BESE with biologists is truly advantageous for an engineer like myself. As bioelectronics is interdisciplinary, we should work with the medical community to develop devices that can actually have an impact in people's lives. This interdisciplinary field excites me a lot as I get to learn new aspects of biology through these collaborations,” she said.

Inal noted her field of research is full of potential developments and has an exciting future. In particular, as microfabrication technology continues to advance, the body-machine interface will become more seamless, which will result in more efficient devices that can act as part of the body itself.

“Despite five decades of systems research, we are still far from mastering a science for building systems,” he continued. “Moreover, today we are experiencing radical technological trends and paradigm shifts that require us to revisit many of the decisions and designs laid out before. There are ever-growing volumes of data that need to be analyzed and new services that connect ever more people and devices. At the same time, Moore's law, which has sustained decades of scaling, is coming to a halt, and we do not have a good solution to scaling beyond it without practical limit. This context makes for very exciting times.”

Canini came to KAUST in July of 2016 and completed his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. degrees at the University of Genoa, Italy, after spending the last year of his Ph.D. as a visiting student at the University of Cambridge. He has worked as a postdoctoral researcher at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) in Switzerland; a senior research scientist at TU Berlin; and an assistant professor at Université catholique de Louvain in Belgium. Canini has also worked in the technology industry for Google, Intel and Deutsche Telekom.

He noted that the University’s reputation as a world-class institution for academic excellence coupled with its bold and ambitious goals was the main factor in choosing to join KAUST. “I believe KAUST will have a longstanding impact on society through scientific and technological breakthroughs and through the education of the bright minds of the future,” he said.

www.kaust.edu.sa

13

Choosing to fly

By Denis J. Boutry Steph Davis, climber, author and wingsuit pilot, spoke to the KAUST community on January 15 as part of the 2017 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP). Davis, a self-proclaimed expert in what she terms “high commitment activities,” shared her experiences with pushing physical and emotional limits.

Before becoming a celebrity in her field, she gained a lot of experience by building up confidence through increasingly challenging rock climbing ascents. After reaching the top of the rock climbing world with record-breaking free-solo climbs in some of the most challenges mountains, she took up base jumping and eventually wingsuit flying.

“I spent most of my childhood on a piano bench and not participating in sports,” she said.

She went out rock climbing with some friends as a college freshman and things progressed from there in an inauspicious start to years of nomadic existence common among top climbers.

“I moved into my grandma’s hand-me-down Oldsmobile, waitressing in Moab, Utah, to save money for expeditions and climbing trips,” she said.

Steph Davis, a climber, author and wingsuit pilot, spoke to the KAUST community on January 15 as part of the 2017 Winter Enrichment Program.

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Dealing with fear Davis started skydiving and base jumping 10 years ago, which was how she met her husband Mario, who died in a wingsuit jump three years ago.

“Learning how to go forward without Mario was the hardest thing I’ve done so far, but life continues to surprise me with beautiful gifts and with the joy that I find all around me,” she said.

Davis is a calm and methodical person, which is probably the reason she is still doing what she does. She has learned how to deal with fear, which “controls us more than anything else,” she noted. “Intensity is what you came for—do not irrationally try to run away from it.”

A long progression For the solo climber and the wingsuit jumper, every decision made has to be the best one “because we are dealing with our lives,” Davis explained. Hard work and experience are essential.

it’s a long road—it requires experience, a lot of skills and confidence to decide to jump off a cliff," she said. "What is interesting is that you get better at it over time and become a better risk manager. That requires a lot of honesty with yourself, as you must really assess yourself and the environment around you and your place in that situation."

Create value in climbing She now makes her living from her activities, noting that the outdoor industry has changed a lot and now offers more opportunities for sponsorship “even if you're not participating in golf or football," Davis said. "I want to create value in climbing, sharing it with people in a way that is inspiring or helpful or that enables community building, and then it has value. I work very hard to keep my path forward relevant."

Davis captured the audience's attention with breathtaking photos and videos of her adventures and spoke honestly and humorously about her feelings and emotions about them, concluding, “All of us can choose to fly."

“It’s a long progression: After you have done 200 hundred skydives, you can start flying in a wingsuit. Generally speaking,

www.kaust.edu.sa

15

Engineering success in the pursuit of glory

By David Murphy Dr. Martin Fischer, head of the design team for Groupama Team France—French challenger for the 35th America's Cup— spoke to the KAUST community as part of the University's Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) on January 17. Fischer described his work as head of the design team for Groupama Team France and the levels of science, physics, engineering, manpower and skill that go into creating a vessel capable of competing—and hopefully winning—the America's Cup trophy.

The 'Auld Mug' The America's Cup, known affectionately as the “Auld Mug,” is the high point of competitive sailing and was first awarded by the Royal Yacht Squadron of Great Britain for a race around the Isle of Wight on August 20, 1851. It became known as the America’s Cup because the first race was won by the schooner America from New York City. The winning schooner America was donated to the New York Yacht Club under the terms of the "Deed of Gift," which made the Cup available for perpetual international competition.

"The America's Cup contract or 'Deed of Gift' is one page document, and not many documents survive—especially a contract—for 150 years,” said Fischer. Any yacht club that meets the requirements specified in the Deed of Gift has the right to challenge the yacht club that holds the cup. If the challenging club wins the match, it gains stewardship of the cup.

The event sees two sailing yachts pitted against each other in a set of match races. One yacht known as the defender represents the yacht club currently holding the trophy and the second yacht, the challenger, represents the yacht club challenging for the Cup. The timing of each match is determined by an agreement between the defender and the challenger. The 35th America's Cup will be held in May and June of 2017 in Bermuda.

“The boats are demanding to sail both physically and mentally," Fischer said. "More than 1,000 watts are needed to permanently ensure that the boats' electronics are fully functioning. The boats' power generation comes from humans through physical exertion, and in order to go sailing for one day, you need about 30 people to make this happen.”

1. Dr. Martin Fischer, head of the design team

for Groupama Team France—the French challenger—for the 35th America's Cup, spoke about the technical design of the America's Cup sailing yachts in his WEP keynote lecture on January 17.

Image of an America's Cup yacht courtesy of Shutterstock.

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Technological and human endeavor Fischer holds a Ph.D. in geophysics and worked for about 10 years in climate research in both Germany and in Italy. In parallel to his climate research work, Fischer also worked on racing sailboat designs, and he has been working on the design of hulls and appendages for numerous projects for 14 years, including beach catamarans (F18, A-Cat, C-Cat) and ocean racing multihulls (Groupama-2/3, Sodebo, Banque Populaire), and was also involved in a Volvo Ocean Race campaign (Groupama-4).

Developing an America's Cup boat is a multidisciplinary effort.

Excellence is required in such different fields as aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, structural analysis, advanced composite engineering and building, design of mechanical control systems, hydraulics and electronics and flight control.

“Ten people are needed to launch the boat and six crew members, with other members monitoring the boat, weather and currents. It's challenging to put together such a big team in such a small time period. The boats nowadays look more like airplanes than boats and the day-to-day maintenance on these boats is essential, hence the size of the crew,” Fischer said.

Winning and losing a competition “The boats are very complex to design and must be designed in a short period, so our crew is a multidisciplinary team of engineers," Fischer noted. "There is one naval architect on the team and the rest of team come from different areas. Three members of the crew have degrees in engineering. We have three people alone working full time on the aerodynamic aspects of the boat. It's a crucial area that can determine the winning and losing of a competition."

Since automatic control systems (autopilots) are forbidden in the America's Cup rules, there is strong two-way feedback between sailing practicalities and the technological choices being made.

“Fluid dynamics, flight dynamics and structural and mechanical engineering are crucial fields in the boat design. As engineers, we always want to build something that is faster, but the sailing team doesn't want something that they can't handle,” he said.

Fischer described how, in conjunction with the above challenges, the management of a very tight build schedule for hulls, beams, foils, rudders and the wing is essential.

“If you want to design a flying boat, there are two major problems, pitch stability and heave stability. Nowadays everything is specified in what you can build, and there are very few deviations allowed in the boat building process. A good aerodynamic package is crucial—50 percent of drag with the boats is aerodynamic drag. Older boats had a lot more drag than modern boats because of their V hydrofoil configuration. Our team must minimize drag under structural constraints and under cavitation constraints,” he said.

“We cannot build a foil that suits a team today, but we can build a foil we are confident that the sailing team can handle in three to four months when the race is happening. One foil costs €160,000, and for a test boat you can only build six, so you don't want to damage or destroy any," Fischer said. "It is a very complex build process, and this type of testing would be impossible to do manually without computers. It takes about three months build time to build one set of foils.”

‘You must respect the limits’ “You must respect the limits, and a very close collaboration must exist between the sailors, engineers and boat builders," Fischer noted. "This collaboration has to be strong—it is crucial.

The boats are already extremely physically and very mentally demanding to sail, and as engineers, we don't want to create something that could possibly be deadly. Early on you must decide on the trade-off of stability versus performance goals and you must go close to the edge, but not to go over the edge."

Fischer’s lecture showed the sheer scale of human and technological endeavor needed to develop and prepare a boat and crew for the America’s Cup. Fischer and his fellow Groupama Team France members are the perfect example of what is possible when you push the limits of and challenge the fields of engineering and science.

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www.kaust.edu.sa

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The world of the future

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By Caitlin Clark Have you ever been stuck on a homework question— in electrical engineering, for example—late at night and wondered what to do? You couldn’t call your professor and your friends weren’t in your class. You’re in a bind— what to do?

Estelle Metayer, an entrepreneur and trend-spotter and a keynote speaker at the University’s 2017 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP), told a KAUST audience the answer to this quandary lies in the near future at her lecture on January 18.

“Soon, ‘hyperconnectivity’ will be found in our world,” she said. “We will all be interconnected with each other and to everyone else in the world. For example, if you need a professor of electrical engineering to help you out on your homework at night, you’ll just need to access an app on your phone. Through the app similar to Uber, you’ll find professors available who can give you a half-hour lesson and grade you, and at the end, you rate the chosen professor. All of these interactions will be based on trust.”

“The world is changing very fast now,” she continued. “If you look at what you will experience in your lifetime—if not in the next five years—there will be significant changes in the world and for science and technology.”

'The answer for everything' Metayer worked as a consultant at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company, where she gained consulting experience in aerospace, consumer good and financial services. She then founded and was president of a leading training organization for executives and analysts in strategic intelligence. After selling her company in 2004, she became a public speaker and workshop organizer for managers, CEOs and executives, and she is also an adjunct professor at McGill University in Canada.

“I believe science can provide the answer for everything where everything is open and transparent and where the answers come from putting the pieces of the puzzle together,” she said. “Science and technology have a huge impact on our lives, and they are all about vision and tracking for new horizons.”

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Metayer noted that the world of the future will feature many advances, such as the advancement of artificial intelligence, with computers and robots becoming more and more intelligent; autonomous cars on the streets; and drones “coming to life” to deliver everything from packages to pizza, and even finding a place as artificial bees to help pollinate fruit trees.

Robots will one day become commonplace in our everyday lives, she said, describing how some hospitals have already begun using robots to take the place of nurses. Studies revealed that patients preferred the robots to humans, as they never suffered from bad moods and were always friendly.

“With all of this, however, comes the realization that we must decide what to do with the data gathered,” Metayer said. “We must think intelligently about this, as data will be pervasive. We have to make a choice: Do we use the data for good or evil?

Will this be the end of privacy? Regulators are agitating for privacy, but in most markets already, companies are giving up private information for increased services and convenience.”

‘Tons of opportunities’ Although technology provides “tons of opportunities and tons of ways to do things differently,” Metayer said, “we also have to think about whether technology is a good thing or not.”

As an example, she cited autonomous cars. Although many feel these will revolutionize travel, Metayer noted that with the development of these vehicles, more and more people will be on the roads, leading to increased congestion. Cities and roadways will have to be redesigned to accommodate the cars and areas for drop-off and pick-up.

In addition and more chillingly, programmers for autonomous car operation will have to determine what happens when the vehicle is in an accident situation—does the car hit a barrier, for example, killing the people in the car, or does it continue onwards, killing pedestrians crossing the street?

“We must determine whether these advances are something people need or something people want,” she said. “We have to think about whether they are good for society and sustainable or just providing for a particular need.”

2 Shifting assumptions Science and technology have always had a huge impact on the development of industries, Metayer noted, but many industries take a long time to shift and shift slowly.

For example, department stores 60 or 70 years ago had sales assistants choosing products off the shelf for customers, she said, but this changed with the idea of self-service stores like our present-day supermarkets. Companies are increasingly moving towards getting rid of physical stores, further changing the way retail is carried out.

“Science and technology are behind all of this,” she said, “but industries only shift when key assumptions are challenged.

Companies that succeed today always shift assumptions.”

A key currency In our future world, Metayer said, “time is going to be very important. The next generation will have little time to do things, spending their lives at work, in school, on social media and socializing. Designs in the future will need to incorporate simplicity as time becomes the key currency.”

Metayer advised the KAUST students in the audience to be aware that their time is precious, noting they must also spend time away from technology to “stargaze,” or contemplate things quietly and think about ideas outside of their fields.

“Put down your cell phone sometimes and go away from the computer. Meet in the center of your university and take time to talk with your colleagues and think about things. Also take time to talk to others from other fields,” she said. “Eventually you will find a link to your own work.”

‘Continue imagining’ Taking time to “open up and understand the wider world around you” will only lead to new and better ideas, Metayer noted, and companies are “starving for people who can help them understand where science and technology are going next.”

The world is changing very fast now. If you look at what you will experience in your lifetime—if not in the next five years—there will be significant changes in the world and for science and technology.”

-E stelle Metayer, entrepreneur and trend-spotter

As the students prepare to finish their degrees, she advised them to continue building their toolbox, a set of key hard and soft skills that will help them succeed today.

“Being an expert in one area is usually not good enough now,” she said. “You will need a complex toolbox to make it. Keep imagining and don’t lose that imagination. Push forward and think of options for the future, and carve out the future you want for yourself. Be bold—you are talented and you have resources at your disposal. Try to think where you want your technologies to go and what you want to do with them.”

“A few people can make a difference. Continue imagining and remember that each one of you can do great things and make a great impact on the world in the future,” she concluded.

1, 2. Trend-spotter and keynote speaker Estelle

Metayertalked to a KAUST audience about the future of technology and science on January 18 as part of theUniversity’s 2017 Winter Enrichment Program.

Photos by Lilit Hovhannisyan.

www.kaust.edu.sa

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Exploring the Blue Economy

By Michelle Ponto Only recently have scientists been able to research the deep sea and uncover some of the mysteries that lie in its depths.

Dr. Cindy Lee Van Dover, Harvey Smith professor of biological oceanography and chair of the Division of Marine Science and Conservation at Duke University, is a scientist who has gone where few have gone before in the deep sea.

"I'm an explorer at heart. I look at a map and think: where have we not been?" said Van Dover during a 2017 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) On-Air interview at KAUST in January.

Van Dover describes herself as a deep-sea ecologist, explorer, submarine pilot and author. Her work has taken her across all the world’s oceans to depths up to 4,000 meters.

“I grew up not far from the coast, and I would see the animals like crabs that were different from me,” she said. “I wanted to know why they had all those legs and how they used all those different shaped appendages. As I got older, I kept thinking about deeper water and what creatures were out there.”

From the darkness into the springs Just a few decades ago, the deep ocean was still an unexplored mystery. Researchers believed the seafloor was all the same: dark, cold and uninhabited. But, with new technology, scientists like Van Dover found there is a whole new world in the depths.

“They discovered hot springs on the seafloor that could be the size of a football field, an auditorium or a small classroom,” Van Dover said. “They are little islands and surrounding them is a desert-like area.”

The hot springs are found in all the oceans with a seafloor spreading system. In order for a hot spring to exist, you need a combination of magma and seawater. In the areas where the ocean floor is spreading (such as at the mid-ocean ridges), the molten magna rises and superheats the cold ocean water around it, producing the hot springs.

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The hot springs are similar to an oasis in the desert, with Van Dover noting she has found many new species living in them, and each species has different adaptations to survive.

“Many live in extreme environments, and in some cases in noxious chemicals, but they have worked out physiologies to prevent them from being killed by the toxic environments they live in,” she explained. “You have to be a detective to figure out what they are doing down there.”

In the deep sea, we think of the Blue Economy as trying to develop industries in water that is 4,000 or 5,000 meters deep. The principle interest right now is the minerals and the metals.”

-C indy Lee Van Dover, Harvey Smith professor of biological oceanography and chair of the Division of Marine Science and Conservation at Duke University

In her book "The Octopus's Garden: Hydrothermal Vents and Other Mysteries of the Deep Sea," she talks about the mysteries of the deep sea and some of her discoveries. One of her favorite creatures is the giant tube worm.

“Some people think they are ugly, but I can’t understand this. I think they are the most beautiful animals in the world,” she said.

“Tube worms live in hot springs and have an exquisite design.

They can be as tall as me and quite big around. The creatures have no mouth and no digestive system. They live in close proximity to bacteria and are feeding off of them.”

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1 A Blue Economy emerges The deep sea and the research around it is booming due to advances in technology. Engineers have figured out how to get researchers down to the seafloor using submarines, robots or remote-controlled gadgets. And while new technology is allowing scientists to learn more about the organisms in the deep sea and the possible biological and mineral resources, it has also created a stir in non-scientific areas. Industries are interested in what the seafloor offers and want to develop the Blue Economy.

“In the deep sea, we think of the Blue Economy as trying to develop industries in water that is 4,000 or 5,000 meters deep.

The principle interest right now is the minerals and the metals,” Van Dover said.

Mining in the deep The current interest in this new economy is in mining, but industries are also investigating the genetic resources that could exist on the seafloor. The big question is whether we need to use these resources in the deep sea when we still have resources on land.

“Whether it will be environmentally sustainable and really blue— or really green—is still a question that needs to be answered,” Van Dover said. “More science needs to be done to understand what the impact would be on the sea environment and the animals that live there.”

Three minerals currently of interest in the deep waters are: manganese nodules, cobalt crust and massive sulphide deposits formed by black smokers at the seafloor. These are a source of rare earth elements such as yttrium, dysprosium and terbium, which are used in ICT hardware and renewable energy technologies. The primary metal of interest is copper.

1, 2. Cindy Lee Van Dover, Harvey Smith professor of biological oceanography and chair of the Division of Marine Science and Conservation at Duke University, speaks during a 2017 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) On-Air interview in January.

No one is mining yet in the deep sea, but two licenses have been issued for the Red Sea and Papua New Guinea.

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'The new way we do things'

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By Meres J. Weche By the year 2030, the majority of the world’s population will be living in cities. Scientists have understood the need to rely on data to meet this challenge by developing various technologies, such as information and communication technology (ICT) and the internet of things, to usher in the era of smart cities.

During his recent visit to KAUST as part of the University's 2017 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP), Christopher Fabian, the co-founder of UNICEF’s Innovation Unit, argued that a vital part of this challenge facing humanity is applying these technologies to the world of global development, policy and governmental change.

“Data is very helpful and allows you to make decisions that you can't make without it,” said Fabian.

Connecting populations UNICEF Innovation also believes that access to information is essential to innovation for equity by connecting the world’s most marginalized populations. Based on these principles, Fabian’s team used technology to spur innovations like mobile birth registration in Nigeria; deploying drones to transport blood samples in Malawi for early infant diagnosis of HIV; and using SMS to support mothers in Mexico.

As a result of these initiatives, birth registrations in Uganda increased by 70 percent. The Innovation Unit also helped build the world’s largest mobile health system in Nigeria, which has so far reported on more than 17 million births by SMS.

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Improving health and education The ability to gather and share real-time data can vastly improve the health and educational prospects of people— and especially the youth—who are often not connected with their governments. This is particularly important as the world grapples with pandemics like the Zika virus and Ebola.

“The world is more tightly connected now. The most dangerous thing you can do in an epidemic is cut off information from the people affected,” said Fabian.

Innovation for the developing world In the short-term future, UNICEF Innovation is aiming to develop and deploy 3-D printing, drones and digital currency in the developing world. The development of these innovative technological solutions reflects the advice Fabian gave the KAUST students and community during his keynote.

“Create a place for yourself and a job that didn't exist five years ago—that's what I did...Always start with things you are good at and things you are interested in. Be a translator between the way people do things and the new way we do things,” he said.

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Data is very helpful and allows you to make decisions that you can't make without it."

- Christopher Fabian, co-founder of UNICEF’s Innovation Unit

1, 2. Christopher Fabian, the co-founder

of UNICEF’s Innovation Unit, discussed how humanity must use data and technology to improve lives worldwide during his 2017 Winter Enrichment Program lecture.

www.kaust.edu.sa

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Building minds at KAUST

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By Caitlin Clark “At KAUST, I learned different important concepts like inspiration, patience, persistence and accepting difficult challenges. These concepts have created a strong impact in my academic career as an assistant professor,” said Muna Saeed Khushaim, a KAUST 2015 Ph.D. graduate in material science and engineering who was part of an Alumni Lecture Series event at the University’s 2017 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP).

The lecture series also featured alumni speakers Dinorath Olvera Ramos (M.S. 2013), Jenna Lloyd-Randolfi (M.S. 2012) and Ahmad Showail (Ph.D. 2016, M.S. 2010), who discussed their career pathways after graduating from KAUST and the impact their time at the University has had on their lives so far.

Our job is to continue to build our minds as we did at KAUST—but it’s not always an easy job. We must also direct current and future KAUST students to build their minds in a new way for the benefit of the Kingdom and the world.”

- Muna Khushaim, KAUST 2015 Ph.D. alumna

Enriching skills “I returned as a speaker for WEP because I wanted to share my fruitful experience as a KAUST Ph.D. student with other students at KAUST,” said Khushaim. “Furthermore, KAUST has always encouraged us to share our knowledge as broadly as possible, and these kinds of experiences truly enrich my skills.”

Khushaim completed her bachelor’s degree at Madinah’s College of Education in 2002 and her master’s degree at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah in 2007. She currently works as an assistant professor in the Physics Department at Taibah University in Madinah. At KAUST, her studies under Associate

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Professor of Chemical Science Alexander Rothenberger focused on the analysis of materials using atom probe tomography (APT).

“KAUST has highly analytical and sophisticated techniques.

Performing my Ph.D. using APT was truly exciting, as this is a rare technique to use around the world. KAUST is the first and only institution in the Middle East that has this increasingly popular device used and applied in the investigation of different types of materials,” she said.

Local and global impact Khushaim noted that it “was a great opportunity to participate in WEP 2017. This kind of an event is an excellent opportunity to be in continued contact with KAUST and to outline how the University has helped to shape our careers and academic philosophies. We also have the opportunity to make connections for institutional collaboration in research areas that impact local and global communities.”

‘Find your passion’ Olvera Ramos, a current Ph.D. student at the Trinity Centre for Bioengineering at Trinity College Dublin, Ireland, outlined her work in the Musculoskeletal Tissue Engineering and Mechanobiology Research Group. There, she has focused on the use of fiber-reinforced hydrogels; the effect of topography and biochemical cues on adult mesenchymal stem cell differentiation; and extracellular matrix components to recreate the tissue-specific microenvironments that make up the complex ligament-bone attachment. She hopes to complete her Ph.D. in 2018 and continue her career in the tissue engineering field.

“Find your passion and your niche and surround yourself with experts,” she advised the students in the audience. “Also make use of the University’s outstanding facilities—my knowledge from these helped me get into my current Ph.D. program.”

Preparing for the real world Lloyd-Randolfi studied under KAUST Professor Jorg Eppinger at the University’s Catalysis Center and went on to work as a development engineer for Heliae Development LLC, a biotechnology company in Arizona, U.S., that produces microalgae-based products for agriculture. She currently works for Western Window Systems in Arizona as a testing engineer.

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“Even when you think you have found the answer for a technical issue, getting it ready for the real-world scenario is the situation you have to prepare for,” she told the audience. “When given a design challenge, you also have to understand the requirements and parameters.”

Lloyd-Randolfi noted her time at KAUST was filled with many happy memories, such as volunteering for The KAUST School, playing sports, making friends from around the world and traveling internationally.

“Some of the benefits of being a KAUST alumna include the ability to thrive on cross-cultural teams and meeting friends wherever you travel,” she said.

Maintaining excellence Showail currently works at Taibah University in Madinah as the vice dean of the College of Computer Science and Engineering. Prior to joining KAUST, he worked as a system engineer for the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC).

In his talk, Showail outlined the internet of things and how it is the next big technological revolution, highlighting the problem of IPv4 address exhaustion and how to possibly mitigate this through IPv6.

“KAUST gave me the opportunity to explore many areas, including how to begin a startup,” Showail said. “In September of 2016, I launched my startup zayer.net, a tourist guide for Madinah. I continue to work on my startup while at the same time maintaining excellence in teaching and research in computer science and engineering at Taibah University.”

International successes While Khushaim, Olvera Ramos, Lloyd-Randolfi and Showail have embarked on successful careers since graduation from KAUST, all four noted none of their successes would have been possible without their time at KAUST. “Our job is to continue to build our minds as we did at KAUST— but it’s not always an easy job,” Khushaim said. “We must also direct current and future KAUST students to build their minds in a new way for the benefit of the Kingdom and the world.”

1. From left to right: Alumni Ahmad Showail (Ph.D. 2016, M.S. 2010), Muna Khushaim (Ph.D. 2015), Dinorath Olvera Ramos (M.S. 2013) and Jenna Lloyd-Randolfi (M.S. 2012) receive congratulations from KAUST Professor Gilles Lubineau, chair of the 2017 Enrichment Programs, after their Winter Enrichment Program speaking event.

2. Jenna Lloyd-Randolfi, a testing engineer at Western

Window Systems in Arizona, U.S., talks to the audience about her career pathway after graduating from KAUST.

3. Ahmad Showail, Taibah University vice dean of

the College of Computer Science and Engineering, discusses the internet of things.

www.kaust.edu.sa

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WEP 2017 closing gala and awards ceremony

By David Murphy The University’s eighth annual Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) concluded on January 19 with the Final Gala and Awards Ceremony in the Auditorium. WEP Chair Professor Gilles Lubineau began proceedings by recognizing the effort of everyone involved in the successful production of the twoweek program.

The shape of our future Lubineau highlighted the role one of the main themes of the program plays in our everyday lives.

“Engineering shapes our future—as it has also shaped our past.

The limits of our world are changing every day—what you know today will change in 10 years, and this is something that will affect your science,” he said.

The opening act for the night was the “Sanddorn Balance” performance by Miyoko Shida Rigolo, a Japanese artist, dancer and choreographer. In a spellbinding 15-minute performance of concentration, mindfulness and conscious perception, Rigolo created a spontaneous artwork consisting of 13 dry palm leaf ribs. The piece, which she constructed using her hands and feet to add one palm leaf rib on top of another or through others to create a latticework rib cage, resembled an animal’s skeleton in the end.

Riogolo then lifted the delicate structure to the crown of her head and balanced it there, spinning her work around her.

As it spun around her, it seemed as if she became part of her creation.

Large image: Japanese artist, dancer and choreographer Miyoko Shida Rigolo displayed her “Sanddorn Balance” performance as part of the closing of the 2017 Winter Enrichment Program (WEP).

1. A Javanese shadow puppet performance of the “Ramayana Epic” by a group from the Sonobudoyo Museum, Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia, featured in the closing of WEP 2017.

2. WEP Chair Professor Gilles Lubineau opened proceedings at the 2017 WEP Final Gala and Awards Ceremony.

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THE BEACON | MARCH 2017

‘An exhilarating experience’ Following on Rigolo’s performance, the winners of the WEP KAUST Research Poster Competition, International Undergraduate Poster and Science Fair were announced. Dean of Graduate Affairs Brian Moran noted that the Research poster presentations were “polished, professional and impressive,” adding, “I speak for the whole panel when I say it was an exhilarating experience choosing the winning posters.”

The evening's entertainment finished with a Javanese shadow puppet performance of the “Ramayana Epic” by a group from the Sonobudoyo Museum, Yogyakarta, Java. The renowned Hindu epic, which originated in India centuries ago, was performed by a shadow puppet master supported by a group of musicians and a singer.

During the performance, the puppet master, who also acted as narrator, moved the ornate, flat puppets behind a white fabric screen. With a light on the other side of the screen, he created shadows of the puppets and their movements. This ancient method of storytelling has been preserved in Java for centuries and was designated by UNESCO in 2003 as a “Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity.”

‫‪A resounding success‬‬ ‫‪In their closing remarks, both Lubineau and Marie-Laure Boulot,‬‬ ‫‪manager of Enrichment Programs, thanked those in attendance‬‬ ‫‪and those who had attended all of the events during WEP 2017.‬‬ ‫‪They also thanked the departments and volunteers who helped‬‬ ‫‪in supporting the events.‬‬ ‫‪From the deep sea to deep space, from hyperloops to‬‬ ‫‪Strandbeests, from base jumping to calligraphy, from mega‬‬ ‫‪projects to biomimetic models, and from building robots to bird‬‬ ‫‪watching and everything in between, WEP 2017 was a resounding‬‬ ‫‪success, showing what is possible when you challenge and push‬‬ ‫‪the limits of engineering and science.‬‬

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‫أسبوعان من النجاح تنتهي‬ ‫بحفل بهيج وملحمة جاوية‬ ‫وتوزيع جوائز‬ ‫اختتمت فعاليات برنامج اإلثراء الشتوي (ويب) ‪ 2017‬في ‪ 19‬يناير بحفل ختامي‬ ‫ومراسم توزيع جوائز للمشاركين وذلك في قاعة المؤتمرات في جامعة الملك‬ ‫عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‪ .‬حيث ألقى رئيس البرنامج البروفيسور غيليس لوبينيا كلمة‬ ‫عبر فيها عن سعادته بنجاح برنامج هذا العام وشكر كل من ساهم في هذا النجاح‬ ‫طوال فترة البرنامج التي امتدت ألسبوعين‪.‬‬

‫الهندسة وبناء المستقبل‬ ‫كما تطرق البروفيسور لوبينيا إلى دور الهندسة الكبير في حياتنا وقال‪" :‬كان‬ ‫للهندسة دور كبير في بناء ماضينا وهي من سيحدد معالم مستقبلنا‪ .‬وال شك أن‬ ‫تغير مستمر‪ ،‬فما تعرفه اليوم سوف يتغير‬ ‫حدود معرفتنا في هذا العالم هي في ّ‬ ‫بعد ‪ 10‬سنوات‪ ،‬وهذا سيؤثر على كل ما نتعلمه‪".‬‬

‫العروض الترفيهية‬ ‫افتتحت العروض الترفيهية في الحفل بعرض "ساندورن" الفني من أداء ميوكو‬ ‫شيدا ريجولو‪ ،‬وهو نوع من الفنون اليابانية‪ .‬تال ذلك توزيع جوائز الفائزين في‬ ‫مسابقة ملصقات األبحاث‪ ،‬ومسابقة ملصقات األبحاث للطلبة الجامعيين الدوليين‬ ‫ومعرض العلوم‪ .‬وأشاد عميد شؤون الدراسات العليا البروفيسور براين موران‬ ‫بالمشاركات التي وصفها بالمتميزة واالحترافية والمثيرة لإلعجاب‪ ،‬وقال في‬ ‫سياق ذلك‪ " :‬كانت تجربة اختيار الملصقات الفائزة تجربة مبهجة وأنا هنا أتكلم نيابة‬ ‫عن جميع هيئة التحكيم‪".‬‬

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‫كما تم تقديم عرض مسرحي شيق باستخدام ظل الدمى من الفلكلور الجاوي‬ ‫عن "ملحمة رامايانا" الهندية الشهيرة بواسطة مجموعة من متحف سونوبودويو‪،‬‬ ‫في يوجياكرتا‪ ،‬جاوا‪ .‬وتتلخص فكرة العرض بتحريك دمى بعصا وراء ستار من‬ ‫القماش األبيض المسلط عليه الضوء‪ ،‬مما يجعل ظلها هو الذي يبرز للمشاهدين‪.‬‬ ‫وقد تم الحفاظ على هذا الفلكلور القديم في جاوا لعدة قرون‪ ،‬وصنفته منظمة‬ ‫اليونسكو في عام ‪ 2003‬بأنه من روائع الفنون التراثية البشرية‪.‬‬

‫نجاح باهر‬ ‫وفي ختام هذه األمسية شكر كل من رئيس البرنامج البروفيسور غيليس لوبينيا‬ ‫والسيدة ماري‪-‬لور بولو‪ ،‬مديرة برامج اإلثراء في جامعة الملك عبداهلل الحضور‬ ‫وجميع من شارك في فعاليات برنامج اإلثراء الشتوي (ويب) لعام ‪ 2017‬من‬ ‫إدارات ومتطوعين إلسهاماتهم الكبيرة في النجاح الكبير الذي حققه برنامج‬ ‫هذا العام بفعالياته الكبيرة وأنشطته المختلفة التي آثبتت ما يمكننا تحقيقه عند‬ ‫تخطي آفاق العلوم والهندسة‪.‬‬

My University Liangliang Nan Liangliang Nan, a research scientist in the University's Visual Computing Center, received his Ph.D. degree in 2008 from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and worked as an assistant and associate professor at Shenzhen Institutes of Advanced Technology in China before joining KAUST in 2013. He met his supervisor KAUST Professor Peter Wonka at a conference in Los Angeles in 2012, learning about the University from him.

"I knew very little about KAUST until I met Prof. Wonka," he said, "but after a not very long conversation, I found out how the University provides an excellent platform for research. After discovering more online and communicating with Prof. Wonka, I decided to join KAUST." Nan's general research interests are in computer graphics and computer vision, and his recent research at KAUST has focused on acquiring, understanding and modeling real world scenes.

"My goal is to develop algorithms, tools and systems to effectively and efficiently acquire, understand and reconstruct large-scale outdoor and indoor scenes," he explained. "I chose to explore these topics because people are living and working in such environments, and modeling of real world scenes is essential to developing many amazing applications, such as simulating air pollutant dispersion, navigation and virtual reality. I believe that making progress in these topics will make our lives easier and more enjoyable."

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Football fever comes to KAUST

By David Murphy KAUST held its first "Inter-Department 7-a-side" Football (soccer) Championship over the weekend of January 27 and 28 at the Harbor Sports Club track and field. The inaugural event brought together 15 competing departments in the spirit of collegiality, community and sportsmanship.

The tournament’s 53 games were played over the course of two grueling days, with teams being eliminated and progressing as the tournament advanced. The 15 departments were split between two groups in the group stage—one group of seven and one group of eight, with only the top two teams from each group advancing to the knockout stages.

The spectators thoroughly enjoyed the "feast of football" on display, including the two semifinal matches that produced two games of the highest quality. Both games went into extra time before being decided by the dreaded lottery of penalty shootouts.

Both The KAUST School team and the KAUST Security Department team won their respective penalty shootouts as they advanced to compete in the tournament's final. In the final, The TKS team held on to win a hard-fought game on a score line of 1-0.

Winning TKS captain Rodrigo Telles said, “It was a very balanced tournament with a brilliant setup. At the end, the TKS team prevailed because of its desire to win and—most importantly—the team spirit.”

Ian Knox, the event commentator and Coastline FM Recreation team member, applauded the players, the referees, the sponsors (Ford and DHL), the Coastline Catering Division, the tournament organizers and the many supporters and families who not only enjoyed the "football feast," but also the inflatables, bubble football and many mini-competitions also on offer. ‘’We are all looking forward to next year’s tournament,’’ said Knox, echoing the sentiment of the attendees and players for the University's first Inter-Department Football Championship.

This month's submission comes from Ali AlJehani, a Government Affairs officer in the University's Government Affairs department. In October 2016, he visited Japan for an eight-week Japanese language course in Tokyo's Shinjuku district, taking the photo on Mount Takao (or Takaosan), one of the closest natural recreation areas to central Tokyo.

"I’ve been interested in Japan and Japanese culture, the people, the food and the language for quite a while," said AlJehani. "My October trip was my fifth trip to Japan—I first visited in January 2013 and fell in love with the country then. One of my goals is also to represent Saudi Arabia in Japan, which motivated me to learn the Japanese language."

In Japan, AlJehani always finds something interesting to do. "In Tokyo, I love exploring the city. If I'm feeling bit cultural, I'll visit Sensoji Temple in Asakusa or Edo-Tokyo Museum. If I'm interested in nature, I'll visit Shinjuku Gyoen, Yoyogi Park or the beautiful Imperial Palace East Garden. Exploring modern Tokyo is also exciting—I enjoy the lights of Tokyo and the shopping and dining in Shinjuku and Shibuya."

"From Takaosan, Tokyo is still visible, and the mountain offers beautiful scenery, an interesting temple and attractive hiking opportunities," he continued. "It takes only 50 minutes and 390 yen to reach from Shinjuku.

On the Shinkansen—the Japanese bullet train—you can easily journey to the lovely and calm cities of Nara and Kyoto. These also have beautiful ancient temples and mesmerizing natural scenery."

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THE BEACON |MARCH 2017

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Scan here to view more photos of the University's first Inter-Department Football Championship.

1. The KAUST School team won the University's first Inter-Department Football Championship.

2, 3. Players from the University's different departmental teams in action during the football championship on January 27 and 28.

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