2017 September Beacon

September 2017 Thul Hijjah - Muharram, 1438 Volume 8, Issue No. 9 ‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬ ‫ المملكة العربية السعودية‬،‫ثول‬

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

www.kaust.edu.sa

‫منح درع جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم‬ ‫والتقنية لكلية إمبريال لندن‬

KAUST celebrates Gast and Imperial College London Page 6

'A mission for learning' at eighth academic Convocation Page 8

KAUST Core Labs launches Machinist Apprenticeship Development Program Page 10 The AQABA project: Measuring air quality by sea Page 12 Alumni focus Page 14

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.

The Saudi Research Science Institute (SRSI) 2017 held the SRSI 2017: 7th Annual Poster Symposium on August 1 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. in the University Library. Saudi Initiatives’ SRSI program is a mentorship program for academically gifted Saudi high school students who spend six weeks of their summer break living and participating in research at KAUST. In addition to the 37 Saudi students who participated this year, six KAUST Schools students were also participants.

The poster symposium was an exhibition of the projects the students pursued under the supervision of their KAUST faculty mentors.

The Beacon Volume 8, Issue No.9 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 Photographer: Lilit Hovhannisyan The Beacon is published monthly. © 2017 King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

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THE BEACON | SEPTEMBER 2017

The Sixth Annual Back to School campaign ran from August 14 to September 18.

The campaign supports the University's neighbors in Thuwal and Qadimah by providing essential school supplies to local children to start the year off right.

KAUST community members supported the campaign by purchasing gift cards from venues around the campus, or by volunteering to help assemble the school kits, publicize the effort and distribute the school kits to children. The campaign was organized by Social Responsibility and is part of the Young Learners Development Program (YLDP), which aims to improve learning environments and educational outcomes for students by working with our local community partners to ensure needs are being met for maximum impact in the classroom and beyond. For more information, email volunteer@kaust.edu.sa.

Graduate Affairs held an Orientation Expo & Bazaar as part of Orientation 2017 on August 17 from 5:00 to 10:00 p.m. in the Student Center and on the Student Plaza outside the Student Center. The Expo & Bazaar included over 60 booths of graduate student groups, professional associations and a wide selection of KAUST offices and services from on campus.

Plenty of food and good music were also on offer, and the event was open to the entire KAUST community.

The University held the 8th Academic Convocation on August 22 at 3:00 p.m. in the Auditorium. Faculty speaker Jeff Shamma, professor of electrical engineering, and student speaker Samah Mohamed, a Ph.D. candidate in chemical engineering, welcomed new and returning students to another academic year at KAUST.

The University Library implemented an upgraded off-campus access service to subscribed resources, including e-books, e-journals and research databases. EZproxy service allows the KAUST academic and research community to access licensed electronic resources off campus using your KAUST username and password. You also have the option to access resources outside of the campus via a KAUST VPN. For more information, visit http://libguides.kaust.edu. sa/EZProxy or email library@kaust.edu.sa.

Get familiar with the University Library's hidden resources and become inspired on your research journey. The Library will host an Open House on September 27 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Highlights will include the services and resources available at the Library; partner division booths; games and competitions; tours; giveaways; iPads to be won; and refreshments. Library staff will also be available to answer whatever questions you may have. The event is open to all members of the KAUST community. See you there! To learn more about the Library, visit library. kaust.edu.sa/page/resources.

Procurement Services has a new website. To learn more, visit procurement.kaust.edu.sa.

The Office of the Arts hosted two exciting events in August and September. On August 27, a Sunset Concert featuring the community's musicians took place from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. in the University Library. On September 18, a Vocal Gala took place in the Auditorium from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. A second Sunset Concert will take place on October 29 from 5:30 to 6:00 p.m. Visit artsoffice.kaust. edu.sa for more information about other upcoming events.

Community Life hosted the Community Open Day & Artisan Fair on September 14 from 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at the Island Recreation Center. The event included information booths about activities on campus, including the self-directed groups (SDGs); KAUST departmental booths; an Artisan Fair with handmade jewelry, bags, ceramics and more; and fun for all ages, including bouncy castles, food trucks, a tea shop, calligraphy, face painting, henna, bubble football, live music and a grand prize draw featuring airline tickets to Europe.

www.kaust.edu.sa

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Accolades

1. Ying Wu, KAUST associate

professor of applied mathematics and computational science, won the 2017 Phononics Young Investigator Award by the International Phononics Society.

File photo.

2. KAUST Ph.D. student Chuan

Xia won the best poster award at the 9th International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies (ICMAT 2017).

Photo courtesy of Chuan Xia.

3. Ying Sun, KAUST assistant

professor of applied mathematics and computational science, won the 2017 Section on Statistics and the Environment Early Investigator Award. File photo.

Ying Wu wins the 2017 Phononics Young Investigator Award

KAUST Ph.D. student Chuan Xia wins best poster award at ICMAT 2017

Ying Wu, KAUST associate professor of applied mathematics and computational science, won the 2017 Phononics Young Investigator Award by the International Phononics Society. Every two years, the society selects an early career researcher demonstrating research excellence in phononics for the award.

KAUST Ph.D. student Chuan Xia won the best poster award at the 9th International Conference on Materials for Advanced Technologies (ICMAT 2017) in Singapore, held from June 18 to 23 and sponsored by the Materials Research Society (MRS) of Singapore.

Wu received her award at the 4th International Conference on Phononic Crystals/Metamaterials, Phonon Transport/Coupling and Topological Phononics in Changsha, China, which took place from June 4 to 9, and also delivered a Young Investigator Award Lecture there.

Phononics is a branch of physics concerned with phonons. Phonons represent mechanical vibrations responsible for the transmission of sound and heat. Wu's research focuses on a fundamental part of phononics, and her aim has been to develop homogenization schemes or effective medium theories for complex systems. With the emergence of metamaterials a few decades ago, there has been increased interest in learning more about the properties of artificial materials.

Wu's theory has led her to successfully design two new elastic metamaterials.

"Our research may inspire applications in various arenas," Wu explained. "For instance, our elastic metamaterials may be used as building blocks in designing earthquakeproof material to reduce the hazards of natural disasters.

Our acoustic metasurface could be applied to the walls of music halls in order to enhance the quality factor, shrink the size of your stereo and make it portable so you can enjoy high-quality music wherever you go, or even could be used to block sound from your neighbors to give you a quiet morning on weekends."

"I have to thank all of my students and postdocs who carried out the difficult work. Without them, it would not be possible for me to reach this height. I also want to thank the Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering Division and the University for the support that enables me to pursue my dream," she said.

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THE BEACON | SEPTEMBER 2017

Xia's poster focused on his work on developing ternary metal sulfides and selenides for energy storage and conversion applications. He showed that partially replacing Co atoms with Ni atoms of CoSe2 creates solid solutions with high concentration of defects, making these materials promising for energy storage and electrocatalysis applications. His work was recently published in Advanced Materials and Advanced Energy Materials. At KAUST, he is supervised by Husam Alshareef, KAUST professor of material science and engineering, and is a member of Alshareef's Functional Nanomaterials & Devices research group.

“Ternary chalcogenides are amazing compounds due to several important features,” noted Xia. "They typically have metal atoms that can exist in multiple oxidation states, so they exhibit high electrochemical activity, which makes them ideal electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage devices. Furthermore, certain compositions of these materials can have metallic conductivity, which means that electrons that are produced during electrochemical reactions can travel very fast in such compounds. This fact can significantly improve their performance. Many of these compounds are also superhydrophilic, which means that they work well in aqueous electrolytes."

“Chuan is a very hardworking and creative Ph.D. student who has made significant contributions to KAUST, and he has represented us well at various international meetings.

I am really proud of him,” Alshareef said.

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Ying Sun wins Early Investigator Award from American Statistical Association Ying Sun, KAUST assistant professor of applied mathematics and computational science, won the 2017 Section on Statistics and the Environment (ENVR) Early Investigator Award from the American Statistical Association (ASA). Sun received her award at the 2017 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM), held from July 29 to August 3 in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. Sun's award recognizes her important contributions to the field of environmental statistics that help to address major problems like climate change and environmental pollution. At KAUST, Sun leads the Environmental Statistics Group in the University's Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Sciences and Engineering (CEMSE) Division, in which she focuses her research on computational efficiency, innovative visualization techniques and estimation methodologies. Her work has already won many other awards, including for research in modeling large and complex space-time datasets to detect ozone hot spots and predict rainfall patterns and novel data visualization tools with applications from ecology and medicine to biometrics and finance.

“I'm very honored to receive this award in recognition of my contributions to environmental statistics. I'm also thankful to my colleagues who supported me over the years and for everybody in my research group who has brought energy and enthusiasm to our work at KAUST," Sun said.

Mootaz Elnozahy, dean of CEMSE, noted, "The award is testament to the great esteem that the international research community in environmental statistics holds for Sun’s research at KAUST. I hope that in addition to the honor of receiving this prestigious award, Sun’s research will help increase the visibility of our collective effort at KAUST in environmental research.”

The University Library, one of the campus's most beautiful buildings, features prizewinning architecture and a translucent marble exterior and spacious interior. In September, the Library team hosted an Open House to showcase the Library's services and resources on campus. Follow other global universities' Twitter accounts to learn more about their own iconic libraries.

Trinity College Dublin's (Ireland) (@tcddublin) Old Library (@tcdoldlibrary) was constructed in the 18th century and is the largest library in Ireland. It holds a copy of all works published in Ireland and the original manuscript of the Book of Kells, a famous 9th century document. The library's Long Room houses 200,000 of the collection's oldest books and is used as a venue for literary exhibitions.

North Carolina State (U.S.) (@NCState) University's James B. Hunt Jr. Library (@ncsulibraries) functions as a model of NC State's commitment to advancing sustainability—31 percent of the library is built from recycled content and earned an LEED Silver environmental rating. The building features solar fins, is cooled and heated by chilled beam and radiant panel systems and has its water heated by rooftop solar panels.

Biblioteca Joanina (Portugal) is a Baroque library forming part of the University of Coimbra (@UnivdeCoimbra), and is part of the university's General Library. Built during the 18th century, it is a Portuguese national monument holding over 250,000 volumes dating from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. The library's walls are entirely covered in shelves made of gilded or painted exotic woods, and the ceilings feature paintings by Lisbon artists Simões Ribeiro and Vicente Nunes.

The University of Oxford's (U.K.) (@UniofOxford) Bodleian Library (@bodleianlibs) is the principal library at Oxford and the secondlargest in the U.K. after the British Library in London. First opened in 1602, it is one of the oldest libraries in Europe holding 12 million printed items, including Shakespeare's First Folio. Some of the library's buildings even appeared in the Harry Potter film series!

Cornell University's (U.S.) (@Cornell) Uris Library (@Cornell_ Library) is Cornell's oldest library building and contains a "library within a library"—the 30,000 books forming the personal collection of Cornell's first president Andrew Dickson White are housed in the Andrew Dickson White Library located inside of the Uris Library. The Uris also contains the only privately owned copy of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, pamphlets from the French Revolution and letters between U.S. President Thomas Jefferson and the French Marquis de Lafayette.

/KaustOfficial

kaustofficial

@KAUST_News

/kaust

/kaustedu

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kaustofficial

KAUST Official

www.kaust.edu.sa

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KAUST celebrates Gast and Imperial College London On August 10, leadership from KAUST and Imperial College London gathered for a special evening ceremony organized by former KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau, KAUST Interim President Nadhmi Al-Nasr, Chairman of the KAUST Board of Trustees H.E. Ali Al-Naimi and members of the KAUST Board of Trustees. The event was held to recognize the strategic role Imperial has played in advancing both education and research at KAUST. Professor Alice P. Gast, president of Imperial College London, accepted the award on behalf of her colleagues and faculty, citing their "essential leadership and support at critical junctures." As a member of the KAUST Board of Trustees since 2009, Gast was also honored for her unwavering passion to the vision and mission of the University. The Champions of KAUST award honors individuals and institutions for outstanding contributions to the historic journey of the University.

To be a Champion of KAUST is to be a champion of the power of education and knowledge...a champion of changing the world for the better."

-Professor Alice P. Gast, president of Imperial College London “In 2008, when KAUST was still a vision, Imperial College London joined us to help bring the University into reality,” Chameau said. “Their support was instrumental in our recruitment of faculty, establishing our research agenda and designing our core lab facilities to be world-class.”

Researchers from the two institutions have co-authored 127 academic publications in various disciplines—most the notably the material sciences, physics and chemistry. Chameau emphasized the crucial role that Imperial has played in research on a wide range of challenges faced by the Kingdom, including arid agriculture; improving the impact and cost of sustainable technology; harnessing alternative energy sources; and countering climate change.

“This collaboration has helped launch academic careers, has inspired new discoveries in our laboratories and has served as a platform to train the next generation of scientists and engineers from the Kingdom and the world,” Chameau said.

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THE BEACON | SEPTEMBER 2017

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In January of 2017, Dr. William (Bill) J. Koros, the Roberto C. Goizueta chair for excellence in chemical engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the Georgia Research Alliance eminent scholar in membranes, was named the inaugural Champion of KAUST. Before joining Imperial, Gast was the 13th president of Lehigh University. Previously she served as vice president for research, associate provost and the Robert T. Haslam chair in chemical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

“It is an honor for Imperial and for me personally to be named a Champion of KAUST,” Gast said to a group of around 200 attendees. "I believe that KAUST is a shining example of what can be accomplished when institutions and people focus on making discoveries and educating people to address the great challenges in the world.”

Gast spoke at length about the success of research collaborations between Imperial and KAUST. She highlighted the work of Professors Jasmeen Merzaban, Alexandra Porter and Mary Ryan for their recent breakthrough with zinc oxide nanoparticles that hold great promise in destroying breast cancer tumor cells. She also acknowledged a joint research endeavor to understand and predict the influence of dust on weather and air pollution and the resulting health and economic effects for the Middle East region.

"To be a Champion of KAUST is to be a champion of the power of education and knowledge...a champion of changing the world for the better," she said.

Gast also spoke about the development of young professionals as a result of the partnership. She noted Imperial-KAUST alumnus Dr. Bin Zou, a former postdoctoral fellow funded by KAUST, who is now a successful researcher and co-founder of LoMaRe Ltd., an Imperial spin-off that won the 2017 U.K.-China Entrepreneurship competition. She also mentioned Dr. Jing Pang, a KAUST-supported Ph.D. student and co-founder of Neuron Technology Ltd. "Good relationships are mutually beneficial," Gast said. "This is true of the Imperial-KAUST partnership. Both universities are stronger because of what we have done together."

‫‪1. Professor Alice P. Gast, president of Imperial‬‬

‫‪College London, accepts the Champions of KAUST‬‬ ‫‪award on August 10 at a ceremony held at Imperial‬‬ ‫‪College in London. The award recognizes the‬‬ ‫‪strategic role Imperial has played in advancing both‬‬ ‫‪education and research at KAUST.‬‬

‫‪2. An audience of distinguished guests and members‬‬ ‫‪of the KAUST Board of Trustees attends the‬‬ ‫‪Champions of KAUST award ceremony in London at‬‬ ‫‪Imperial College on August 10.‬‬

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‫منح درع جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫للعلوم والتقنية لكلية إمبريال لندن‬ ‫أقامت جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية في العاشر من أغسطس ‪،2017‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫تقديرا لدورها االستراتيجي في تعزيز‬ ‫أمسية خاصة لتكريم كلية إمبريال لندن‬ ‫التعليم واألبحاث في الجامعة‪ .‬ونظم هذا الحفل كل من الرئيس المكلف لجامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل المهندس نظمي النصر‪ ،‬ومعالي المهندس علي النعيمي رئيس‬ ‫مجلس أمناء جامعة الملك عبداهلل والرئيس السابق لجامعة الملك عبداهلل‪،‬‬ ‫الدكتور جان‪-‬لو شامو‪.‬‬

‫وقالت البروفيسورة أليس غاست بهذه المناسبة‪ ":‬حين يتم االستثمار في‬ ‫االكتشافات والتعليم لمواجهة التحديات الكبيرة في العالم‪ ،‬وإنه جامعة الملك‬ ‫عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية هي المثال األبرز الذي يمكن االقتداء به‪ .‬وإنه لشرف‬ ‫لي ولكلية إمبريال لندن الحصول على جائزة درع جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم‬ ‫والتقنية وهو تكريم لقوة التعليم والمعرفة ‪ ...‬واعتراف كبير للدور الفاعل‬ ‫للمؤسسات األكاديمية في تغيير العالم نحو األفضل"‪.‬‬

‫وتم خالل الحفل تقديم جائزة درع جامعة الملك عبداهلل لكلية إمبريال لندن والتي‬ ‫استلمتها البروفيسورة أليس غاست‪ ،‬رئيسة كلية إمبريال لندن نيابة عن قيادة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫شخصيا بصفتها أحد أمناء جامعة‬ ‫الكلية وأعضاء هيئة التدريس‪ ،‬كما تم تكريمها‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل منذ عام ‪ 2009‬ولشغفها ودعمها لرؤية ورسالة جامعة الملك‬ ‫عبداهلل منذ تأسيسها‪ .‬ويتم منح درع جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية لألفراد‬ ‫والمؤسسات الذين دعموا الجامعة منذ بداية انطالقها‪ .‬وتمثل امتنان الجامعة‬ ‫لالستثمار الفردي أو المؤسسي الذي بذلوه لتكون جامعة الملك عبداهلل وجهة‬ ‫للتميز البحثي والعلمي‪.‬‬

‫واستشهدت البروفيسورة أليس ببعض مخرجات هذه الشراكة مثل البحث‬ ‫المشترك الواعد للبروفيسورة ياسمين ميرزبان‪ ،‬وألكسندرا بورتر‪ ،‬وماري رايان‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أخيرا في مجال دور الجزيئات النانوية ألكسيد الزنك في تدمير خاليا‬ ‫الذي نشر‬ ‫سرطان الثدي‪ ،‬وبعض البحوث المشتركة مع جامعة الملك عبداهلل التي تدرس‬ ‫تأثير الغبار الجوي على الطقس وتلوث الهواء وما يترتب على ذلك من آثار صحية‬ ‫واقتصادية لمنطقة الشرق األوسط‪ .‬كما تطرقت إلى تأثير هذه الشراكة على‬ ‫مستشهدة بخريج كلية إمبريال وجامعة الملك عبداهلل الدكتور‬ ‫المهنيين الشباب‬ ‫ً‬ ‫بين زو‪ ،‬وهو زميل ما بعد الدكتوراه سابق قامت جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم‬ ‫والتقنية بدعمه‪ ،‬وهو اآلن باحث ناجح ومؤسس مشارك للشركة الناشئة لوماري‬ ‫المحدودة‪ ،‬إحدى الشركات الناشئة لكلية امبريال والتي فازت في مسابقة ريادة‬ ‫األعمال في المملكة المتحدة والصين عام ‪ .2017‬كما تحدثت عن الدكتورة جينغ‬ ‫بانغ‪ ،‬التي دعمتها جامعة الملك عبداهلل وهي اآلن طالبة وشريك مؤسس لشركة‬ ‫نيورون تيكنولوجي المحدودة‪.‬‬

‫وقال الدكتور جان‪-‬لو شامو بهذه المناسبة‪ " :‬عندما كانت جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫للعلوم والتقنية ال تزال رؤية‪ ،‬انضمت إلينا كلية إمبريال لندن في عام ‪2008‬‬ ‫جوهريا خصوصاً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫لتحقيق هذه الرؤية على أرض الواقع‪ .‬وال شك أن دعمهم لنا كان‬ ‫في اختيار وتوظيف أعضاء هيئة التدريس‪ ،‬ووضع جدول مشاريع اآلن وتصميم‬ ‫مرافق الجامعة ومختبراتها المركزية لتكون على مستوى عالمي"‪.‬‬ ‫وأشار شامو إلى أن باحثي المؤسستين تشاركوا في تأليف أكثر من ‪ 127‬منشوره‬ ‫علمية أكاديمية في مختلف التخصصات‪ ،‬كان أبرزها في مجال علوم المواد‬ ‫والفيزياء والكيمياء‪ .‬وأكد شامو على الدور الحاسم الذي لعبته أبحاث كلية‬ ‫إمبريال لندن في سبيل وضع حلول للتحديات التي تواجهها المملكة في مجال‬ ‫الزراعة الصحراوية‪ ،‬وتطوير التقنيات المستدامة واالستفادة من مصادر الطاقة‬ ‫البديلة والتصدي لتأثيرات تغير المناخ‪.‬‬

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‫‪www.kaust.edu.sa‬‬

‫واختتمت غاست كلمتها بقولها‪ " :‬عقد الشراكات الجيدة مفيد ومثمر وهذا‬ ‫ينطبق على الشراكة بين كلية إمبريال وجامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‪،‬‬

‫فكلتا الجامعتين أصبحتا اآلن أقوى وأفضل بسببها"‪.‬‬

'A mission for learning' at eighth academic Convocation

By Caitlin Clark

The University welcomed new master’s degree and Ph.D. students to the start of the academic year at the eighth academic Convocation ceremony on August 22. Faculty speaker Jeff Shamma, professor of electrical engineering, and student speaker Samah Mohamed, a Ph.D. student in chemical engineering, spoke to the audience of KAUST faculty, students and staff about their own educational journeys and shared inspiring words at the event.

Finding a place at KAUST “I first applied to KAUST as a master’s degree student,” said Mohamed, noting that she was not accepted to the program—but that did not deter her. “I can be a bit stubborn, so I applied again to KAUST after completing my master’s degree. This time I was accepted for the Ph.D. program, and I thought I finally knew where I belonged.”

However, just before departing for KAUST, she received an offer from her former university to continue her studies there.

‘Let your passion be your guide’ “KAUST is about quality, not quantity,” Mohamed said. “Ask yourself what skills or talents you want to develop; what weaknesses you want to overcome; and what strengths you want to continue polishing. Everyone at KAUST works hard to make sure you get the knowledge and skills required for the next step in your career. I encourage you to let your passion be your guide and help you keep going.”

The University is not just a research institution, she added, but a place where students are enriched holistically through the University’s self-directed groups, Graduate Student Council, Enrichment Programs, activities at the Student Center and other events.

“I was confused for a moment—maybe your journey has also been filled with self-doubt and second-guessing your decisions,” she said. “But for me, the decision to come to KAUST came quite easily. I looked at the research opportunities at both universities and then let my passion make the decision.”

“Take advantage of what KAUST offers you,” she told the students. “I believe that you’ll graduate not just with a degree but with a developed set of skills and an accumulation of experiences that will change the way you see the world.”

Mohamed found she could follow her passion at the University’s Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC), where she is supervised by Associate Professor Mani Sarathy.

Over her time at the University, Mohamed noted, “I began to feel that KAUST belongs to me, and I continue to grow and be shaped by every experience. Moreover, I am also helping to shape and grow our community and our University.

This should motivate you to make the most of your time at KAUST—don’t just be here—be impactful.”

“I envisioned that working at the CCRC…would be an exciting journey. The research there is what I am passionate about, so I chose to join KAUST,” she said.

A mission for learning In his remarks, Shamma noted that despite the University’s young age, “KAUST has developed a reputation of research excellence and research impact. You as graduate students are the next group to contribute to that reputation.”

“We’re all on a learning mission here,” he said. “At KAUST, you will interact with a distinguished group of faculty who

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have received recommendations and awards. They direct their energy towards accompanying you on your mission. As new students, you’re in a position to take advantage of that resource, and I hope that you do.”

THE BEACON | SEPTEMBER 2017

‘Be impactful’

If she had let her “moment of self-doubt” from three years before guide her choice, Mohamed said she wouldn’t have had the honor of speaking at the 2017 Convocation and so much else.

“When I chose to follow my passion, that leap forward helped bring me to this moment with you today,” she said. “As I do, you also belong at KAUST, and KAUST belongs to you. Cherish it; respect it; and embrace it.”

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‫‪1. (From left to right): Mootaz Elnozahy, dean of the‬‬ ‫‪University's Computer, Electrical and Mathematical‬‬ ‫‪Science and Engineering Division; Jeff Shamma,‬‬ ‫;‪KAUST professor and Convocation faculty speaker‬‬ ‫‪Nadhmi Al-Nasr, KAUST executive vice president for‬‬ ‫‪administration and finance and the University's interim‬‬ ‫‪president; Samah Mohamed, KAUST Ph.D. student and‬‬ ‫‪Convocation student speaker; and Brian Moran, dean of‬‬ ‫‪Graduate Affairs, stand together after the 2017 academic‬‬ ‫‪Convocation event. Photo by Lilit Hovhannisyan.‬‬ ‫‪2. Samah Mohamed, a Ph.D. student in chemical‬‬

‫‪engineering, speaks at the University's 2017 academic‬‬ ‫‪Convocation on August 22. Photo by‬‬ ‫‪Lilit Hovhannisyan.‬‬

‫"رسالة طالب العلم" االحتفال بالسنة‬ ‫األكاديمية الثامنة في جامعة الملك‬ ‫عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬ ‫استقبل حرم جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية الطلبة الجدد في‬ ‫برنامجي درجة الماجستير والدكتوراه في حفل بداية السنة األكاديمية‬ ‫الثامنة‪ .‬وخاطب الحضور كل من البروفيسور جيف شما‪ ،‬أستاذ الهندسة‬ ‫الكهربائية والمتحدث باسم هيئة التدريس‪ ،‬وطالبة الدكتوراه في الهندسة‬ ‫الكيميائية سماح محمد‪ ،‬المتحدثة باسم طلبة الجامعة‪ ،‬حيث ألقيا كلمتين‬ ‫ملهمتين عن رحلتيهما التعليمية وتجاربهما في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪.‬‬

‫المثابرة لبلوغ الهدف‬ ‫قالت طالبة الدكتوراه سماح محمد‪" :‬تقدمت بطلب االلتحاق بجامعة الملك‬ ‫عبداهلل ألول مرة في برنامج درجة الماجستير‪ ،‬ولم يكتب لي القبول إال‬ ‫أنِّ ي كنت مصممة على االلتحاق بالجامعة‪ ،‬فتقدمت فتقدمت مرة‬ ‫أخرى مرة أخرى بعد أن أتممت درجة الماجستير فتم قبولي في برنامج‬ ‫درجة الدكتوراه"‪.‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫عرضا من جامعتها‬ ‫وقبل التحاقها بجامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬تلقت سماح‬ ‫السابقة لمواصلة دراستها هناك‪ ،‬وقالت في هذا السياق‪" :‬كنت في‬ ‫حيرة من أمري للحظة‪ ،‬ولكن قرار التحاقي بجامعة الملك عبد اهلل‬ ‫ً‬ ‫سريعا بعد مراجعتي للفرص البحثية المتوفرة في‬ ‫للعلوم والتقنية جاء‬ ‫كلتا الجامعتين‪".‬‬ ‫وجدت الطالبة سماح فرصتها في مركز أبحاث االحتراق النظيف في‬ ‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪ ،‬حيث يشرف عليها األستاذ المشارك ماني ساراثي‪.‬‬

‫ً‬ ‫مؤثرا"‬ ‫"كن‬ ‫وتحدثت طالبة الدكتوراه سماح عن بداياتها في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫‪ ،‬حيث قالت‪" :‬بدأت أشعر بانتمائي لجامعة الملك عبداهلل منذ الوهلة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫أيضا أساهم‬ ‫األولى وكنت أنمو وأتعلم من كل تجربة أخوضها‪ .‬وكنت‬ ‫بشكل فاعل في تشكيل ونمو مجتمعنا وجامعتنا‪ .‬أوصيكم بأن تستفيدوا‬ ‫من كل وقتكم في جامعة الملك عبداهلل و أن تساهموا بفاعلية‬ ‫وتكونوا مؤثرين‪".‬‬

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‫‪www.kaust.edu.sa‬‬

‫"أطلقوا العنان لشغفكم"‬ ‫وقالت سماح إن جامعة الملك عبداهلل تولي أهمية كبيرة لجودة مخرجاتها‬ ‫بصرف النظر عن كميتها‪ ،‬وقالت مخاطبة الطلبة الجدد‪" :‬ينبغي عليكم‬ ‫تحديد المهارات أو المواهب التي تريدون تطويرها‪ .‬وتحديد نقاط الضعف‬ ‫التي تريدون تحسينها ونقاط القوة التي تريدون صقلها‪ .‬الجميع في جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل يعمل بجد للتأكد من الحصول على المعرفة والمهارات‬ ‫المطلوبة للتقدم في الحياة المهنية‪ .‬أنصحكم بأن تجعلوا شغفكم‬ ‫للعلم يقودكم إلى هدفكم المنشود‪ .‬فقد قادني إلى تحقيق‬ ‫طموحاتي ومكنني من الوصول إلى هذه اللحظة اليوم كي أروي‬ ‫لكم قصة نجاحي‪".‬‬

‫وأكدت سماح أن جامعة الملك عبداهلل ليست مجرد مؤسسة بحثية فقط‪،‬‬ ‫بل هي مكان إلثراء الطلبة من خالل برامج اإلثراء والفعاليات التي تقيمها‬ ‫ً‬ ‫فضال عن أنشطة مركز الطلبة ومجلس طلبة الدراسات العليا‪،‬‬ ‫خالل العام‬ ‫والمجموعات ذات االهتمام المشترك‪.‬‬ ‫وأوصت سماح الطلبة الجدد في ختام كلمتها بأن ينظروا لجامعة الملك‬ ‫ً‬ ‫فعال جزء منها‪ ،‬وأن يثمنوا هذا االنتماء‬ ‫عبداهلل على أنها جزء منهم ألنهم‬ ‫عبر تحقيق النجاح ألن نجاحهم هو نجاح لجامعة الملك عبداهلل‪.‬‬

‫رسالة طالب العلم‬ ‫شمة في كلمته إلى أن جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫وأشار البروفيسور جيف ّ‬ ‫للعلوم والتقنية ال تزال يافعة ً‬ ‫جدا‪ ،‬ولكنها اكتسبت وفي فترة قياسية‬ ‫التميز والتأثير البحثي على أعلى المستويات‪ ،‬وحث الطلبة الجدد‬ ‫سمعة‬ ‫ّ‬ ‫ً‬ ‫على المساهمة في رفع اسم الجامعة وأن يكونوا جزءا من رحلتها‬ ‫المتميزة‪ .‬ويقول البروفيسور جيف‪" :‬مهمتنا هنا هي طلب العلم‪ .‬وجامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل تمتلك كل المقومات التي ستمكنكم من تحقيق ذلك‬ ‫ً‬ ‫خصوصا أعضاء هيئة تدريسها المرموقين الذين سيرافقونكم في هذه‬ ‫الرحلة المتميزة وسيكونون لكم العون والسند لتحقيق أهدافكم‪".‬‬

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KAUST Core Labs launches Machinist Apprenticeship Development Program

By Sonia Turosienski

Three recent graduates of Yanbu Industrial College have joined the first intake of the Machinist Apprenticeship Development Program (MADP) designed and hosted by the KAUST Core Labs. The 18-month pilot program was created to develop technical capacity and expand knowledge through practical applications at the University's CMOR Harbor and Central Workshops.

Ali Al-Furshuti, Yaseer Al-Omrani and Moath Al-Omari, all three of the inaugural program students, finished at the top of their class in Manufacturing Technology Engineering.

Through the MADP, the Core Labs hope to develop the skills of local machinists like Al-Furshuti, Al-Omrani and Al-Omari to the level of a journeyman machinist. This is an important foundation, as it will enable the apprentice machinists to become master machinists and go on to independently run industrial workshop facilities in the future.

"This is part of a wider program of contributions to the Kingdom that aims to share the knowledge of our highly qualified staff," said Justin Lee Mynar, associate vice president for research and the executive director of the KAUST Core Labs.

The Core Labs team took inspiration from Saudi Aramco to develop the program. Mynar explained that the Core Labs aims to foster local talent. In general, Saudi companies and research facilities find it difficult to service and staff their workshops and often rely on foreign service providers.

"The knowledge apprentices take away from the program goes beyond the workshop," explained La Von Bennett, manager of the Central Workshops.

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THE BEACON | SEPTEMBER 2017

The apprentices are also enrolled in courses that improve resume writing and entrepreneurial and language skills.

English classes give them a well-rounded training program, further improving their employability.

"One of my dreams was to work in a place like KAUST with state-of-the-art technology and the highest degree of professionalism," Al-Furshuti said of his first impressions of the University. "People here are friendly and cooperative.

Everything you might need is within reach. Being at KAUST is really a dream come true."

One of my dreams was to work in a place like KAUST with state-of-the-art technology and the highest degree of professionalism."

-Ali Al-Furshuti, Machinist Apprenticeship Development Program student Al-Omari also described what he wants to achieve through the program.

"I hope to develop myself as a journeyman machinist and learn more about the CNC machines and CAM programs that are used at the KAUST machine shops in order to master the craft," he said.

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‫‪1. Apprentice machinists (from left to right) Yasser‬‬

‫‪Al-Omrani, Ali Al-Furshuti and Moath Al-Omari in the‬‬ ‫‪workshop. Photo by Lilit Hovhannisyan.‬‬

‫‪2. Apprentice machinists Yasser Al-Omrani, Ali‬‬ ‫‪Al-Furshuti and Moath Al-Omari work together in‬‬ ‫‪the workshop to advance their studies. Photo by Lilit‬‬ ‫‪Hovhannisyan.‬‬

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‫برنامج تطوير المهارات المهنية‬ ‫للمختبرات المركزية في جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬ ‫أطلقت المختبرات المركزية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬ ‫ً‬ ‫شهرا يهدف‬ ‫برنامج تطوير المهارات المهنية ‪ ،‬وهو برنامج تدريبي لمدة ‪١٨‬‬

‫ويشرح الفون بينيت‪ ،‬مدير ورش العمل المركزية أن المعرفة التي يتحصل‬ ‫عليها المتدرب في هذا البرنامج تتجاوز حدود ورشة العمل حيث يستطيع‬ ‫المتدرب حضور دورات تعليم كتابة السيرة الذاتية ومهارات ريادة األعمال‬ ‫ودروس اللغة اإلنجليزية وغيرها من المهارات األساسية التي تمنحهم‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫جيدا وترفع من فرص حصولهم على وظائف جيدة‪.‬‬ ‫تدريبيا‬ ‫برنامجا‬

‫وقد انضم ثالثة من أفضل خريجي كلية ينبع الصناعية في مجال هندسة‬ ‫تقنية التصنيع ألول دفعة في البرنامج التدريبي وهم‪ :‬علي الفرشوطي‪،‬‬ ‫وياسر العمراني‪ ،‬ومعاذ العمري‪ .‬وتأمل المختبرات المركزية في جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل عبر هذا البرنامج التدريبي تطوير مهارات هؤالء الميكانيكيين‬ ‫السعوديين ليصبحوا ميكانيكيين محترفين ويتمكنوا من تأسيس مرافقهم‬ ‫وورشة عملهم الصناعية المستقلة في المستقبل‪.‬‬

‫وقال المتدرب علي الفرشوطي‪" :‬كان أحد أحالمي العمل في مكان‬ ‫مثل جامعة الملك عبد اهلل للعلوم والتقنية التي تمتلك أحدث التقنيات‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫َ‬ ‫ومتعاونا‪ ،‬ومرافق وخدمات‬ ‫متميزا‬ ‫مجتمعا‬ ‫وأعلى درجات االحتراف وتضم‬ ‫متفوقة"‪ .‬وذكر المتدرب معاذ العمري‪ " :‬آمل أن أطور مهاراتي كمهندس‬ ‫محترف وأزيد من معرفتي عن تقنيات وآالت التصنيع باستخدام الحاسب‬ ‫اآللي التي تستخدم في ورش ومرافق جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم‬ ‫والتقنية"‪.‬‬

‫لتطوير الكوادر الوطنية في التخصصات التقنية والمهارات التطبيقية‬ ‫العملية في مختبر الموارد الساحلية والبحرية وورش العمل المركزية في‬ ‫الجامعة‪.‬‬

‫وقال الدكتور جوستين ماينار‪ ،‬نائب الرئيس المشارك لألبحاث والمدير‬ ‫التنفيذي للمختبرات المركزية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‪" :‬هذا البرنامج‬ ‫التدريبي هو جزء من برنامج أوسع تهدف الجامعة من خالله المساهمة‬ ‫ً‬ ‫ً‬ ‫جيدا باالستعانة‬ ‫تأهيال‬ ‫في تدريب وتطوير الكوادر السعودية وتأهيلها‬ ‫بخبرات الجامعة الكبيرة ومرافقها المتطورة"‪.‬‬ ‫و أشار الدكتور ماينار إلى أن المختبرات المركزية تهدف إلى تنمية وتعزيز‬ ‫ً‬ ‫دائما‬ ‫المواهب المحلية في الشركات والمرافق البحثية السعودية والتي‬ ‫تواجه صعوبة في تشغيل ورش عملها الخاصة وتدريب العاملين فيها‪،‬‬ ‫ً‬ ‫وغالبا ما تعتمد على مقدمي الخدمات األجانب‪.‬‬

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‫‪www.kaust.edu.sa‬‬

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The AQABA project: Measuring air quality by sea

By Meres J. Weche Perhaps unsurprisingly, dust is one of the main natural climate drivers for the Middle East. As part of a continuing effort to study the region's climate, KAUST has been collaborating with a joint research program called Air Quality and Climate Change in the Arabian Basin (AQABA). The program, which consists of many international institutions, aims to collect unique data on atmospheric dust and air pollution from aboard a marine research vessel.

The research vessel, which departed from Toulon, France, is traveling through the Mediterranean via the Suez Canal and around the Arabian peninsula to Kuwait. From June 10 to 12, the vessel made a stopover at KAUST en route to Kuwait.

Professor Georgiy L. Stenchikov, principal investigator in the KAUST Atmospheric and Climate Modeling group, organized a meeting where participants of the AQABA project gave presentations on the implications of their shared research.

This mission is a part of the joint KAUST/Max Planck Institute for Chemistry CRG3 project.

12

THE BEACON | SEPTEMBER 2017

The impact of dust During the meeting, Professor Johannes Lelieveld, director of the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, spoke about the significant impact that air pollution has on health. As Lelieveld explained, it is not widely known that air pollution is behind respiratory illnesses and lung cancer cases worldwide.

Stenchikov, who opened the meeting, discussed how dust deposition measurements have important ramifications for the renewable energy sector—both solar and wind—and in particular how dust deposition on solar panels can hinder performance.

“Dust mass balance is poorly known. Observations of dust depositions and emission are required,” Stenchikov said.

Professor Stephan Borrmann, who is also from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry, focused his talk on the physical and chemical aerosol measurements during the AQABA campaign.

He spoke about aerosol composition measurements on the boat by mass spectroscopy through the analysis of maritime aerosol and desert dust.

2

1. KAUST Professor Georgiy Stenchikov, principal

investigator in the University's Atmospheric and Climate Modeling group, speaks during a meeting held for participants of the AQABA project.

2. Participants of the AQABA project listen to a presentation by KAUST Professor Georgiy Stenchikov on the University's campus.

By sea and by air An interesting aspect of the AQABA campaign is the use of weekly unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) flights to observe the vertical composition of the atmosphere. AQABA project member Dr. Christos Keleshis from The Cyprus Institute explained during his talk that these UAV routine observations will be performed continuously for all of 2017. Keleshis had previously performed a similar yearlong UAV-based observation in Cyprus.

The list of collaborating institutions includes KAUST; the General Authority for Meteorology and Environment; King Saud University; the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Germany); the University of Cairo; the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research; Zayed University (U.A.E.); the Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute; the University of California, San Diego; the National Center for Scientific Research (France); Hays Ships (U.K.); and The Cyprus Institute.

www.kaust.edu.sa

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1

Alumni focus

By David Murphy

Dinorath Olvera

Eric Martin

Dinorath Olvera describes her time in KAUST as enlightening and enriching, both academically and professionally.

Eric Martin graduated from KAUST in December 2010 as part of the University’s first graduating class with a master’s degree in environmental science and engineering, and describes himself as an “a millennial, an entrepreneur and a ‘family first’ kind of guy.”

“KAUST opened my vision to many unknown possibilities and enlightened me in science,” she said.

Olvera graduated from KAUST with a master’s degree in chemical and biological engineering in 2011 and is currently completing her Ph.D. at the Centre for Bioengineering at Trinity College Dublin. Her research interests are in developing biomaterials and functional approaches to regenerate tissues, and she is currently looking for a postdoctoral position in tissue engineering.

Olvera hopes that she can start in the field of tissue engineering immediately after her Ph.D., as she feels it is an area full of exciting developments.

Prior to KAUST, she studied at the Monterrey Institute of Technology (ITESM) in Mexico, where she completed her bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering. Olvera said that the research program offered at KAUST coupled with the University’s unique location and the promise of cutting-edge facilities was extremely appealing for her.

“I was excited by the Core Labs facilities and by the ease of access and communication among the laboratories.

I was enlightened and inspired by my colleagues and other students in KAUST who are truly talented people,” she noted. “The friends I made during my time in KAUST are undoubtedly among the best friends I have.

Enrichment came from the people I worked with and befriended.”

Olvera also spoke at the 2017 Winter Enrichment Program Alumni Lecture Series, and feels that the best advice for current students is to “talk about your research with your work colleagues and to the broader KAUST community. The beauty of it is that the community is relatively small, so chances are you will expand your academic network very fast and find help when you need it,” she noted.

14

THE BEACON | SEPTEMBER 2017

He joined KAUST in 2009 from the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he studied mechanical engineering. During his time at KAUST, he also helped establish and manage the University’s VentureLab accelerator program.

Martin currently finds himself in the middle of a new chapter in his professional career, having recently made the switch from product and engineering to sales. He now works as an account executive as part of a sales team for a venture capital-backed tech company called DataFox based in Silicon Valley.

“I decided to go to KAUST for the adventure and to be a part of something special. I had studied abroad twice during my undergraduate education, and I was riding a high on international living,” he said.

“My time at KAUST was one of learning, growth and struggle. Being part of the founding class was perfect for me. Very few things had been established or built when I was at KAUST, and so there was an opportunity to really help shape the University. I seized many of these opportunities and got to learn by both invention and experimentation. It wasn’t always easy, but I think in the long run it strengthened me and made me a little more business savvy,” he added.

Martin feels that everyone’s time at KAUST represents a unique chapter in their lives—a chapter they should embrace—no matter how high or low the experience may be. He believes that a student's time on campus is a unique opportunity that is simply not available universally.

“Not everyone gets the opportunity to live and study in such a unique environment, and it’s a very leverageable story—no matter what type of professional career you decide to pursue," he said.

2

3

4

1. KAUST alumna Dinorath Olvera 2. KAUST alumnus Eric Martin 3. KAUST alumnus Simon Maher 4. KAUST alumnus Pedro De La Torre

Simon Maher

Pedro De La Torre

Simon Maher is currently an assistant professor of sensors and analytical instrumentation in the Department of Electrical Engineering & Electronics at the University of Liverpool, U.K. Maher graduated from KAUST in 2010 with a master’s degree in electrical engineering.

Pedro De La Torre describes himself as someone who is proactive and enjoys working in science and sharing what he learns. De La Torre, an autonomous marine operations engineer, graduated from KAUST in 2014 with a Ph.D. in marine science, and currently works at the applied Underwater Robotics Laboratory (AURlab) at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) and the University of Tromsø (UiT) in Norway.

After KAUST, he went on to complete his Ph.D. from the University of Liverpool in 2013. Maher has held positions at the University of Oxford, AMOLF, Ohio State University and Tata Steel. He was a co-founder and director of the U.K. charity Caring Alone, receiving a Community Impact Award from the Prince of Wales for services to young caregivers.

Academically speaking, Maher misses the wide range of research facilities available at KAUST and being part of a graduate school environment where everyone is focused on research.

“I have fond memories of time spent with friends and family in the diner, at the beach and fun times bartering in Al-Balad. I remember one time we were flown out to an Aramco plant in the Empty Quarter which was really interesting. I also miss playing football late in the evenings and into the early morning hours and trying to find time to watch Liverpool F.C. between classes on Saturdays and Sundays,” he said.

His advice to those currently studying at KAUST is similar to the advice he now gives to his own students: “Some people say, ‘Don’t work harder, work smarter,’ but I say, ‘Work harder and smarter.’”

The adventure of living in Saudi Arabia with the natural laboratory of the Red Sea close at hand was one of the main reasons De La Torre cites for joining KAUST from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education in Mexico City in January of 2010.

“I joined KAUST for the adventure of living in Saudi Arabia because the University has the Red Sea next to it and it is a new, modern university with many opportunities to learn,” De La Torre said.

“KAUST helped in shaping my current life in almost all aspects. I had the opportunity to learn about different fields in marine science and determined which one I liked best. I learned about a niche for developing technology to assist scientists to make discoveries. It was a five-year, intense learning lifestyle. I had excellent professors at KAUST and their teachings have been a key help in the field that I currently work in,” he continued.

In his current role, De La Torre takes care of marine research vehicles and assists in the design and manufacture of new marine equipment. His skills have allowed him to participate in research projects such as Kon-Tiki2—the goal of which was to show that primitive balsa wood rafts loaded with modern equipment can be sailed across long distances (from Peru to Easter Island) and to collect scientific data in the southeast Pacific.

He is currently involved in a project called Arctic ABC with the University of Tromsø, where De La Torre and his colleagues are monitoring ice layers in the North Pole.

“My time at KAUST helped me to develop communication skills useful to link scientists that study the Arctic region and engineers that build machines,” he said.

De La Torre’s advice to current KAUST students is to have a plan for what you do after you are finished at KAUST and to be ready for comes after it.

“You have to be patient and constant when applying for what you want,” he said.

www.kaust.edu.sa

15

My University Mustafa Rahman Mustafa Rahman, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering, was born and raised in Hyderabad, India. Before coming to KAUST, Rahman lived in Mumbai for five years, where he completed integrated bachelor's and master's degrees in aerospace engineering at IIT Bombay. Rahman's area of research at the University is in the analysis of sandstorms in terms of fluid dynamics, and he works under Professor Ravi Samtaney.

"I was initially drawn to KAUST because of the state-of-the-art research facilities and the numerous world-class faculty members. KAUST has provided access to great research tools such as the Shaheen supercomputer, which has assisted my research," Rahman said.

Rahman's passion for computing doesn't stop when he's not at work.

"My colleagues and I have recently started building and experimenting with desktop supercomputers, which has become a newfound hobby.

We've created a cost-effective, easy-to-use, user-manageable, vertically and horizontally scalable high-performance computing cluster for various computational needs," he explained.

When he's not working with supercomputers, Rahman enjoys reading, cooking and volunteering in the community.

"One thing that surprised me about Saudi Arabia was the number of restaurants and cuisine options," he noted. "I enjoy KAUST for its emphasis on providing a clean environment and great food and being able to drink Arabic coffee under the open sky on campus."

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KAUST community football team wins fourth annual International Organizations Football Championship

By David Murphy Congratulations to the KAUST community football team for winning this year’s fourth annual International Organizations Football Championship. The KAUST team, which has won the tournament two years running, overcame the Islamic Corporation for the Development of the Private Sector (ICD) team 1-0 in a tense tournament final held on May 10 at the Greenlawns ground in Jeddah.

The annual event, which is held to celebrate the 42nd annual meeting to discuss development issues and institutional matters of the Islamic Development Bank Group, saw the defending champions top their group unbeaten, recording victories against the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) team 4-0; the Al-Rajhi Bank team 8-3; and the International Islamic Relief Organization (IRO) team 5-1 before a commanding 7-2 dismantling of the International Islamic Trade Finance Corporation (ICTF) team in the tournament's semi-final.

“I would like to thank the players who gave a lot of their time to represent the KAUST football team," said Mustafa Mousa, the KAUST team captain and a KAUST Ph.D. graduate in electrical engineering."We played really well in every game and continued to battle to the end and hold on to win the tournament in the most difficult final we have played to date."

Congratulations to: Octavio Salazar (GK) (Mexico)

Richard Davies (U.K.)

Bertrand Rosmade (France)

Fathi Alshehri (Saudi Arabia)

Hussain Alhaji (Saudi Arabia)

Amer Bralic (Montenegro)

Gustavo Ramirez (Colombia)

Mustafa Mousa (Captain) (Egypt)

Nico Augsburger (Uruguay)

Davide Priante (Italy)

Maxime Babics (France)

Roberto Arrigoni (Italy)

Rodrigo Telles (Brazil)

Marios Neophyte (GK) (Cyprus)

The KAUST ICD tournament results: This month’s submission comes from Abdul Latif, lead data architect in KAUST Research & Computing Infrastructure, and Stanislav Flachs, systems lead in Research & Computing Infrastructure. The duo hiked the Sólheimajökull (pronounced "sole-hi-ma-yo-coot-luh") Glacier located two hours east of Reykjavik, Iceland, during the last week of June, and stopped to read The Beacon there.

Group results:

Semi-final (May 7)

KAUST 4-0 IDB

KAUST 7-2 ITFC

KAUST 8-3 Alrajhi Bank

Final (May 10)

KAUST 5-1 IRO

KAUST 1-0 IC

The Sólheimajökull glacier unfurls from the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap on the southern coast of Iceland, which covers part of the Katla volcano.

However, global warming is taking its toll on the glacier.

“It was awesome drinking the purest of waters from the little streams formed by melting ice, but it was also sad knowing that every year a part of the glacier is retreating and disappearing,” Latif said.

Latif and Flachs set off to Iceland to cross the freezing cold Silfra Fissure from their diving bucket list and test their newly acquired dry suit diving skills. The hiking-diving team described Iceland as “a living, breathing geographical lab. The contrasts are everywhere, from frigid glacier-fed lakes to bubbling geothermal pools. It is intensely beautiful!”

For budding geographers, Latif added, “Don’t read a geography book, just visit Iceland!"

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THE BEACON | SEPTEMBER 2017

2 1, 2. The KAUST community football team won the fourth annual International Organizations Football Championship held in Jeddah on May 10.