Capturing Carbon Using Cryogenic Technology

RECOGNIZING GLOBAL CHANGE MAKERS

The inaugural Alumni Change Makers Awards event honors KAUST graduates who are making a difference

As KAUST’s alumni community grows and gains critical mass, an increasing number of graduates have gone on to play prominent roles in their professional lives as entrepreneurs and academics, and in other leadership positions. KAUST reached out to the community to nominate alumni demonstrating sustained impacts in their work, and more than 100 names were submitted for consideration. Ten were selected for recognition at a dinner gala on November 4, 2022.

The following alumni also earned accolades at the event: • Abeer Al Doghaither, who earned a PhD in 2015, was recognized for her role as president of Dar Al-Hekma University, in Jeddah. • Lina Eyouni, a PhD holder who graduated in 2021, is working as a physical-science environmental manager at The Red Sea Development Company, which is developing a tourism giga-project on the Red Sea. • Yasmeen Nahm, holder of a PhD and master’s degree from KAUST, is now the innovation lead for hydrogen and e-fuels at the NEOM smart city project, aiming to reduce greenhouse-gas emissions. • Luca Passone, holder of a PhD and master’s degree from KAUST, is the co-founder, chief technology officer and general manager of the local startup FalconViz, which focuses on surveys and maps. • Aubrie O’Rourke, who earned a PhD in 2015, is now working as a project scientist at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s Kennedy Space Center in the United States. • Jian Pan, president of KAUST’s Chinese Alumni Chapter, facilitated the group’s donation of 2,000 surgical masks to the university’s frontline workers early in the pandemic, when masks were in short supply. • Yu Li, who holds a PhD and a master’s degree, is employed as an assistant professor at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, and was honored for his research that helped to develop computational tools to identify antibiotic-resistant genes. He was recognized in Forbes Magazine’s “30 Under 30 Asia” list in 2022 for his research.

KAUST ALUMNUS

“When the King announced KAUST, the dream came true for me. Receiving a world-class education from a reputable University while being next to my family is what I was looking for.”

Ahmad Showail, Assistant Professor of Computer Engineering, Taibah University Ahmad Showail

The Leadership and Impact Award was given to Ahmad Showail, who earned a PhD in 2016 and a master’s degree in 2010. He has gone on to become an assistant professor of computer engineering at Taibah University, in Madinah, Saudi Arabia, and is currently working at the University of California-Irvine as a Fulbright Scholar in collaboration with another KAUST alumnus, Dr. Faisal Nawab. The pair are developing internet-of-things software solutions to securely help the country manage pilgrims in Madinah.

Luisa Javier

The Research, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Award winner went to Luisa Javier, who earned her PhD in 2011 and is now the CEO and co-founder of Wayakit, a Saudi Arabia-based startup offering biotech cleaning and disinfection solutions.

LEA SUBLETT Manager, Alumni Affairs

KAUST’S GLOBAL ALUMNI COMMUNITY OF 2,500 IS EXTRAORDINARY. OUR PHD AND MASTER’S OF SCIENCE GRADUATES ARE CREATING IMPACT IN SO MANY SPHERES OF LIFE – FROM CLIMATE CHANGE AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP, TO SAVING LIVES THROUGH CUTTING-EDGE RESEARCH. I AM TRULY PROUD OF THIS COMMUNITY.

Grant Hill-Cawthorne

The Social Impact Award went to Grant Hill-Cawthorne, who graduated with a PhD in bioscience in 2015 and is now working in a prominent role in the Government of the United Kingdom as the managing director of Research and Information and House of Commons librarian. Hill-Cawthorne’s background in virology was crucial during the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing for rapid-response research for the Parliament and keeping the building and lawmakers safe from the virus.