AWARDING FACULTY FOR RESEARCH AND INNOVATION

KAUST researchers and innovators have received prestigious prizes and new positions

In the first six months of 2023, multiple KAUST faculty members have been presented with international prizes recognizing their work. Others have been awarded prestigious new roles at KAUST, following a year of successful research and innovation.

Niveen Khashab Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize in Supramolecular Chemistry

In February 2023, Niveen Khashab, Professor of Chemistry and Chemistry Program Chair, was awarded the 2023 Cram Lehn Pedersen Prize in Supramolecular Chemistry, one of the top international awards in this field. Khashab specializes in the design, synthesis and application of smart programmable nanomaterials for smart vaccination and precision agriculture.

Peter Markowich Institute of Physics

Peter Markowich, Distinguished Professor of Applied Mathematics and Computational Science, was elected a Fellow of the Institute of Physics for his impact on the sector. His research applies differential equations to physics, artificial intelligence, biology and engineering.

Peng Wang

Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award

Peng Wang, Professor of Environmental Science and Engineering, was presented with the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum Global Water Award in 2023 by the UAE Water Aid Foundation (Suqia UAE). He was awarded for research that uses renewable energy to produce clean drinking water, in response to water scarcity.

Islam Ashry National Academy of Inventors

Islam Ashry, Research Scientist at the KAUST Photonics Laboratory, was included in the National Academy of Inventors’ 2023 class of Senior Members. The academy awarded 95 of the foremost emerging academic inventors from member institutions who have demonstrated innovation-producing technologies that have brought or aspire to bring real impact on society.

In April 2023, Carlos Duarte, Distinguished Professor of Marine Science and Tarek Ahmed Juffali Research Chair in Red Sea Ecology, received this year’s MadBlue Five Oceans Award in the research category for his contribution to advancing marine conservation. It recognizes the work of people and institutions to protect the planet and its inhabitants through sustainable development.

Suzana Nunes L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science

Suzana Nunes, Professor of Chemical and Environmental Science and Engineering, and Vice Provost for Faculty and Academic Affairs, has been named a 2023 L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Laureate for Africa and the Arab States. Nunes was recognized for her innovative research aimed at improving water purification.

UNESCO

“She is inspiring the next generation of scientists to pursue research in environmental sustainability through her creative work and leadership initiatives.”

L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science International Awards

Jinchao Xu, Peter Markowich & Jurgen Kosel Academia Europaea

This year, KAUST CESME division professors Jinchao Xu, Peter Markowich and Jurgen Kosel were all invited to join Academia Europaea, alongside 349 international scholars in the four classes of humanities, social and related sciences, exact sciences and life sciences. The Academia Europaea promotes European research, advises governments and international organizations on scientific matters and furthers interdisciplinary and international research.

Qiaoqiang Gan

International Society for Optics and Photonics

Qiaoqiang Gan, Professor of Material Science and Engineering, has been elected a member of the 2023 Fellows Class of the International Society for Optics and Photonics, whose mission is to collaborate with researchers, educators and industry to advance light-based research and technologies.

Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Boon Ooi was named a Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers in January 2023, in recognition of his contributions in the field of broadband light emitters and visible light communications.

Marc Genton Royal Statistical Society

Marc Genton, Distinguished Professor of Statistics, won the Royal Statistical Society 2023 Barnett Award, a prize aimed at recognizing outstanding contributions to the field of environmental statistics. He was recognized for his work in spatial and spatio-temporal statistics in environmental problems, with almost 300 publications garnering over 14,600 citations. The Royal Statistical Society International Conference is one of the premier knowledge-sharing and networking events for those interested in statistics and data science.