2014 June Beacon

King Abdullah University of Science and Technology

BEACON ‫املنـارة‬ at Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

June 2014 / Shaban 1435 Volume 4, Issue No. 9

the

www.kaust.edu.sa

NATURE-INSPIRED ADVANCES IN SILICON ELECTRONICS D10488

Vol. 26 • No. 18 • May 14 • 2014

www.advmat.de

From L-R: Solar Center Director Karl Leo, President Jean-Lou Chameau, Vice Chairman of Rawabi Holding Ali Abdulaziz AlTurki, Vice President for Research Jean Fréchet, and Dean of Physical Sciences and Engineering Yves Gnanou.

KAUST SOLAR CENTER OFFICIALLY INAUGURATED “IT’S OBVIOUS that solar energy has a major potential for the Kingdom,” said Professor Karl Leo, Director of the recently inaugurated Solar & Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center (SPERC). The April inauguration and two-day seminar brought together some of the world’s top leaders in solar energy.

Underlying the importance of combining basic research with an application-led industry focus, Prof. Leo expounded: “The message I want to transmit with this inauguration is that the Solar Center is about basic research, but it’s also closely working with Economic ADMA_26_18_cover.indd 1

21/04/14 8:40 PM

Image credit: GA Torres Sevilla; JP Rojas; HM Fahad; AM Hussain; R Ghanem; CE Smith; MM Hussain: Flexible and Transparent Silicon-on-Polymer Based Sub-20 nm Non-planar 3D FinFET For Brain-Architecture Inspired Computation. Advanced Materials.

2014. 26. 2794-2799. Copyright Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA. Reproduced with permission.

Development. KAUST should become the hot spot in renewables and photovoltaics in the country and the region.”

The first day was focused on basic research and concentrated on one specific photovoltaic technology, Copper Indium Diselenide (CIGS), which is a semiconductor material composed of copper, indium, gallium, and selenium. CIGS is an alternate solar cell material used in thin-film photovoltaic technology. It can

REPRESENTING 90% of the digital electronics market, silicon

effectively be deposited onto highly flexible substrates, making it

electronics are instrumental in the development and the future

possible to devise such things as lightweight solar panels.

of consumer electronics and the digital world. As people have become increasingly used to integrating advanced digital

On the second day, industry-focused meetings were held KAUST SOLAR CENTER| Continued on p2

‫مركز أحباث الطاقة الشمسية يف جامعة امللك‬ ‫ حنو طاقة املستقبل‬: ‫عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬ ‫شهد الشهر الماضي حفل افتتاح مركز أبحاث هندسة الطاقة الشمسية‬ ‫ وتضمنت فعاليات االفتتاح‬.‫والخاليا الضوئية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫ندوة علمية استمرت لمدة يومين وحضرها نخبة من رواد العلماء‬ ‫ وألقى مدير المركز الجديد‬.‫والباحثين في مجال الطاقة الشمسية‬ ‫ كلمة بهذه المناسبة تحدث فيها عن أهمية الطاقة‬،‫البروفيسور كارل ليو‬ ‫ال‬ ً ‫الشمسية للمملكة العربية السعودية ودور جامعة الملك عبداهلل ممث‬ ‫في مركز أبحاث هندسة الطاقة الشمسية والخاليا الضوئية في دعم‬ ‫الصناعة عبر األبحاث األساسية وبالتالي اإلسهام في التنمية االقتصادية‬ ‫ "ستكون جامعة الملك عبداهلل مركزًا رائدًا في مجال الطاقة‬:‫حيث قال‬ ."‫المتجددة والخاليا الضوئية في المملكة‬ ‫تركزت موضوعات اليوم األول للندوة على األبحاث األساسية وبالتحديد‬ ‫ وهي عبارة‬،)CIGS( ‫على أبحاث وتطوير تقنية خاصة للخاليا الشمسية تدعى‬ ‫عن مركب أشباه موصالت مكونة من عناصر النحاس واألنديوم والغاليوم‬ ‫والسيلينيوم ويستخدم كمادة بديلة في تقنية األفالم الضوئية الرقيقة‬ ‫بحيث يشكل ركائز مرنة للغاية يمكن تصنيعها بصورة ألواح شمسية خفيفة‬ ‫ وتم تخصيص اليوم الثاني للندوة لموضوعات الصناعة حيث تم عقد‬.‫الوزن‬ ‫اجتماعات بين ممثلي بعض الشركات الرائدة في العالم في مجال أبحاث‬ ‫الطاقة الشمسية تخللتها نقاشات حول التطوير الفعال لصناعات الطاقة‬ .‫الشمسية في المملكة و دور الحكومة في تسريع هذه العملية‬ 2 ‫تتمه صفحة‬

devices into their everyday lives while on the go, the future belongs to ultra-mobile and flexible computational devices.

In a paper recently published as the cover article in Advanced Materials entitled “Flexible and Transparent Silicon-on-Polymer Based Sub-20 nm Non-planar 3D FinFET for Brain-Architecture Inspired Computation” (doi: 10.1002/adma.201305309), Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Dr. Muhammad Hussain and his team outlined their groundbreaking research in silicon-based electronics inspired by the human brain. “Our process sets a major step towards the integration of state-of-the-art high performance devices for ultra-mobile brain-inspired foldable computers or

‫توليد الطاقة من خالل‬ ‫اللعاب البشري‬ KAUST GROUP’S SALIVA-POWERED MICROBIAL FUEL CELL PROVIDES NOVEL POWER GENERATION SOURCE

ICs,” they explain.

Much like earlier scientists who were inspired by nature

“CLEAN water is a necessity for a sustainable future,” says KAUST

to define their research, Prof. Hussain’s team carefully

Associate Professor of Electrical Engineering Muhammad Mustafa

observed the human brain. They mainly focused on the

Hussain. “However, with the growing global population, the water

brain’s surface, the cortex, and how its folded architecture

crisis is increasing. Current water purification technologies are energy-

helps to compact its size. “The brain has billions of neurons.

intensive to use, and the countries that will face water shortages in the

And each neuron can be considered as the equivalent to

future will also have to face a huge power requirement to obtain clean

a state-of-the-art transistor,” said Prof. Hussain. By taking

water.” Prof. Hussain’s Integrated Nanotechnology Lab research group

the world’s most advanced transistors built at KAUST and

has been investigating a complementary and unique solution to this

devising ultra-thin and flexible substrates to house them,

energy challenge: microbial fuel cells (MFCs).

the research group was able to develop the world’s first

MFCs are miniature power generators containing electrogenic

three-dimensional FinFET on a flexible platform without

bacteria that consume waste and release electrons. “If these

losing the integration density or performance.

NATURE-INSPIRED ADVANCES | Continued on p6

electrons are collected properly, they make the cell self-powered or

INSIDE:

News 1-5

KAUST GROUP’S SALIVA | Continued on p7

Research 6-7

Prof. Muhammad Mustafa Hussain and team’s salivapowered microbial fuel cell is displayed for size next to a Saudi 50 halala coin.

‫ أستاذ مشارك في قسم الهندسة‬،‫يقول البروفيسور محمد مصطفى حسين‬ ‫ "الماء النقي مصدر‬:،‫الكهربائية بجامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم و التقنية‬ ‫ ولكننا بصدد مواجهة أزمة مياه كبيرة‬.‫ضروري لتأمين مستقبل مستدام‬ ‫ كما أن تقنيات تنقية المياه الحالية‬.‫نتيجة التزايد المضطرد لسكان العالم‬ ‫ال‬ ً ‫تستهلك طاقة كبيرة جدًا مما سيشكل أزمة كبيرة في الطاقة مستقب‬ ‫ ويقوم فريق أبحاث‬."‫خصوصًا في البلدان التي تواجه نقصًا كبيرًا في المياه‬ ‫مختبر تقنية النانو للبروفيسور حسين بالقيام بأبحاث فريدة لمواجهة مثل‬ ‫ وهي عبارة عن‬، )MFCs( ‫هذا التحدي عبر استخدام خاليا الوقود الحيوية‬ ‫مولدات كهربائية صغيرة تحتوي على بكتيريا خاصة تتغذى على المواد‬ ‫ و يشرح البروفيسور حسين أنه‬.‫العضوية والنفايات وتنتج اإللكترونات‬ ‫في حال تمكنهم من تطوير طريقة لجمع هذه اإللكترونات المنبعثة من‬ .‫البكتيريا بكفاءة عالية فسيمكنهم عندها جعل هذه الخاليا ذاتية الطاقة‬

7 ‫تتمه صفحة‬

Community 8

2

News

June 2014

The Beacon

IN CASE you’ve been busy with research, studies, and work, the end of the 2014 academic year

On pages 1 and 6-7, read about KAUST research that is making big headlines in Advanced

has been an exciting time. In April a stirring inauguration ceremony was held for the Solar

Materials and Nature Asia Materials. Research groups led by Prof. Muhammad Mustafa Hussain

& Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center (SPERC). In May 185 KAUST employees were

are breaking ground in silicon-based electronics and microbial fuel cells.

formally recognized for five years of service to the university. A gala was also held in May to

This issue also covers an important milestone for the university community—the formation of

celebrate the accomplishments of our university’s faculty and to formally welcome our newest

the first KAUST alumni chapter, which was announced by President Jean-Lou Chameau at an

faculty members.

event hosted by Saudi Aramco in April.  —THE BEACON Editorial

The Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 9, June 2014. Published by The Communications Department, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal 23955-6900, Saudi Arabia. Contact Salah Sindi salah.sindi@kaust.edu.sa, or Michelle D'Antoni michelle.dantoni@kaust.edu.sa © King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. Printed on partially recycled paper.

:‫تتمة الصفحة األولى‬

KAUST SOLAR CENTER| | Continued from p1 amongst representatives of some of the world’s leading

are also bringing in new postdocs and research scientists.

companies in the field present at KAUST for the SPERC

Given Saudi Arabia’s prime location for the study of solar

inauguration. The topics of discussion focused on how the

energy and the growing global interest in renewables,

solar energy manufacturing industry can be effectively

KAUST’s Solar Center is attracting a lot of international

developed in Saudi Arabia and also how the government

interest, including from potential students.

can enact policies and intervene to speed up the process.

KAUST AS A GLOBAL HUB OF SOLAR RESEARCH

THE IMPORTANCE OF PHOTOVOLTAICS FOR THE KINGDOM

In addition to celebrating the opening of KAUST’s

Due to the Kingdom’s rich resources in fossil fuels,

world-class laboratory facilities, the inauguration also

solar energy has not always been a central focus in

resulted in a noteworthy memorandum of understanding

Saudi Arabia, but “this has drastically changed” as Prof.

between the University and the Stuttgart-based Centre for

Leo explained. He points to King Abdullah City for

Solar Energy and Hydrogen Research Baden-Württemberg

Atomic and Renewable Energy (K.A. CARE) as a clear

(ZSW) to develop thin-film photovoltaic technology.

sign of the government’s commitment to push forward

ZSW, represented at the inauguration by Prof. Michael

with renewable energy and, as K.A. CARE's mission

Powalla, is the current world-record holder in thin-film

states, to “build a sustainable future for Saudi Arabia.”

photovoltaics cells efficiency - recently achieving an

Speakers at the SPERC seminar demonstrated that

efficiency rate of 20.8%. “Our first step will be to establish

if Saudi Arabia would produce its electricity by solar

their world-record technology here at KAUST to be on par

instead of burning oil and gas, the Kingdom would save

with them, and then move in new directions such as cells

a significant amount of money even today. The return

made from abundant materials” said Prof. Leo. Another

on investment would be positive and very high.

center collaboration is with Rawabi Holding, a leading

With his three decades of experience in photovolataics

industrial player in the region for over thirty years, which

research and industry, Prof. Leo said he was “very much

established the Rawabi Holding Research Chair in Solar

impressed with how PV technology is taking off in the

and Photovoltaics Engineering.

Kingdom.” Many local companies are now preparing

“When KAUST was founded, it was clear that the Solar

activities and manufacturing in the sector. Prof. Leo

Center should be an important part of KAUST,” said Prof.

believes this places KAUST’s Solar Center at “the center

Leo. Since the decision was made in 2010 to start building

in the Kingdom and the region on this topic.”

it, it has developed extensively. Today, the center boasts

Prof. Leo explained that SPERC's short-term goal is to

300 square meters of laboratory facilities, including a

“concentrate on photovoltaics and all direct electricity

large and well-equipped clean room lab, a laser lab, and a

generation from the sun.” In the mid- to long-term

fine lab for thin film printing. “These labs were basically

range, the plan is to expand the center’s topics –

completed and commissioned last summer or fall; so now

mainly on energy storage and energy conservation.

the Solar Center is picking up speed and we are also in

As Prof. Leo explained, “The biggest disadvantage of

the process of expanding faculty,” Prof. Leo said.

photovoltaics is that you can only generate energy as

SPERC currently has seven faculty members, with three

long as the sun is shining; but if it doesn’t shine you

focusing mainly on photovoltaics. More faculty members

are limited. Therefore, in the long term, you need also

are in the process of joining, and active recruiting efforts

storage technologies.” 

NEO OPEN AFTERNOON SHOWCASES RENEWABLE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES

‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل كمركز عالمي ألبحاث الطاقة الشمسية‬

‫كما شملت فعاليات افتتاح مركز أبحاث هندسة الطاقة الشمسية والخاليا الضوئية في جامعة‬ ‫الملك عبداهلل حدثًا مهمًا وهو توقيع مذكرة تفاهم بين جامعة الملك عبداهلل ومركز األبحاث‬ ‫ وتنص هذه المذكرة على تفعيل شراكة‬.‫األلماني للطاقة الشمسية والهيدروجين بادن فورتمبيرغ‬ ‫تعاونية بين جامعة الملك عبداهلل و مركز األبحاث األلماني في مجال تقنية أفالم الخاليا‬ ‫ وقام البروفيسور مايكل بواال بتمثيل مركز األبحاث األلماني للطاقة الشمسية‬.‫الضوئية الرقيقة‬ ‫ وهو أحد العلماء العاملين في مجال رفع كفاءة أفالم الخاليا‬،‫والهيدروجين بادن فورتمبيرغ‬ ‫ وأشاد البروفيسور‬.20.8% ‫الضوئية الرقيقة حيث حققت أبحاثه معدل كفاءة قياسي وعالمي بلغ‬ ‫ "ستكون خطوتنا األولى في مركز أبحاث هندسة الطاقة الشمسية‬:‫ليو بهذا المعدل بقوله‬ ."‫والخاليا الضوئية هي تأسيس هذه التقنية العالمية وتطويرها في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫ثم تحدث البروفيسور ليو عن دور المركز الجديد وكيف تطور بصورة كبيرة منذ البدء بإنشائه‬ ‫ متر مربع من المرافق والمختبرات بما في ذلك‬300 ‫ فأصبح يغطي اليوم‬.2010 ‫أول مرة في عام‬ ‫ال عن‬ ً ‫ فض‬،‫ ومختبر تقنية الليزر‬،‫مختبر الغرفة النظيفة الكبير والمجهزة بأحدث التجهيزات‬ ‫ ثالثة منهم‬،‫ كما يضم حاليًا سبعة من أعضاء هيئة التدريس‬.‫مختبر لطباعة األفالم الرقيقة‬ ‫ وهناك جهود تجري اآلن لزيادة عدد أعضاء هيئة التدريس والعلماء‬.‫في مجال الخاليا الضوئية‬ ‫ وأصبح مركز أبحاث هندسة الطاقة الشمسية والخاليا‬.‫وباحثي ما بعد الدكتوراه في المركز‬ ‫الضوئية في جامعة الملك عبداهلل يحظى باهتمام عالمي واسع ويجذب العديد من الطلبة‬ ‫المهتمين في هذا المجال نظر ًا للموقع االستراتيجي للمملكة وتزايد االهتمام العالمي بمصادر‬ .‫الطاقة المتجددة‬

‫أهمية الطاقة الشمسية للمملكة‬

‫تحظ الطاقة الشمسية باهتمام كبير في المملكة العربية السعودية بسبب وفرة الموارد‬ ‫لم‬ َ ‫ واستشهد بمدينة‬.‫ ولكن وفقًا للبروفيسور ليو فإن هذا الوضع قد تغير بشكل جذري‬.‫النفطية‬ ‫ كعالمة واضحة على التزام حكومة‬،)K.A.Care( ‫الملك عبداهلل للطاقة الذرية والمتجددة‬ ‫ كما‬.‫المملكة في المضي قدمًا نحو الطاقة المتجددة من أجل بناء مستقبل مستدام للمملكة‬ ‫تطرق المتحدثون في الندوة إلى وفرة الطاقة الشمسية في المملكة وأنه إذا تم استغاللها بصورة‬ ‫ مما قد‬،‫ال من حرق النفط والغاز‬ ً ‫كبيرة فيمكن عندها إنتاج الكهرباء من الطاقة الشمسية بد‬ .‫يوفر الكثير من األموال و يعود بالنفع على االستثمارات في المملكة‬ ‫وقال البروفيسور كارل ليو ذو الخبرة الممتدة لثالثة عقود في األبحاث والصناعة في مجال‬ ‫ إنه أعجب كثير ًا بتطور ونمو تقنيات الطاقة الشمسية في‬،‫الطاقة الشمسية و الخاليا الضوئية‬ ‫المملكة حيث يوجد اهتمام كبير من قبل العديد من الشركات المحلية والقطاع الصناعي في‬ ‫هذا المجال مما يؤكد على الدور الكبير والقيادي لمركز جامعة الملك عبداهلل للطاقة الشمسية‬ .‫في المملكة والمنطقة على المدى البعيد‬ ‫وذكر البروفيسور كار ليو أن هدف المركز على المدى القريب هو التركيز على تطوير الخاليا‬ ‫ أما هدف المركز على المدى البعيد فهو‬.‫الضوئية و توليد الكهرباء مباشرة من أشعة الشمس‬ ‫ "إن من أكبر عيوب الخاليا‬:‫ وختم البروفيسور ليو بقوله‬.‫تطوير تقنيات تخزين وحفظ الطاقة‬ ‫ لذلك نحتاج‬.‫الضوئية هو عدم قدرتها على توليد الطاقة الشمسية في غياب أشعة الشمس‬  ." ‫لتطوير تقنيات فعالة جد ًا لتخزين هذه الطاقة في المستقبل‬

KAUST SOCIETY OF PETROLEUM ENGINEERS STUDENT CHAPTER TO ATTEND PETROBOWL 2014

THE KAUST New Energy Oasis

THE KAUST Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) student chapter successfully qualified for

(NEO), part of the Technology

PetroBowl, a prestigious competition which will take place at the Annual Technical Conference

Application and Advancement

& Exhibition (ATCE) in Amsterdam, the Netherlands on October 27.

Group (TAAG), hosted an open

PetroBowl is a tournament where teams from different universities’ SPE student chapters are

afternoon to showcase its

matched against each other to answer a series of quiz questions related to petroleum engineering.

renewable energy technology

The KAUST team competed against more than 70 other teams from universities around the world

on May 7.

Held at the NEO site located

The NEO Team

to qualify for the event. Teams came from other schools such as Stanford

near the campus’s Innovation

University, the Colorado School of

Cluster buildings, the open

Mines, Texas A&M, and TU Delft.

afternoon enabled the wider KAUST community to experience “up close” guided tours to learn more about the site’s different types of renewable energy technologies.

The team members noted they were excited to receive one of the

The technologies on-site come from 11 different international technology providers, with the

36 spots in the competition. “We

unique environment of Saudi Arabia providing an excellent opportunity to test these technologies

will be proud to represent KAUST

in real-world conditions. Renewable energy is a key solution to the Kingdom’s growing energy

and Saudi Arabia at PetroBowl,”

demands, and is an important area of research for the University.

they said. “We are happy to have

NEO’s goal is to provide both quantitative and qualitative information, to a variety of providers

the opportunity to showcase the

in the Renewable Energy value chain, which can enable them to select the most appropriate

capabilities of KAUST students, and

technologies for instantiation in the Kingdom.

in particular to show our high level

Technologies on-site include solar energy technologies, including photovoltaic (PV) and

of petroleum engineering knowledge

concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies, and dust mitigation technologies designed to

which is so critical to Saudi Arabia

address the problem of soiling (dust accumulation) on solar panels. 

and the world.” 

L-R: Klemens Katterbauer, Ayrat Abdullin, Dias Urozayev, Xiaolin Fan

News

www.kaust.edu.sa

June 2014

3

University on par with some of the best science

Mathematics and Computational Sciences), Daniele Daffonchio

and engineering-focused institutions in the world.

(Professor, Bioscience), Takashi Gojobori (Distinguished Professor

“You should be proud of the research and academic

and Associate Director of the Computational Bioscience Research

contributions you are making,” said Dr. Chameau. He

Center), Wolfgang Heidrich (Professor and Director of the Visual

added that it’s also exciting to see KAUST faculty

Computing Center), Heribert Hirt (Professor, Bioscience), Omar

being advertised in the media in a variety of ways,

Knio (Professor, Applied Mathematics and Computational

and referred to the back cover Apple advertisement

Sciences), TorOve Leiknes (Professor, Environmental Science and

in the April edition of Time Magazine, which featured

Engineering), and Xixiang Zhang (Former Director of Core Labs,

Professor Michael Berumen demonstrating his much-

now Professor, Materials Science and Engineering).

heralded iDive device in action.

Later in the evening, the president invited the deans of

While introducing a dozen new faculty members

the three divisions to introduce recently promoted faculty

who have joined KAUST in recent months, Dr.

members: Michael Berumen (Associate Professor, Marine

Chameau encouraged the faculty to take advantage

Science), Markus Hadwiger (Associate Professor, Computer

“A UNIVERSITY is as distinctive as its faculty,” said KAUST

of the dinner discussions to make new friends. “I encourage you

Science), Samir Hamdan (Associate Professor, Bioscience),

President Jean-Lou Chameau at the 2014 Faculty Recognition

to spend some time talking to someone you don’t know very well

Ibrahim Hoteit (Associate Professor, Earth Sciences and

Dinner. The evening’s purpose was to celebrate the University’s

in another discipline. There should be new research ideas coming

Engineering), Andy Kuo-Wei Huang (Associate Professor,

faculty, as well as to highlight faculty promotions and welcoming

out of this evening!” said Dr. Chameau.

Chemical Science), David Ketcheson (Associate Professor,

FACULTY RECOGNITION DINNER

new faculty members.

The new faculty members included: Moussa Benhamed

Applied Mathematics and Computational Science), Peng

Remarking on the impressive amount of publications and

(Assistant Professor, Bioscience), Carlo Liberale (Assistant

Wang (Associate Professor, Environmental Science and

citations data generated from KAUST research output in just a few

Professor, Bioscience), Andrea Falqui (Associate Professor,

Engineering), and Udo Schwingenschlögl (Professor, Materials

years, President Chameau commended the faculty for placing the

Bioscience), Diogo Gomes (Associate Professor, Applied

Science and Engineering). 

2014 EMPLOYEE AWARDS May 2014 marked a milestone for 184 KAUST employees who

The event also launched the inaugural KAUST Awards

“As staff, we support our faculty, researchers, postdocs,

celebrated five years of service at the University. Combined, the

for Excellence to recognize the dedication of employees.

and students, and we do this day after day, often with few

cohort represents over 60 departments or units and 925 years of

Following a peer-nomination and final selection committee

accolades or praise of a ‘job well-done.’ In a university

service. At a recognition ceremony honoring the individuals on

process, three individuals were selected for upholding

environment, this is often the role of the unsung hero,” said

May 5, remarks were given by President Jean-Lou Chameau and

the KAUST values of excellence, integrity, and passion.

President Chameau. “We have heroes across the campus

Human Resources Vice President Patricia Ann Hughes.

The award winners were acknowledged by the selection

and community who deserve our gratitude and appreciation

committee and the President for their exemplary service in

— from the staff who help support researchers in our

the following categories:

laboratories, to those who help support the community and

At the event, President Chameau encouraged all staff to take pride in their many contributions to the mission of KAUST. “Every day you contribute to our research and education environment, and your work honors KAUST’s commitment to discovery, learning, and excellence;” said President Chameau.

“Our standard of excellence is what we strive for in every task we complete and every project we initiate — whether in the

Outstanding Contribution: Mohammed A. Balamesh, Lab Fit-Out Specialist, Engineering & Project Management Service Excellence: Doreena Chen, Special Projects Coordinator, Graduate Affairs

those who keep our days on track, to those who teach our children and those who recruit new staff. I encourage each of you to remember that every task you complete contributes to our mission and our culture of excellence.”

Community Spirit: Scott Herrington, MYP Humanities and

Congratulations to the following members of the University

laboratory, within the community, or in the office.”

Accreditation Chair, The KAUST School

family celebrating five years of service:

Abbas Alsaihati

Belal Abdrabboh

Giridharan Dharan

Long Chen

Norberto Inocencio

Sami Alqarawi

Abdel Amwas

Bienvenido Jr Yu Caparaz

Gregory Wickham

Longqing Chen

Nouf Alsaleh

Samir Hamdan

Abdul Kutty

Biju Reghuvaran

Gowry Hodge

Madathil Pindali

Nover Ardiente

Sharafuddin Muhammad

Abdulaziz Alfaraj

Boon Ooi

Guodong Li

Madhusudhanan Srinivasan

Oliver Balagtas

Sharfraz Shah

Abdullah Zubair

Brian Moran

Hamad Al Qahtani

Madonna Sanchez

Omar Al-Harbi

Sheik Basha

Abdullah Aldossary

Chao Zhao

Haris Siddiqui

Mahmoud Muati

Omar Al-Omar

Shirley Cadiz

Abdullah Alabdullatif

Cherine Fayad

Hedaya Bakhorji

Majed El Mir

Omar Bukhari

ShouDong Zhang

Abdullah Al-Zahrani

Christina Guindy

Heikki Lehvaslaiho

Mani John

Osama Mandurah

Sigurdur Thoroddsen

Abdullah Almojel

Chun Lu

Helmut Pottmann

Mario, Jr. Ardiente Portallo

Osman Bakr

Sigurjon Jonsson

Abdulrazaq Al-Morjan

Daniel Acevedo-Feliz

Huoming Zhang

Masateru Takahashi

Panagiotis Kalnis

Somayah Algashgari

Ahmed Abuzaid

David Keyes

Husam Alshareef

Meng Zhang

Paul Mai

Sulaiman AlThunayan

Ahmed Khalaf

David Ketcheson

Hussam Harakeh

Michael Berumen

Pauline Nolan

Susan Hemp

Aida Palero

Deborah Stacey

Hussam Khatib

Mikhail Moshkov

Pervez Aibara

Susanne Cunningham

Aleksandar Radovanovic

Dina Garatly

Ibrahim Hoteit

Moawya Masry

Philip Joseph

Syed Ali

Ali Madi Idris

Diya Al-Saihati

Iman Roqan

Mohamed Sobhy

Qiang Zhang

Syed Mahmud

Ali Makki Idris

Dodie Dolorito

Imran Nasrullah

Mohamed Eddaoudi

Rachid Sougrat

Tanveer Shahid

Ali Behzad

Dwight Valencerina

Imtiaz Ahmad

Mohamed Abdel-Aal

Rainnier Lauguico

Tariq Alkhalifa

Alma Hobson

Emad Abdulghani

Ingo Pinnau

Mohamed Al-Ali

Rajesh Unnithan

Teresa Doxen

Andres Alarilla

Emad Bakr

Inji Jaber

Mohamed-Slim Alouini

Rajneesh Pandey

Thaslim Jakson

Antonio Valenzuela

Eman Khankan

Ismail Al-Nizami

Mohammad Alshawaf

Ramzi Aljahdali

Udo Schwingenschloegl

Antonios Dakas

Enrik Jani

Jamshed Mian

Mohammad Akhtar

Raul Tempone

Victor Calo

Anwar Al Ghanmi

Fabrizio Bisetti

Jasmeen Merzaban

Mohammad Bakhdar

Reema Khashoggi

Vladimir Bajic

April Bailey

Faisal Alamoudi

Jatinkumar Shah

Mohammed AlFaifi

Rimantas Kodzius

Wendy Keyes

Aram Amassian

Faisal Alzubi

John Larson

Mohammed Ahmed

Romeo Maputi

Xianrong Guo

Arinnola Joseph

Faisal Muhammed

Jurgen Kosel

Mohammed Alkubaish

Saajida Ooni

Xixiang Zhang

Asif Naqvi

Faraj Afana

Kevin Harrington

Moin Khan

Sadik Karolia

Yousef Ayyad

Ayman Bajnaid

Gary Amy

Khaled Salama

Moody Altamimi

Saeed Bawazir

Yu Han

Badr Mesha

Gemma Aglanao

Khalid Al-Qurashi

Naif Al Sama

Saham Al-Husseini

Yuqin Qiu

Bantwal Ahamed

Georgiy Stenchikov

Krishnaraja Kinialevoor

Nestor Tiongco Jr.

Sahrawi Chaib

Zhihong Wang

Basem Shihada

Gerard Schuster

Krishni Reddy

Nicholas Martin

Salah Sindi

Bashir Warsama

Gerardo Valle

Liming Xiong

Niveen Khashab

Saleh Abdulaziz

4

Research

June 2014

DR. CHAMEAU ANNOUNCES FIRST ALUMNI CHAPTER AT CELEBRATION HOSTED BY SAUDI ARAMCO

The Beacon

: ‫يف احتفال برعاية شركة أرامكو السعودية‬ ‫الدكتور شامو يعلن عن أول فرع حملي خلرجيي جامعة‬ ‫امللك عبداهلل‬ ‫قيادة التغيير‬

Alumni in Dhahran ON APRIL 2, Saudi Aramco hosted the KAUST

The dream is already a reality — not only in terms

Alumni Celebration, honoring the achievements

of numbers, not only in terms of the geographic

of alumni living and working in the Kingdom.

representation within the Kingdom, but really in

Attendees from KAUST and throughout the

terms of the quality, the energy, the can-do attitude

Kingdom participated in this unique celebration,

we are seeing and the ability to deliver results in

which featured a day of career development

an incredibly short period of time.” Mr. Al-Falih

and industry workshops, VIP tours of company

then urged the alumni to “keep on dreaming and

operations, and presentations by six alumni now

stay bold.”

working at Saudi Aramco, SABIC, or pursuing doctoral degrees at KAUST.

LEADING CHANGE

SHARED FUTURE

emphasized the importance of educating students

Dr. Jean-Lou Chameau, President of KAUST, Mr. Amin Nasser, Senior Vice President of

and engaging them in an environment that

Upstream Operations at Saudi Aramco and

promotes a culture of excellence, curiosity, integrity,

Co-Chairman of the Saudi Aramco – KAUST

and a passion for contributing to society through

Collaboration Oversight Board, organized the event

cutting-edge research and innovation.

in collaboration with KAUST, and described three

“I encourage you as KAUST alumni to make

key goals of the celebration. First, it promoted and

contributions that showcase our culture of

strengthened the bond among alumni and enlisted

cross-disciplinary problem-solving as well as

them as partners in a shared and promising future.

curiosity-driven research,” said Dr. Chameau. He

Second, it celebrated the unique education afforded

encouraged alumni as leaders in science and

by KAUST and the University's crucial work in

technology to become change agents, inventors, and

producing key talent. Third, it demonstrated the

entrepreneurs, advancing KAUST as a “beacon of

strategic partnership between KAUST and Saudi

attraction for the Kingdom.” In this way, alumni are

Aramco.

shaping the future of KAUST and its reputation as

Building on these themes, Mr. Nasser affirmed Saudi Aramco’s commitment to talent development

a great university and an “active hub of education, discovery, innovation, and entrepreneurship.”

as the largest employer of KAUST alumni in the Kingdom. To those alumni already at Saudi Aramco, he promised, “We aim to make the most of your careers at our company.”

FIRST ALUMNI CHAPTER In a timely complement to the celebration’s closing session, Dr. Chameau announced the formation of KAUST’s first alumni chapter in

DREAM TO REALITY

Saudi Arabia. “As the birthplace of KAUST, it is

The partnership between Saudi Aramco and

fitting that the first alumni chapter be established

KAUST began in 2006 when the University was still

here in the Kingdom, where so many of you are

a dream of King Abdullah. His ambitious vision was

contributing to the future of the country,” he said.

the creation of a leading international university

Dr. Chameau added that alumni would

that would provide the world with innovative

be engaged in forming the chapter, which

research, boost economic development within the

would represent the growing alumni body

Kingdom, and enhance global connectivity.

in the Kingdom. The inaugural chapter will

“The dream is a reality today, manifested by

facilitate alumni communication, build

you,” Mr. Khalid Al-Falih, President and CEO of

future partnerships within the Kingdom, and

Saudi Aramco, told the alumni. “And you are just

support alumni as they go on to accomplish

at the beginning. The best of ‘you’ is still ahead.

advancements in their fields. 

‫ رئيس جامعة‬،‫لو شامو‬-‫وتحدث الدكتور جان‬ ‫ عن أهمية تثقيف الطلبة‬،‫الملك عبد اهلل‬ ،‫ والفضول‬،‫وإشراكهم في بيئة تعزز ثقافة التميز‬ ‫ال عن شغف المساهمة في تنمية‬ ً ‫ فض‬،‫والنزاهة‬ ،‫المجتمع من خالل األبحاث المتطورة والهادفة‬ ‫كما شجع الخريجين على قيادة العلوم والتقنية‬ ‫وأن يصبحوا علماء ومخترعين ورواد أعمال وأن‬ ‫يسهموا بتقدم جامعة الملك عبداهلل لتصبح منارة‬ ‫للتعليم واالكتشاف واالبتكار وروح المبادرة تشع‬ .‫من خاللها المملكة العربية السعودية‬

‫أول فرع محلي لخريجي الجامعة‬

‫وفي ختام الحفل أعلن الدكتور شامو عن تشكيل‬ ‫أول فرع محلي لخريجي جامعة الملك عبداهلل في‬ ‫ "إنه من‬: ‫ حيث قال‬.‫المملكة العربية السعودية‬ ‫البديهي أن يتم تشكيل أول فرع محلي لخريجي‬ ‫الجامعة في المملكة العربية السعودية كونها هي‬ ‫ وأضاف‬."‫أرض المنشأ لجامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫الدكتور شامو أن هذا الفرع المحلي لخريجي‬ ‫الجامعة سيمثل هيئة الخريجين المتنامية في‬ ‫المملكة وسوف يسهل عملية التواصل بين‬ ‫ وبناء الشراكات المستقبلية داخل‬،‫الخريجين‬ .‫ ودعم األبحاث الرائدة‬،‫المملكة‬

‫نبذة عن االحتفال‬

‫قامت المبادرات السعودية بالتعاون مع شركة‬ ‫أرامكو السعودية وقيادة جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫ال عن مكتب الخريجين‬ ً ‫وشؤون الدراسات العليا فض‬ ‫ برعاية هذا االحتفال‬،‫في جامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫الذي يكرم الخريجين الموهوبين في المملكة‬ ‫والذين ستكون لهم إسهامات كبيرة وفاعلة في‬ ‫تقدم جامعة الملك عبداهلل كي تسهم بتحويل‬ .‫اقتصاد المملكة إلى اقتصاد قائم على المعرفة‬ ‫وبلغ عدد خريجي جامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم‬ ‫ خريجًا‬148 ‫والتقنية الذين حضروا هذا االحتفال‬ ‫من جنسيات مختلفة ويعملون في مدن عدة في‬ ،‫ والجبيل‬،‫ والرياض‬،‫ والظهران‬،‫المملكة مثل جدة‬ :‫ وشملت الشركات والمؤسسات الممثلة‬.‫الهفوف‬ ‫ مركز الملك عبداهلل‬،‫ سابك‬،‫أرامكو السعودية‬ ،‫ وزارة التعليم العالي‬،‫للدراسات والبحوث البترولية‬ ‫ الخطوط الجوية‬،‫شركة خدمات الموانئ الوطنية‬ ،‫ الشركة السعودية للحاسبات اآللية‬،‫السعودية‬ .‫ومدينة الملك عبداهلل للطاقة الذرية والمتجددة‬ ‫وحضر الحفل عدد من قيادات جامعة الملك‬ ‫ نائب الرئيس‬،‫عبداهلل وهم المهندس نظمي النصر‬ ‫ الدكتورة‬،‫التنفيذي للشؤون اإلدارية والمالية‬ ،‫ نائب الرئيس للمبادرات السعودية‬،‫نجاح عشري‬ ‫ نائب الرئيس للشؤون‬،‫البروفيسور جيمس كالفين‬ ‫ عميد شؤون‬،‫ البروفسور براين موران‬،‫األكاديمية‬ ‫الدراسات العليا والقيادة األكاديمية العليا‬  .‫ومشرفي كراسي البرنامج في الجامعة‬

teachers. When they finish, they’re qualified to work

FROM INTERN TO IB-CERTIFIED TEACHER

‫مستقبل واحد‬

‫ النائب األعلى‬،‫وقام أمين حسن الناصر‬ ‫للرئيس لالستكشاف واإلنتاج في شركة أرامكو‬ ‫السعودية والرئيس المشارك لمجلس التعاون‬ ،‫بين أرامكو السعودية وجامعة الملك عبداهلل‬ .‫بتنظيم هذا الحدث بالتنسيق مع الجامعة‬ ‫وقال أمين الناصر أن هذا التكريم يسعى‬ ‫ دعم‬:ً‫ أوال‬: ‫لتحقيق أهداف رئيسية ثالثة هي‬ ‫الروابط بين الخريجين وتعزيزها باعتبارهم‬ ‫ االحتفاء‬:ً‫ ثانيا‬.‫شركاء في مستقبل واحد‬ ‫بالتعليم المتميز والعالمي الذي توفره جامعة‬ ‫ ودورها الكبير في تخريج‬،‫الملك عبداهلل‬ ‫ تأكيد الشراكة‬:ً‫ ثالثا‬.‫العديد من المواهب‬ ‫االستراتيجية بين جامعة الملك عبداهلل وشركة‬ .‫أرامكو السعودية‬ ‫ أكد الناصر التزام‬،‫وانطالقًا من هذه األهداف‬ ‫أرامكو السعودية بمواصلة تطوير هذه المواهب‬ ‫بكونها أكبر شركة تعمل على توظيف خريجي‬ ‫ ثم وجه‬.‫جامعة الملك عبداهلل في المملكة‬ ‫رسالة لجميع الخريجين الذين يعملون اآلن في‬ ‫" نعدكم بأنكم‬: ‫أرامكو السعودية حيث قال‬ ‫ستجدون في شركتنا بيئة تطويرية مثالية تحقق‬ ." ‫طموحاتكم الوظيفية‬

‫تحقيق الحلم‬

‫بدأت الشراكة بين شركة أرامكو السعودية‬ ‫ عندما‬،2006 ‫وجامعة الملك عبداهلل في عام‬ ‫كانت الجامعة مجرد حلم طموح لدى الملك‬ ‫ بإنشاء جامعة أبحاث دولية رائدة تدعم‬، ‫عبداهلل‬ ‫االبتكار في العالم وتعزز التنمية االقتصادية‬ .‫والمكانة العالمية للمملكة العربية السعودية‬ ‫وألقى خالد بن عبد العزيز الفالح رئيس وكبير‬ ‫اإلداريين التنفيذيين لشركة أرامكو السعودية‬ ‫كلمة بهذه المناسبة خاطب فيها الخريجين بقوله‬ ‫ ليس فقط‬،‫ "بوجودكم أصبح الحلم واقعًا اليوم‬: ‫من حيث األرقام؛ أو التمثيل الجغرافي داخل‬ ،‫ والعزيمة‬،‫ ولكن من حيث الجودة‬،‫المملكة‬ ‫والمثابرة والقدرة على تحقيق النتائج في فترة‬ ‫ إننا نتوقع منكم أن تقدموا أفضل‬،‫زمنية قصيرة‬ ." ‫ما لديكم وأنتم في بداية حياتكم المهنية‬

reflection, which is given to the interns during a weekly meeting.

as International Baccalaureate (IB) teachers. Better still,

“We get really tough feedback,” said recent graduate Alanud

they’re equipped to help train the next generation of

Alfaqir. “When I started out I thought I would do really well. But I

Saudi educators at an IB level as well.

was shocked to find that I had so much room for improvement—it

This year, three women are completing the arduous,

(From left to right) Jacqueline Phillips, Alanud Alfaqir, Hadiah Alghumayri, and Marwah Ashrour.

‫استضافت شركة أرامكو السعودية في الثاني من‬ ‫ال لتكريم خريجي جامعة الملك‬ ً ‫أبريل الماضي حف‬ ‫عبداهلل الذين يعيشون ويعملون في المملكة‬ ‫ واشتمل الحفل على ورش‬.‫العربية السعودية‬ ‫ وجوالت لكبار‬، ‫عمل للتطوير الوظيفي والصناعة‬ ‫ إضافة إلى عروض‬،‫الشخصيات داخل الشركة‬ ‫تقديمية لستة من الخريجين الموهوبين الذين‬ ‫ وشركة‬، ‫يعملون في شركة أرامكو السعودية‬ ‫ أو حملة درجة الدكتوراه في جامعة‬،‫سابك‬ ‫ وقد شهد الحفل‬.‫الملك عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية‬ .‫حضورًا من الجامعة ومن خارجها‬

motivated me to grow.”

two-year journey from intern to IB certified teacher. And

On top of exhaustive training, the interns also get the opportunity

thanks to the success of the program, all three — Hadiah

to attend an international Teacher Training Course. This year’s course

Alghumayri, Alanud Alfaqir, and Marwah Ashrour —

will be held in London, where all three of the interns will get to learn

will stay on as teachers in the fall.

from and share ideas with thousands of other IB teachers.

“We do mentor teaching, constant observation, and

“We are so grateful for all of the opportunities we’ve been given.

teacher assessments four times each semester. So our

We get to grow as people and as teachers,” said Alanud. “In truth,

teachers get the total support and feedback that is vital

the greatest joy for us is seeing an improvement in our students.”

to their development as professionals,” said Dr. Phillips.

The teachers all talked about their appreciation for the program,

It starts with daily mentor impressions—a mentor

the administrators, and even the students who made their training

AS DR. JACQUELINE PHILLIPS, coordinator of the Teacher

watches the interns interact with students and then

possible. “They allow us to do what we want,” said Marwah Ashrour.

Development Program (TDP) puts it, “rockstar Saudi interns”

rates their communication, delivery, pedagogy, and more. These

“They give us the feedback and support we need to fail, to learn, and

train in The KAUST School (TKS) for several years to become top

impressions are then compiled and put into a weekly mentor

then to succeed.” 

News

www.kaust.edu.sa

THE SPRING 2014 VENTURELAB SHOWCASE

June 2014

5

establish contacts with social organizations in Saudi Arabia.

• 3enDmeD – An augmented reality system allowing neurosurgeons to use 3D visualization medical technology with the use of special goggles to visualize the structure of the brain directly and track the position of surgical probes inside a patient’s head. This could greatly improve medical science by helping surgeons to be more precise and productive.

As VentureLab instructor Mark Searle, Senior Fellow at the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley, explained: “We challenge the teams to get out and challenge their own hypotheses.” They accomplish this by interviewing potential customers, people they’ve never talked to before, and ask them about problems they are facing and if their startup idea can offer a viable solution. “This can be very uncomfortable because entrepreneurs are by nature passionate people,” adds Searle. “People get really upset when they go out there to present their idea, their baby, and the market says that their baby is really ugly.”

It’s particularly noteworthy, as Searle also points out, that half of the above teams had a completely different business idea just eight weeks prior when they began the program. “They discovered that by turning hypotheses into facts they found new business opportunities that are real and that actually have some chance of

THE SPRING 2014 VentureLab showcase, hosted recently by

to underprivileged women, who then knit or crochet them as

success,” said Searle.

the New Ventures & Entrepreneurship team, featured finalists

stylish bean bags, cushions, stress balls, bags and more. The

The teams competed for three awards as part of the showcase

from six teams who presented their business ideas to a high-

project started in 2013 with two women who were able to

event: the People’s Choice Award (as voted by member of the

profile panel of judges. Comprised of a diverse group of KAUST

produce 288 prototypes, and today they work with around 75

audience), the Intel Nomination (awarded by Intel Corporation),

researchers, Jeddah-based entrepreneurs, and professionals from

women to produce over 1,000 prototypes, all of which sold.

and the Most Promising Startup Award (as determined by the

Saudi Aramco in Dhahran, the presentations were the result of the

• Tilez – A mobile application to assist users purchasing tiles

eight-week VentureLab, KAUST's competitive business accelerator

for their homes or businesses. The tool lets them select tile

• Mohammad Al-Suwaileh - Chairman of Oqal Jeddah Chapter

program, which began on March 1.

panel’s judges). The panel of judges included:

patterns, design, material (ceramic, porcelain, or marble) and

• Ibrahim Al-Suwaiyel - Intel Saudi Arabia Corporate Affairs

Through the program, which provides real world, hands-on

the optimal amount they need to purchase to avoid waste.

Group Manager responsible for the national strategy of

learning experience on how to successfully start a company, the

The team, comprised of an architect, IT specialist, systems

teams were encouraged by a team of entrepreneurship coaches

programmer, and marketing MBA, pooled their collective

and mentors to test their business ideas with real potential

talents to devise this mobile application. Their goal is to

customers. Collectively, the teams interviewed 522 people about

simplify the process of design and implementation.

their startup idea and went trough 1,500 hours of training.

The teams who presented at the Spring 2014 VentureLab showcase were:

Intel's Corporate Affairs • Karl Leo - Director of KAUST’s Solar & Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center (SPERC) • Mark Searle - VentureLab Instructor, Senior Fellow at

• SaudiMLS – Saudi Multiple Listing Service (MLS) is

the Lester Center for Entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley,

an online real-estate platform devised to improve and

and an award-winning international serial entrepreneur

standardize the traditional process of buying and selling

and instructor

• Burtoga – An online platform designed to help graphic

homes in Saudi Arabia. The service aims to certify

designers visualize their flat design work into a photo-

realtors, offer a subscription platform for sellers to list

realistic mock-up. Their tool allows the designs to be viewed

their properties and agents, and provide transparency and

• Tuba Terekli - Cofounder and CEO of Qotuf Al Riyadah

from different angles and against multiple backgrounds and

convenience for buyers. They have interviewed over 100

Development Company. She is considered among the top five

settings. The team interviewed over 70 designers from seven

customers and have already garnered interest from King

female CEOs of her generation in Saudi Arabia.

countries, and 83% of participants said they would be willing

Abdullah Economic City (KAEC).

• Khalid Suleimani - A Saudi serial entrepreneur, IT consultant, and public speaker

While the People’s Choice Award went to Nations Bazaar and

• Nations Bazaar – A social and cultural e-commerce website

the Intel Nomination was awarded to 3dnDmeD, the above panel

• Trochet – As their name’s formulation indicates (Trochet

aiming to act as a bridge between local Saudi Artisans, the

of judges selected Trochet for the Most Promising Startup Award.

= Trash + Crochet), Trochet is a social enterprise that sells

non-profit organizations representing them, and online

Trochet also previously won first prize at Harvard University as

products made of repurposed plastic bags crocheted by Saudi

buyers looking for authentic Saudi traditional arts and crafts

the best social impact project – allowing them to win a scholarship

women. Tackling the huge problems of wasted plastic bags

products (such as baskets and pottery). The team has begun

to spend five weeks in Silicon Valley where they were able to

and women’s unemployment in the Kingdom, Trochet collects

working with both the Saudi Commission of Tourism and

prominently display their products in the offices of leading tech

thousands of discarded plastic bags and offers employment

Antiquities and the Jeddah Chamber of Commerce to help

companies such as Google and Yahoo. 

to pay for the service.

In addition to the record number of new university placements, KGSP students have secured internships at a range of leading institutions around the world.

Notable offers include General Electric, NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory at Caltech, CERN, and Schlumberger, among others.

As the next academic year approaches, KAUST would like to thank the KGSP Academic Oversight Committee for the vital role it has played and will continue to play in student selection, engagement,

KGSP STUDENTS RECEIVE RECORD NUMBER OF ADMISSIONS OFFERS AND SECURE TOP INTERNSHIPS

Pierre Magistretti, as well as Associate Deans Mohamed-Slim Alouini, Udo Schwingenschlögl, and Suzana

THE KAUST Gifted Student Program (KGSP) has seen a record number of admissions offers from top

Nunes, and KGSP Director Saham Alhusseini.

and development. The Committee is chaired by Dr. Najah Ashry, Vice President of Saudi Initiatives, which administers the program. Members include academic division Deans Mootaz Elnozahy, Yves Gnanou, and

universities in the United States for its 2014 Foundation Year students. Countless hours over the last year

KGSP is a scholarship dedicated to cultivating the next generation of scientists and researchers in

were dedicated to TOFEL and SAT preparation and coursework in math, writing, and STEM labs, resulting

Saudi Arabia. It supports high-achieving Saudi students pursuing baccalaureate degrees in science and

in admissions offers for 100 percent of students at top institutions in the US.

engineering at top-tier universities in the United States and prepares them for eventual post-graduate

This fall, these KGSP students will join the Class of 2018 at 43 prestigious universities including Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Stanford, MIT, the University of Pennsylvania, the Universities of California, Berkeley, and Los Angeles, and many more.

study at KAUST. KAUST congratulates all KGSP students on this year’s many successes and looks forward to supporting them in their academic journeys. 

6

Research

June 2014

The Beacon :‫تتمة الصفحة األولى‬

NATURE-INSPIRED ADVANCES | Continued from p1 Since announcing preliminary research into flexible and

students, PhD students, so some of them were really energetic. They

“Today when you look at muscle pain, there's a population of

transparent computing last year, Prof. Hussain’s research group has

showed their enthusiasm,” he explained. Through those outreach

50 million people in the US who have arthritis, and 300,000 of

been able to demonstrate every step and components required to

efforts, Rawan contributed to the project by collecting important

them are children.” The conventional remedy has been thermal

make this a reality. “I’m pretty much sure that by the end of this year

electrical measurements which were used to determine the optimal

therapy. Sufferers routinely purchase pain-relieving patches

that we will be able to demonstrate the world’s first fully flexible

devices with which to pursue further research.

which they place on the affected areas. But these products have

silicon-based computer. That will be the big news,” he expounded.

A COLLABORATIVE APPROACH INVOLVING STUDENTS As made evident by the composition of his group, Prof. Hussain is a strong believer in the value of involving and developing students

“As an academic, I see that KAUST can play a role in developing

a limited range as they’re one-time use, are often not suitable for

the community. As a long-term goal, a good, strong school system

kids, and are only effective for three to four hours. Moreover, if

will one day ensure that my kids go to a good college. If we give

a patch is required for finger joints, the same patch can’t be used

TKS students the opportunity, they will come work with us and gain

on the kneecaps.

valuable experience,” said Prof. Hussain.

In new research which Prof. Hussain in planning to publish

through his research efforts. “My group is built of really only the students,” said Prof. Hussain. In fact, the recently published

soon, his group, through the use of the same technology, devised

EXPANDED FUTURE APPLICATIONS

a thermal heater integrated with a thermal sensor. The new patch

Advanced Materials paper not only involved KAUST graduate

This innovative and collaborative approach to research has enabled

is stretchable to fit onto various body parts. What’s more, it can

students, but also included a TKS (The KAUST School) student,

Prof. Hussain’s group to become the first academic group unassisted

be controlled with a cell phone. “Basically you have an inflamed

17-year-old Rawan Ghanem.

by external research foundries or collaborators to develop these

area, then you set the temperature, say at 45 degrees Celsius.

Unlike many other universities that routinely engage

types of advanced devices. In addition to maintaining integration

Through the sensor, it is continuously taking the temperature

undergraduate students as a great resource to assist in research,

density, performance, and energy efficiency, they’ve been able to do

and it’s heating up accordingly, even when the user falls asleep.

KAUST doesn’t have an undergraduate program. But Prof. Hussain

this at an additional cost of only $0.45 per square centimeter.

So when the inflammation goes away it’s lessening and then it

has been taking the opportunity to engage TKS students for the past

Beyond traditional electronics, Prof. Hussain is also enthusiastic

few years. “We opened the door and we integrated them like senior

about the biomedical applications of this research. As he explained:

will be turned off. And it’s reusable and it costs only $1.50,” Prof.

Hussain explained. 

Left panel: Graduate student, Ehson Nasir, is exhaling his breath in the breath bag.

Right panel: Professor Farooq is aligning the laser cavity to analyze the breath sample.

AMMONIA BREATH SENSOR PROMISES MEDICAL BENEFITS “THIS INVENTION can really shape the future of medical testing

under anesthesia, and in other scenarios,” Prof. Farooq said.

The ammonia sensor designed at KAUST is based on the concept

and diagnosis,” said Professor Aamir Farooq, speaking to The

The team chose to focus on ammonia in exhaled breath, partly

of laser absorption spectroscopy. Breath samples are collected in

Beacon about his team’s research on an advanced breath sensor.

because it was such an important avenue of research, and partly

a custom-designed breath bag, which is then connected to an

Dr. Farooq is Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering

because they were able to partner with the International Medical

optical cell. A quantum-cascade laser beam is passed through

Center in Jeddah to test dialysis patients.

the cell, and the resulting decrease in laser intensity indicates the

and Principal Investigator of the Chemical Kinetics and Laser Sensors Laboratory at KAUST. His paper in Applied Physics B

According to the International Society for Nephrology,

(doi: 10.1007/s00340-013-5701-1), published with co-author Kyle

around 600 million people worldwide suffer from some form

concentration of ammonia in the breath sample.

Human breath contains several biomarkers, such as ammonia,

Owen, a KAUST MS student, outlines a novel approach to sensing

of kidney disease—a number expected to increase by 17% over

acetone, carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, formaldehyde, nitric

the presence of chemical compounds in human breath using a

the next decade.

oxide, and water vapor. “These biomarkers are clear signatures

quantum cascade laser and wavelength-modulation spectroscopy.

Prof. Farooq’s team analyzed breath samples of patients

for a range of conditions including asthma, liver disease, kidney

“We have developed a portable, accurate, non-invasive

diagnosed with chronic kidney disease. Baseline readings showed

disease, peptic ulcer, diabetes, nephritis, and heart disease,” said

sensor for the detection of ammonia in human breath,” Prof.

elevated ammonia concentrations in the range of 1 – 5 ppm. The

Prof. Farooq.

Farooq said.

sensor was then used to monitor the decrease in breath ammonia

From that initial prototype, the team believes a “lab-on-a-

as these patients underwent dialysis treatment.

The implications are exciting and potentially far-reaching.

At the bedside, breath sensors could help patients avoid

chip” can be brought to market. “Electronics, nanotechnology,

“The reduction in breath ammonia correlated almost perfectly

more invasive testing, and clinical teams could gain access

and sensors are converging to enable early clinical diagnoses,

with the urea reduction measured by blood samples,” Prof.

to real-time information while reducing their dependence on

accurate treatment, and monitoring of patients in intensive care,

Farooq said.

lab-based testing. 

Research

www.kaust.edu.sa KAUST GROUP’S SALIVA | Continued from p1 self-sustained,” Prof. Hussain explains. “However, the challenge of these devices is that they are still lab-based, and it can take many months to get a performance analysis of the incremental improvement of the device. Using a micro-version of the MFCs which uses a readily available fuel source provides an interesting opportunity to expedite these analyses.”

In a paper recently published in NPG Asia Materials (doi: 10.1038/ am.2014.1), Prof. Hussain’s group, including former PhD student Justine Mink (class of 2013), showed power generation from human saliva using a micro-MFC. The 25-μl MFC was produced using graphene as an anode to produce efficient current generation and with an air cathode to make the entire device freely mobile.

“Power generation from our MFC is significant because such small-scale power generation devices can be easily integrated into lab-on-chip or portable point-of-care diagnostic devices to power them,” explains Prof. Hussain. “Such simple devices fueled by the organic material in saliva or other waste liquids provide a novel and amazing way to serve humanity by enabling the rapid dissemination of advanced healthcare technologies to dangerous or difficult to reach areas.”

The researchers were surprised to discover that the use of saliva could generate a large amount of power. The MFC produced higher current densities (1190 A m ) when compared to any -3

previously produced air-cathode micro-MFC, and the graphene anode produced 40 times more power than through the use of a carbon cloth anode. The group found that the high power generation was produced by the large amount of organic material in saliva, demonstrating a linear relationship between the organic loading and current.

“We hope that our study will cause the scientific community to think ‘outside the box’ for different uses of MFCs,” says Prof. Hussain. “In the past, MFCs have been explored only as possible options for alternative and energy-efficient water purification technologies, but in the past three years, my group has established that other interesting opportunities and uses exist for these devices.”

Prof. Hussain’s group is currently investigating the use of MFCs for dialysis applications and as sensors and illness detection devices for advanced healthcare. “Our work is a wonderful step towards a sustainable future through the use of a multidisciplinary approach involving the semiconductor industry’s state-of-the-art technology, environmental science and engineering, and biochemistry,” he says. “It shows that, once again, engineering can help overcome fundamental scientific challenges and provide important solutions to issues affecting the global community.” 

:‫تتمة الصفحة األولى‬ ‫إال أن التحدي يكمن في طبيعة هذه التقنية حيث‬ ‫أنها ال تزال محصورة في حيز المختبر فقط وتحتاج‬ ‫عدة شهور لتحليل أدائها من أجل عمل بعض‬ ‫ ولكن بتطوير نوع دقيق جدًا من خاليا‬.‫التحسينات‬ ‫الوقود الحيوية التي تستخدم مصدر وقود جاهز قد‬ .‫نتمكن من تسريع نتائج هذه التحليالت‬ NPG Asia ‫وفي ورقة بحثية نشرت مؤخرا في مجلة‬ ‫ بما‬،‫ قامت مجموعة البروفيسور حسين‬Materials ‫جوستين منك‬.‫في ذلك طالبة الدكتوراه السابقة د‬ ‫ بتوليد الطاقة من اللعاب‬،)2013 ‫(من خريجي عام‬ .‫البشري باستخدام خاليا الوقود الحيوية الدقيقة‬ ‫" توليد‬: ‫ويشرح البروفيسور حسين ذلك بقوله‬ ‫الطاقة من خاليا الوقود الحيوية مهم جدًا نظرًا‬ ‫لحجمها الصغير الذي يتيح دمجها على الرقاقات‬ ‫الكهربائية أو األجهزة المحمولة واستخدامها مواد‬ ‫ وبالرغم من‬.‫عضوية متوفرة كاللعاب لتوليد الطاقة‬ ‫بساطتها فإنها تعتبر طريقة جديدة ومدهشة لخدمة‬ ‫ إذ يمكن عبرها تشغيل أجهزة الرعاية‬،‫اإلنسانية‬ ‫الصحية المتقدمة واستخدامها في المناطق الخطرة‬ ."‫أو التي يصعب الوصول إليها‬ ‫وقد تفاجأ الباحثون من قدرة اللعاب على توليد كمية‬ ‫كبيرة من الطاقة والذي تبين أن سببه احتواء اللعاب‬ ‫البشري على كمية كبيرة من المواد العضوية مما يدل‬ ‫على وجود عالقة خطية بين كمية المواد العضوية‬ .‫وتوليد التيار الكهربائي‬ ‫ "نأمل أن تساعد دراستنا‬:‫وأضاف البروفيسور حسين‬ ‫على حث المجتمع العلمي على التفكير اإلبداعي‬ ‫ حيث‬. ‫لالستخدامات المختلفة لخاليا الوقود الحيوية‬ ‫كانت األبحاث التي تجرى في الماضي على خاليا‬ ‫الوقود الحيوية موجهة الستخداماتها كخيارات بديلة‬ ‫ ولكن أكد فريق‬.‫لتقنيات تنقية الماء الموفرة للطاقة‬ ‫ إمكانية‬،‫أبحاثنا على مدى الثالث سنوات الماضية‬ ‫استخدام خاليا الوقود الحيوية ألغراض أخرى مهمة‬ ."‫ومفيدة‬ ‫ويجري فريق البروفيسور حسين حاليًا أبحاثُا الستخدام‬ ‫خاليا الوقود الحيوية الدقيقة في تطبيقات أجهزة‬ ‫ وأجهزة االستشعار والكشف على‬،‫الغسيل الكلوي‬ ‫ ويقول‬.‫األمراض وأجهزة الرعاية الصحية المتقدمة‬ ‫ "إننا نخطو خطوات رائعة نحو‬:‫البروفيسور حسين‬ ‫مستقبل مستدام من خالل استخدام منهج متعدد‬ ‫التخصصات يشمل أحدث تقنيات أشباه الموصالت‬ ‫ والعلوم والهندسة البيئية والكيميائية‬،‫الصناعية‬ ‫ وهذا يظهر أيضًا مدى قدرة الهندسة‬.‫والحيوية‬ ‫على مساعدتنا في التغلب على التحديات العلمية‬ ‫األساسية وتوفير الحلول المهمة للمشكالت التي‬  ."‫تواجه العالم‬

June 2014

7

A SUMMER SPENT UNDER A MICROSCOPE

Rawan Ghanem

WHEN you ask most grade 11 students but what they did over the summer, you don’t expect to hear that they spent it in a lab testing devices under a microscope. But that’s exactly what Rawan Ghanem did.

“It was a great experience and something I had never done before. It was something I had wanted to do, but getting the chance to do it in an area that I may be interested in working in the future made me want to do it even more,” said Rawan.

Rawan is a high school student at The KAUST School (TKS). She says that even though the work was during her summer vacation, she still enjoyed getting up and going to the lab each day. For about seven weeks she would come in from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., depending on how much work she had to do.

“At first I was nervous because I didn’t want to mess up,” she said. “But the PhD students made me feel like I was in my school lab. They made it feel normal.”

Rawan found out about the chance to work in the lab from her science teacher, who recommended it for any student thinking about a career in science.

Because Rawan is considering studying chemical engineering in university, it worked out perfect for her. But she wasn’t the only TKS student there.

“There were other students from my class in the group, but they were working with other PhD students,” she said.

Much of the work Rawan did in the lab was checking to see if the devices the group were developing worked or not, but she says the best part of the summer was seeing science in action.

“My PhD student, Mohamed Ghoneim, told me they were going to make the devices flexible. That was something I didn’t know was possible. I wondered how they were going to do that. Then when they were able to do it, I thought, ‘Wow!’,” she said.

Rawan’s hard work over the summer paid off. The group’s research on flexible and transparent silicon polymer was published in Advanced Materials. 

THIRD ANNUAL

THUWAL SCHOOL KIT FUNDRAISER What: KAUST is collecting donations to purchase school supplies for Thuwal schoolchildren. This year, we hope to beat last year’s record and raise funds to benefit 606 children in 9 schools.

When: June 15 to August 15, 2014

Where and How to Help: Visit any Tamimi store, the campus diner, or the Matjar gift shop, and purchase a voucher from the cashier.

Simply place it in the donation box at the checkout counter, and we are one step closer to reaching this year’s goal!

More information: This project is administered by the Social Responsibility department of KAUST’s Saudi Initiatives organization.

For more information, please contact 808-3432.

8

Community

June 2014

The Beacon

MY UNIVERSITY AKRAM EL ASHY AKRAM El Ashy, Budgeting and Planning Analyst in Saudi Initiatives, feels his three years at KAUST have made him part of “one big KAUST family.” Originally from Palestine, but born in Kuwait and raised in Canada, Akram came to KAUST with his wife and daughter and hoped for a “new adventure” in his career. “KAUST has great potential with a clear vision,”

TO PHOTHE OF NTH MO

he says, “and I wanted to be a part of it. Here I am learning every day and working with amazing professionals.”

As a Canadian, Akram says he is used to diversity, but was not expecting to find such an international community at KAUST. “Our community and its different cultures and backgrounds is remarkable,” he says. “Saudi Initiatives alone has around 15 different nationalities, and this has enabled me and my family to learn more about different cultures. I believe one of the key success

NORANI Nordin, Planning & Program Analyst of the Technology Application and Advancement

factors for KAUST is its great diversity.”

Group, recently captured a flamboyance of flamingos along the Jeddah Corniche. Norani has been

Akram advises new KAUST residents to take time to get to know the nearby

an avid photographer since 2005 when she bought her first DSLR camera, and has been a member of

communities of Thuwal and Qadimah while at the University. “Opening up

KAUST’s Photography self-directed group (SDG) for four years. “The Photography SDG often plans

to these communities will enable you to not only experience the diversity of

photo excursions within the Kingdom, and when I heard about a trip to capture the annual migration

KAUST, but also the diversity around us,” he says. 

of flamingos through Jeddah, I knew I wouldn’t want to miss this rare opportunity," she said. 

SCOTT HERRINGTON

Have a photo to be considered for Photo of the Month? Send your photo to

“IT’S AS though I’m the final runner in a winning relay team,”

thebeacon@kaust.edu.sa.

Scott Herrington said of his work to gain IB accreditation for The KAUST School (TKS). “Helping the school achieve this goal

TKS ELEMENTARY SPRING CONCERT

has been such a great honor both personally and professionally.” comprised of songs about friendship, the joy of

2014 saw TKS sprint across the finish line, thanks in part to

music, and songs from other countries, showcasing

Scott’s tireless efforts. He was involved throughout the entire

the children’s confident singing, harmony, and

process and took a leadership role in 2013.

ON MAY 13, The KAUST School (TKS) Elementary

accuracy. The Little Musicians from Grade 1

Scott moved his family to KAUST in 2009 to work as a Curriculum Coordinator in

Choir held their annual Spring Concert, which was

were especially enthusiastic and the entire TKS

the secondary school, and has since returned to the classroom to teach humanities.

organized by Elementary Performing Arts Teacher

Elementary Choir was well organized and created

He loves to travel and enjoys doing so with his family of five. His most

Gulnara Takizhbayeva.

a wonderful atmosphere, with the appreciative

adventurous trek to date is a trip to Antarctica. He visited as part of a sustainability

audience participating in one of the songs. 

curriculum development team. “It is the coldest, driest, and windiest place on

The audience was treated to a performance

earth and it’s jaw-dropping in its beauty,” Scott said.

Scott brought Ultimate Frisbee to KAUST by setting up a self-directed group (SDG). He is also very active with the Boy Scout troop, supporting a range of activities around campus including the Winter Enrichment Program (WEP), Flavors, the World Health Expo, and other events.

Scott’s work on behalf of the community has not gone unnoticed. This year he was asked to chair the President’s Task Force on community, arts, and cultural life.

He also collected two awards at the employee awards ceremony on May 5 — one for his fifth work anniversary and one for his exceptional service to the community.

“I love collaborating on big projects,” said Scott. “I love playing and coaching sports, and I love teaching. To be honest, I can’t imagine what else I’d rather do.” 

AMAL HYADI “I’m so glad I decided to come to KAUST,” says Amal Hyadi, PhD student in Applied Mathematics & Computational Science.

“I thought about going to Europe or America for my studies, but I wanted to come to a ‘newborn’ university to be part of something new. And KAUST is already proving its presence and research excellence worldwide.”

Amal works with her supervisor, Dr. Slim Alouini, Professor of Electrical Engineering, on two main projects. The first, she explains, covers relay selection techniques and performance analysis, and the second involves physical layer security from an information theoretical perspective. So far, Amal has made three contributions to renowned international conferences, and has also published one high-impact journal publication.

“Becoming a successful researcher is one of my main goals,” she says, “and my experience at KAUST is helping me to evolve and move forward in this direction.”

She cites the assistance and guidance of her supervisor as contributing factors to her success, and also acknowledges the great help and advice from other researchers and professors. “The friendly environment at KAUST and the excellent facilities we have here are extra elements that help you do well and focus on your research work,” she notes.

“I’m so proud a university of this level exists in the region,” Amal says. “From the facilities to the international mix of students and faculty and the different activities taking place in the community, studying and living in KAUST is certainly a oncein-a-lifetime experience.” 