King Abdullah University of Science and Technology
BEACON املنـارة at Thuwal, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
May 2014 / Rajab 1435 Volume 4, Issue No. 8
the
www.kaust.edu.sa
GCR SYMPOSIUM ENDS WITH INSPIRING POSTER COMPETITION
االجتماع السنوي اخلامس للمجلس االستشاري الصناعي يف جامعة امللك )KIAB( عبداهلل للعلوم والتقنية
President Jean-Lou Chameau, Director of OCRF Teofilo Abrajano, and research scientist John Archer at the poster session
TRIPLE HELIX FRAMEWORK FOR INNOVATION AT WORK
KAUST hosted a two-day event on March 26-27 to recognize and celebrate the University's innovative global alliances first established by the Global Collaborative Research (GCR) program.
IN HIS presentation as part of the 5th annual meeting of the
The GCR program was launched in 2007 and helped introduce the
KAUST Industry Advisory Board (KIAB) in February, H.E.
University to the world by involving over 30 institutions from Asia,
Dr. Abdulrahman M. Al-Ibrahim, Governor, Saline Water
Europe, and North America in the development of KAUST's research
Conservation Corporation (SWCC), emphasized the strategic
programs and infrastructure.
importance of partnerships with KAUST and KAUST Industry
GCR SYMPOSIUM | Continued on p5
Collaboration Program (KICP) partners. KICP includes 34 industry members and five honorary members representing key Saudi quasi-government entities, and is the primary conduit for
KAUST’S TTI OPENS DOORS FOR SCIENTIST’S OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE
engaging industry in collaborative research with faculty. Dr. Al-Ibrahim noted that KAUST and its robust partnerships with industry and organizations like SWCC are key to transferring knowledge and innovation. SWCC is not interested in “black box” solutions, Dr. Al-Ibrahim stated, reiterating the importance of developing human capital to localize and improve on holistic systems. The approach of integrating waste-heat and renewable energydriven desalination demands interdisciplinary, “triple helix” partnerships among industry, academia, and government agencies, he explained, and such collaborations are the hallmark of KAUST, as exemplified by KIAB.
عقد المجلس االستشاري الصناعي لجامعة الملك عبداهلل للعلوم من شهر فبراير27 و26 والتقنية اجتماعه السنوي الخامس بتاريخ بحضور أعضاء المجلس من، في ثول، في مقر الجامعة2014 لعام شركة سعودية27 الشخصيات المحلية و الدولية والذين يمثلون ويعتبر االجتماع الخامس.ال عن خمس قطاعات حكومية ً ودولية فض للمجلس حدثا مهمًا للنهوض باألبحاث التي تتم في جامعة الملك ويهدف. إضافة إلى التطوير التعاوني لنتائج هذه األبحاث،عبداهلل المجلس إلى تقوية واستمرارية الشراكات المثمرة بين القطاع البحثي واألكاديمي وأنشطة وأهداف التنمية االقتصادية والقطاع الصناعي من خالل تبادل األفكار والخبرات والمساهمة في تطوير .اقتصاد المملكة العربية السعودية و تخلل اجتماع هذا العام العديد من حلقات النقاش والعروض التي قدمها أعضاء هيئة التدريس في جامعة الملك عبداهلل كما تميز بإتاحة الفرصة.وممثلي الشركات الصناعية المشاركة ألعضاء المجلس للتفاعل والحوار ليس فقط مع اإلدارة العليا ولكن أيضا مع أعضاء المجلس اآلخرين،لجامعة الملك عبداهلل لو شامو- وهو ما أشار اليه رئيس جامعة الملك عبد اهلل جانبأنه أحد الجوانب المهمة في هذا االجتماع مؤكدًا ضرورة تفعيله في االجتماعات القادمة وإتاحة المزيد من فرص التواصل بين .المنظمات والقطاعات المشاركة 4 تتمه صفحة
TRIPLE HELIX | Continued on p4
SQUEEGEE METHOD LETS TEAM SEE TINY CRYSTALS FORM
Craig Kapfer
DR. ARAM Amassian, Assistant Professor
and the resulting liquid is spread on a flat
KAUST’s first open-source product, KUBE, was developed
of Materials Science and Engineering,
surface using a squeegee-like contraption.
by Craig Kapfer in collaboration with his team in IT. KUBE
and a team of KAUST and international
The trailing liquid dries, leaving behind a
is a benchmarking framework for analyzing performance of
scientists recently published a paper in
remarkably well-ordered, highly continuous
software applications and systems. It is a Linux application
Nature Communications describing a novel
thin film with unusual structures and unique
designed to reliably benchmark systems over time. The metrics
crystallization process of organic molecules
electrical properties.
used to measure a given application or system are user-
(doi:10.1038/ncomms4573). This process
defined, allowing the user to test for performance, accuracy,
has potentially wide-ranging applications
and scalability.
in the electronics, pharmaceutical, and
and developed KUBE while in the IT department. He’s also
Their paper explains the production of
one of the recent scientists to have a technology licensed via
“strained organic semiconductors,” a type of
Researchers have created a novel way to do time-lapse studies of crystallization Crystallization that could lead to more flexible and captured on camera effective electronic displays, circuits, and pharmaceutical drugs. Bao’s research team wanted to understand
KAUST’s Technology Transfer and Innovation (TTI) department.
organic semiconductor which may lead to
how the process she pioneered created such
Kapfer recently joined the Computational Bioscience Research
the creation of high performance, low-cost,
Stanford Professor of Chemical Engineering
an electronically useful crystal lattice. To
Center, where he plans to continue using KUBE.
flexible, and transparent electronic devices
Dr. Zhenan Bao discovered strained organic
do this, they sought the expertise of Prof.
and displays on large area substrates.
Kapfer joined KAUST in 2010 as a Computational Scientist,
“I’ve worked on many other types of software in the past, but this is the first one that has gone from initial concept to an official licensed open source release,” said Kapfer. KAUST’S TTI | Continued on p3
INSIDE:
News 1-3
food industries.
semiconductors several years ago, when
Amassian, who specializes in studying
To produce the semiconductors, organic
she demonstrated that they were among the
the formation of organic thin films for
molecules are dissolved into a solution
fastest plastic electronics at the time. Dr.
electronics and solar energy.
“SQUEEGEE” METHOD | Continued on p7
Research 4-7
Community 8
2
May 2014
News
The Beacon
THE SPRING months have kept the University community busy, with a host of events,
of Drs. Aram Amassian, Niveen Kashab, and Husam Alshareef, the academic community has
symposia, and innovative scientific discoveries taking place across the University’s
been hard at work in the lead up to the end of the academic year in May.
academic divisions. From the KAUST Industry Advisory Board (KIAB) meeting, to the Global Collaborative Research (GCR) program and poster symposium, to research papers published by the groups
Additionally the wider KAUST community celebrated its commitment to the preservation of the environment in March and April, taking part in three “green” events that brought the community together to save water, conserve electricity, and learn how to be better “green” citizens. —THE BEACON Editorial
The Beacon, Volume 4, Issue 8, May 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.
VISUAL COMPUTING SUMMIT BRINGS EXPERTS TO SPEAK AT KAUST THE VISUAL Computing Center hosted a Visual Computing Summit at the University on April
2014 'ARTISTS OF KAUST ' EXHIBITION SHOWCASES COMMUNITY’S ARTISTIC TALENTS
14-15. Assembling a diverse array of experts from KAUST and international universities and
THE UNIVERSITY Library served as the inspiring setting for the 5th annual Artists of KAUST
organizations, including the University of California, University College London, the University
exhibition, which ran from April 20 - May 12. Showcasing the diverse artistic talents of the KAUST
of Hong Kong, INRIA, and Sandia National Laboratories, the summit enabled KAUST faculty
community, the exhibition featured works of art in a variety of media from community members
and students to engage with industry representatives, professors, and researchers through a
of all ages. Photos: Kenana Dahlan
variety of academic seminars and lectures. Topics covered included computational imaging, visualization, vision and tracking, and modeling and capture.
UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY FACULTY VISIT KAUST FOR SYMPOSIUM FOCUSING ON JOINT COLLABORATIONS THE PHYSICAL Sciences and Engineering (PSE) Division and the University of Sydney hosted a joint symposium on “Enhancing Research Collaborations” at the University on April 10. Featuring presentations by visiting academics from the University of Sydney and members of the KAUST academic faculty, including Prof. Karl Leo, Director of the KAUST Solar & Photovoltaics Engineering Research Center (SPERC); Zhiping Lai, Associate Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering; and Osman Bakr, Assistant Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, the symposium was divided into three general sessions focusing on materials, energy, and water. The symposium also included a poster session and competition which featured the work of over 30 students, postdoctoral fellows, and research scientists. The winner of the poster competition was Dr. Osama Shekhah, a Senior Research Scientist in Prof. Mohamed Eddaoudi’s Functional Materials Design, Discovery & Development (FMD3) group. His first prize-winning poster was entitled “Liquid-Phase Epitaxy Approach for the Synthesis and Growth of MOFs Thin Films: An Emerging Platform for Diverse Applications.” University of Sydney Professor Archie Johnston, Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and IT, who also presented during the event, noted in his welcome remarks that the University of Sydney finds it critical to “forge relationships with different parts of the world…We want to explore
“As each year passes, [our] community grows, and this year we had over 100 works from
relationships within the Kingdom, and this is a driving force of our presence at this symposium.”
over 50 artists from many different countries,” said Molly Tamarkin, Library Director. “We see
He added that working with the University is an “exciting journey, as our relationship has a
[the exhibition] as an opportunity for everyone to gather and appreciate the variety of artistic
purpose, and the purpose is to do real things by bringing together young, bright minds from our institutions to address the world’s key problems.”
expressions from people of different cultural backgrounds.” The opening night reception on April 20 enabled the artists to discuss their works with interested visitors. “I’m happy because the exhibition enables recognition for my art, and I treasure the new friends I make in sharing my work,” said Eduard Artificio, an employee with Saudi Oger, whose pencil and charcoal drawings “Malala Yousafzai” and “Gabriel” appeared in the show. Adel Alrefaie, Translator in the University’s Communications Department, noted his pen-andink drawing “The King’s Dream” was inspired by the University itself. “There is beauty here everywhere; in people, buildings, and in the landscape,” he said. Eugene Talisayon, an employee at the Library’s café, showcased photographs of his “Latte Art.” “This is the first time I joined the art exhibition, although I never thought of my latte designs as a form of art – I was just having fun making them,” he said. “I’m really happy people appreciate what I’ve done, and the exhibition shows off some exciting work from other artists!” Participants of the 2014 Artists of KAUST exhibit included Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 2 students from the Harbor Elementary School visual art classes and the following individuals:
Students, research scientists, and postdoctoral fellows discuss their research posters during the KAUST/ Sydney Symposium
Amal Aboulhassan
Babelyn April Inocencio
Michelle Ponto
Adel Alrefaie
BarbieInocencio
Temille Porter
Zaira Aquino
Tong Jian
Evgeniya Predybaylo
Eduard Artifico
Hugo Jimeniz
Jerry Raj
Lucy Ashdown
Tamara Jones
Hafiz S
Pas Ashwell
Craig Kershaw
Dania S
Andrea Bachofen-Echt
Nikki Ketterer
Madiha S
Abeer Bakhsh
Anastasia Khrenova
Nada Suleimani
Abhinay Bhoje
Minna Lehvaslaiho
Eugene Talisayon
Cindy Bohorquez
Matias Lehvaslaiho
Ludivine Thomas
Catherine Buttner
India Lehvaslaiho
Chaido Tzirini
John Cassell
Ryan Luebke
Rachel Weitzman-Yeh
Miko Chato
Yada Madhava
Rebecca Williams
Louis Courtois
Sherif Mahmoud
Liangfeng Yao
Walaa Eissa
Marios Mantzourogiannis
Muhammad Hakim
Genevieve McCabe
Yudian Huang
Chris Newns
Amina Hussin
Catherine Owen
News
www.kaust.edu.sa
THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT, EVEN IN DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY
3
the world’s first iPhone-connected hardware medical device,
device ensures that the user has it with them all the time. “So we
which diabetic users could easily carry with them.
saw glucose testing rates skyrocket,” Vu said, once his product
Following the commercial success of the product, Vu’s belief
allowed diabetic users to turn their iPhone into a glucose meter.
was reinforced that the growing wearable space was the way to
So design, informed by customer behavior, was able to transform
go for his next company.
an entire industry.
“The advent of mobile Internet has redefined how data sensors are used. The big move that we’ve seen in recent years has been
Sonny Vu
May 2014
THE ROLE AND THE FUTURE OF DATA
in ambient sensing,” he explained. Much of the current traction
We’ve come through the era of the PCs in the ‘80s, the Internet
and consumer interest in the ambient sensor technology space is
in the ‘90s, and mobile and the social revolution in the 2000s.
in the fitness, health, and wellness areas. Those trends informed
The big discussion right now in Silicon Valley and elsewhere
his decision to create a wearable activity monitor, the Shine.
in the world, as Vu posits, is around data. “We now have the
Unlike many of his competition’s activity monitor devices,
unprecedented opportunity to collect an enormous amount of
made out of plastic, the Shine was designed to be stylish and
data about ourselves and about people in general,” he adds.
simple enough to be worn by the users on their wrists or chest
Moreover, that data is readily sharable.
to go anywhere. When you think about it, he says, “Who would
So in addition to design, Vu determined that in order for his
want to wear plastic?” The elegant device he created is a small
company to stay relevant in an increasingly crowded space, he
dish-shaped metal activity monitor. It does not require charging,
needed to focus on “making it about having better data.” The
“IF YOU’RE going to be in the consumer space, sell the product and
has no wires, and requires no syncing cables. It’s also waterproof
more an activity monitor, such as the Shine, can be viewed by
then make it. Not the other way around. It may sound like a crazy
to 50 meters, which makes it popular with swimmers.
the user as “beautify and invisible,” the more he or she will
way of doing things but there are mechanisms that allow you to do this these days,” said Sonny Vu, a Silicon Valley entrepreneur and CEO of Misfit Wearables, at a talk on campus in March. As part of New Ventures Entrepreneurship Speaker Series, Vu spoke about the central role of design in our technology-driven global economy.
His new company, Misfit Wearables, did not initially go through
instinctively keep using it. Once such a device is adopted long-term and is able to
“The approach of build it and they will come, is not a collect a year’s worth of uninterrupted data for instance, very smart way of doing things” much valuable information can be gleaned. For example, a – Sonny Vu, CEO of Misfit Wearables user can determine that they don’t sleep enough on Thursday the traditional venture capital funding route. They instead opted
nights. Additionally, the data can show the resulting long-term effects if the user continues on that same path.
Vu’s philosophy and approach to start-up product launches
to raise their $100,000 funding goal through online crowdfunding.
mirror the training pillars of KAUST’s own Entrepreneurship
Interestingly, within nine and a half hours, they had met their
“Our objective has always been to make great wearable
Center, which teaches emerging entrepreneurs to validate their
fundraising goal. This was accomplished with just a YouTube
products; things that are worn all the time by a lot of people for
product ideas directly with the customers before launching a
video embedded on their crowdfunding page and without a
a long time,” said Vu. After that information has been collected,
business. Referring to the book The Lean Startup, Vu believes in
PR firm or marketing budget. “Immediately I thought: this is a
“it’s about making the data very useful,” he concludes.
rapidly prototyping a new product idea and “being relentlessly
product that people are going to want,” Vu recounts.
focused on getting user feedback and minimizing the cost of experimentations in order to be able to learn cheaper and faster."
A CUSTOMER-FOCUSED APPROACH TO DESIGN
CROWDFUNDING AND THE WEARABLE SPACE
the rollout of the Shine activity monitor was very much design-
“The approach of 'build it and they will come' is not a very smart way of doing things,” Vu argues. He suggests that any new product “must be an enjoyable user experience that will make the customer want to come back again and again.”
As was the case for the iPhone-connected glucose monitor, oriented. And, as Vu theorizes, the best way to devise a design
Wearable activity monitor devices
strategy for any product is to observe people’s behavior. By designing an easily portable medical device connecting to the iPhone, Vu’s previous company responded to the observable
This philosophy was behind the success of Vu’s previous
fact that many diabetics didn’t test enough because they left
company, AgaMatrix. The Company’s groundbreaking product,
their glucose meters at home. However, these same people
launched in 2010, was a self-powered glucose meter, and became
would rarely forget their iPhone. A physical connection to a
KAUST’S TTI | Continued from p1 KUBE has historical time reporting and visualization capabilities and integrates with batch scheduling systems used for large HPC systems. “This allows you to see if your application or
licenses. They then referred me to Technology Transfer and Innovation (TTI) to discuss options for licensing.”
system has been improving or degrading over time. In addition, the software allows the user to
TTI manages, protects, and commercializes KAUST’s intellectual property. The department
define tolerances, so you can monitor system performance or accuracy over time and setup an
conducted an official evaluation of the technology to be sure it wasn’t a commercial project
alert if it goes outside the user-defined tolerances,” Kapfer said.
and they assisted Kapfer through the process. “I first approached TTI in December 2013 and we
Kapfer provided creative and technical direction for KUBE, along with former KAUST employee Jorge Naranjo. “KUBE is ideal for any computational lab or computing center that is interested in benchmarking applications, hardware, or eliminating faults in their software stack. Plus the historical time reporting features in KUBE have not been done anywhere else,” said Kapfer. “When the software was ready, I wasn’t sure about how to go about distributing it officially. KUBE is a niche product with a small market, but it’s highly useful and fills a unique need.” said Kapfer. “I met with KAUST’s Legal Department and they advised regarding types of open-source
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received the license in March. The whole process happened very quickly and that’s a credit to everyone involved, especially Legal and TTI,” Kapfer said. Now that KUBE has been licensed it may be used and developed by collaborators around the world. “Until now, KUBE has been developed internally but now it is freely available. We built it due to a perceived need and it is filling a gap in application and system benchmarking and we will continue adding features,” he said. KUBE is scheduled to be released later this year.
4
Research
May 2014
The Beacon “You don’t want a plastic that is a conductor on one end and an insulator on the other.” Throughout the last decade, researchers have been experimenting with different physical routes, different additives, and different materials to try to solve this aggregation problem. Dr. Khashab’s lab discovered a way to do this that was superior to many of the others on the market. Their results were published in Applied Materials and Interfaces in January 2014. The team hopes they can commercialize it. But while the new research is a great “win,” Dr. Khashab says the experience and knowledge she gained while working with SABIC on this project was invaluable. “When you work in academia you develop a lot of projects you think are innovative and interesting. But when you work with somebody who knows the market and knows processing, it gives you a brand new perspective that can help you out and help your design,” she said.
REPURPOSING RESEARCH THROUGH INDUSTRY COLLABORATION
She goes on to say that working with industry is not like working with another academic. There are some limits on how much you are allowed to know due to company policies, but when it comes to creativity, working with SABIC pushed
IN 2013, Assistant Professor of Chemical
us is this mingling with industry and companies
at literature. “I learned that many people have
her creative boundaries. “When you work with
Sciences and Engineering Dr. Niveen Khashab
where we can see how our research could be
been using them as fillers. Of course our system
industry, in terms of your materials of choice
prepared some of her lab’s nanomaterials for a
applied,” Dr. Khashab said. “I knew that SABIC
still needed to be modified,” she said.
and your method of making the product, you
biomedical application that turned out to not be safe. But instead of giving up on the research, she thought: “Instead of throwing this material away, why don’t we try to use it as fillers?”
need to take into account scalability. You need
“When you work in academia you develop a lot of projects you think are innovative and interesting. But when you work with somebody who knows the market and knows processing, it gives you a brand new perspective that can help you out -- and help your design.” – Dr. Niveen Kashab, Assistant Professor of Chemical Sciences and Engineering
Dr. Khashab makes it sound
to think that this will be scaled-up and it needs to be cost-effective. It gives you a different perspective compared to what you normally would do for the sake of pure research,” she said. Dr. Khashab is now hoping to establish more one-on-one projects with SABIC to keep
simple, but taking an idea designed for one
(Saudi Basic Industries Corporation) was doing
For years, scientists have had the idea of using
advancing the lab’s work with composites and
application and transforming it into something
a lot of interesting, novel material research and
nanomaterials in composites, but one of the big
developing new types. She says these will also
useful in an entirely different industry isn’t
they were interested in compositing different
problems with nanomaterials is their tendency
be based on modified nanomaterials, but more
easy. And before her Controlled Release and
nanomaterials in plastic. I thought it would be
to aggregate. “When they aggregate, they come
focused on certain applications.
Delivery Lab could even consider the idea,
neat to try and composite our functionalized
together forming a clog or a clump. When you
“This project made me grow as a junior
they had to find an industrial partner that
nanomaterials,” she explained.
would be interested. “What is really nice and what KAUST gives
want to put them inside a polymer matrix you
faculty member. I learned more things about
Dr. Khashab says she came to the idea of using
don’t want clumps of things. You want them to
composites that I didn’t know before. It was a
their nanotubes for something else after looking
be uniformly dispersed in the matrix,” she said.
learning experience,” she said.
عن الفرص الكثيرة،)للصناعات األساسية (سابك التي نشأت من خالل التعاون بين سابك وجامعة الملك عبداهلل والتي كان لها دور كبير في سد .الفجوة بين األبحاث والصناعة وكان الدور الذي لعبه طلبة جامعة الملك عبداهلل في تحقيق مهمة التنمية االقتصادية للجامعة حاضرًا في االجتماع وشكل نقطة محورية للنقاش حيث عرض الدكتور أشرف.والعروض التقديمية مدير مركز أرامكو السعودية لألبحاث،الغزاوي أبرز نتائج مشروع شركة أرامكو والذي،والتطوير يقوده ثالثة من خريجي جامعة الملك عبداهلل هم من موظفي أرامكو اآلن ويعملون في مجمع حيث قاموا خالل فترة قصيرة. االبتكار بالجامعة بتصميم وبناء روبوت ذكي يستطيع تفحص سالمة أنابيب النفط في األماكن التي يصعب .الوصول إليها الدكتور،كما تحدث رئيس جامعة الملك عبداهلل شامو عن رغبة الجامعة في إنشاء شراكات طويلة األمد مع الصناعة بما يحقق الفائدة لكل من : وأضاف.شركاء الصناعة وجامعة الملك عبداهلل "نود أن يكون ألعضاء هيئة تدريسنا وطلبتنا دور لما لها من فائدة كبيرة،فاعل في هذه الشراكات وهم متحمسون جدًا للعمل.ًفي تحفيزهم فكريا مع شركائنا بقدر حماسة شركائنا في العمل كما أن مثل.معهم في جامعة الملك عبداهلل هذه الشراكات الصناعية التي يدعمها المجلس االستشاري الصناعي للجامعة ستفتح آفاقًا كبيرة للمملكة العربية السعودية نحو إرساء شركات ." صناعية قيمة ومثمرة
:تتمة الصفحة األولى كما أكد معالي محافظ المؤسسة العامة لتحلية الدكتور عبدالرحمن،)SWCC( المياه المالحة ،آل إبراهيم في حديث له في هذا االجتماع على أهمية الشراكات االستراتيجية مع جامعة الملك عبداهلل وأعضاء برنامج التعاون الصناعي عضوا في34 والذي يضم،)KICP( في الجامعة الصناعة وخمسة أعضاء شرف يمثلون هيئات ويعتبر حلقة وصل بين القطاع،حكومية رئيسية الصناعي والكيان البحثي للجامعة بما في ذلك هيئة التدريس ومراكز البحث وشركاء الجامعة وأشار معالي الدكتور.في القطاع األكاديمي آل إبراهيم إلى الشراكات القوية للجامعة مع الصناعة وكيف أن مثل هذه الشراكات تعتبر واستشهد بشراكة.مفتاح نقل المعرفة واالبتكار الجامعة مع المؤسسة العامة لتحلية المياه المالحة والدور الكبير الذي تقوم به الجامعة لتطوير الكوادر البشرية وتوطين وتحسين النظم وأفاد معالي الدكتور أن منهج تحلية.الشاملة المياه باستخدام الطاقة المتجددة يحتاج إلى بين الصناعة،شراكات متعددة التخصصات والهيئات الحكومية،والمؤسسات األكاديمية وهذا النوع من الشراكات المتعددة األطراف متوفر في جامعة الملك عبداهلل تحت مظلة . )KICP( برنامج التعاون الصناعي بالجامعة وكان لشركاء الصناعة في جامعة الملك عبداهلل حضور الفت من خالل أغلب العروض التقديمية حيث تحدث السيد فؤاد محمد.في االجتماع المدير العام لبرامج الشركات العالمية،موسى في الشركة السعودية،ومراكز األبحاث واالبتكار
TRIPLE HELIX | Continued from p1 KIAB was established to ensure ongoing alignment of the University’s academic, research,
by SABIC’s tenancy at KAUST in bridging the gap between the University’s research and industry.
and economic development activities and goals
The role played by students in achieving the
with industry. The advisory board’s members
University’s economic development mission was
represent 27 Saudi and international corporations
also a focal point of the event’s presentations. The
and five quasi-government entities. The 5th KIAB
results of a Saudi Aramco project led by KAUST
meeting was an important event in advancing
graduates now employed by the company at
research and collaboratively developing research
KAUST’s Innovation Cluster were highlighted by
results for potential deployment in the Kingdom.
Dr. Ashraf Ghazzawi, Manager of Saudi Aramco’s
This year’s KIAB meeting featured numerous
Research & Development Center (R&DC). The three
opportunities for members of the board to
KAUST graduates designed, built, and field-tested
interact not only with KAUST faculty and
a smart robotic device that monitors the integrity
management, but also with each other – an
of difficult-to-access hydrocarbon pipes and
aspect KAUST President Jean-Lou Chameau
vessels. The successful technology was designed,
noted was important, adding that next year’s
developed, and deployed at an accelerated pace.
event would provide even more opportunities
In his closing remarks, President Chameau noted
for the organizations to network and
the University’s desire to strengthen long-term
strengthen relationships. KAUST functioning
partnerships with industry to further mutually
as a connector and convener across the value
beneficial interactions. “We want our faculty and
chain is critical in fostering the Kingdom’s
students actively participating in collaborations
emerging innovation ecosystem.
that further their intellectual curiosity and offer
Panel discussions and different talks and
them opportunities to accelerate great ideas,” he
presentations by KAUST faculty and corporate
stated. “If we can provide this environment, they
representatives from industry featured
will be excited to work with our partners and
prominently in this year’s activities. Fuad
vice-versa.”
Mohammed Mosa, General Manager, Global
President Chameau also added that KIAB and
Corporate Programs and Research and Innovation
the University’s interaction with industry is
Centers, Saudi Basic Industries Corporation
“helping open doors to the Kingdom for more
(SABIC), emphasized myriad opportunities created
value-driven industry partnerships.”
Research
www.kaust.edu.sa
HOW THE WDRC HELPS SOLVE INDUSTRY WATER PROBLEMS
company holds the majority share of membrane desalination in
and be a part of the bigger umbrella of KICP. But Sinha says
the Kingdom. “They approached KAUST and wanted to work with
when a company wants to specifically work with a center, they
us in a research project. We thought this project would be a good
join the Center Industry Affiliates Program (CIAP). “Each center
fit for us in the sense that we would have a better understanding
has its own CIAP center, but not every center has done it. We
of how membrane desalination is done in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
have created this model and we have been running it,” he said.
University to set up industry partnerships under the Center Industry Affiliates Program (CIAP), the first to set up pilot plants, and the first center to utilize the role of the Center Liaison Officer (CLO), which is one of the many duties of Research Engineer Shahnawaz Sinha.
this gave them the opportunity to interact with the people on the ground like the managers and operators. “This interaction was very
desalination. “If an industry comes to us and says they have some
rewarding for us. We collected samples within the plant and were
desalination issues, then right away they are aligning with our
able to understand the types of issues and challenges the plant
research strategy,” Sinha said.
faced and see them operating with these challenges,” Sinha said.
Wastewater and water reuse is also important to KAUST
They brought these challenges back to KAUST, and then designed
and is another area of research. The third area has to do with
a small pilot plant to simulate the issues in order to come up with
new materials like a new type of membrane or new types of
possible solutions. “I think this type of interaction with the industry,
nanomaterials. The fourth area relates to hydrologic systems in
where we know what is out there and have the opportunity to bring
regards to monitoring, sensing, and modeling. And finally, the
some of the actual issues and challenges back to the center is good
fifth area is more industry specific and focuses on sustainable
for the course of the project. It becomes a win-win situation for
water technologies, and agriculture and aquaculture issues. “If
both of us,” he said.
we won’t be interested. We are looking for research that provides the way KAUST works with industry. They were the first center in the
The advantage of this project was that the KAUST team had the opportunity to visit the desalination plants in Saudi Arabia – and
Currently the WDRC has five areas of interest. The first one is
something falls into an area that we are not focused on right now, KAUST’s Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) is pioneering
5
industry that wants to join and work with KAUST can do this
ALIGNING RESEARCH AND INDUSTRY
Shahnawaz Sinha
May 2014
mutual benefits between the industry and us,” Sinha said.
WORKING WITH INDUSTRY ON DESALINATION CHALLENGES
WDRC, INDUSTRY, AND THE FUTURE At of the end of 2013, the WDRC had 13 industry partners including DOW, SABIC, and Saudi Aramco. They had also created eight industry-funded projects, and this past December, they celebrated their 4th annual CIAP meeting.
One of their industry projects has to do with desalination. Saudi
“We are very lucky to have Gary Amy as the director of the
Arabia is one of the largest desalinators in the world, but Sinha
center. He always knew the value of the industry and how the academic world and industry could work together,” Sinha said.
“We begin by looking at what the industry needs and what is
says they are mostly using a thermal based desalination process.
it that KAUST can offer. Matching the projects together is very
“We believe this is an energy intensive desalination process and
Currently the center is working with individual companies
important, and once we understand their issues and challenges,
that eventually they won’t be able to continue it under the current
that include consulting, service providers, manufacturers, and
we then expand them into a proposal,” Sinha said.
practices, as it’s not sustainable,” Sinha said.
government entities. They are working with each of them
KAUST is unique as the University has set up the KAUST
He says that eventually membrane based desalination will
Industry Collaboration Program (KICP): In this program, any
play a greater role within Saudi Arabia. Currently one particular
GCR SYMPOSIUM | Continued from p1 The symposium featured a few of the key accomplishments resulting from these global partnerships. One of the highlights of the
1. Poster 225: “Energy storage on flexible carbon fabric” Authors: Rakhi Raghavan Baby, Husam Alshareef 2. Poster: 232: “Enhanced performance of oxide
researchers, and research scientists. The posters spanned all three
thermoelectrics by magnetic doping”
divisions and 68 faculty were represented, making this one of the
Authors: Mousumi Upadhyay-Kahaly, Husam Niman
largest poster competitions in KAUST’s history.
Alshareef, Udo Schwingenschlögl 3.
Poster 241: “Quantitative determination of metal impurities
Members of the faculty and seven distinguished visiting scientists
in graphene and carbon nanotube samples by inductively
judged the posters.
coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy” Authors: Shashikant Patole, Bashir Warsama, Tahir Yapici,
THE WINNERS OF THE GCR POSTER COMPETITION: BIOLOGICAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING (BESE) 1. Poster 122: “The co-transcriptome of uropathogenic E. coli-infected mouse macrophages reveals new insights into host-pathogen interactions” Authors: Harris Mavromatis, Carlo Cannistraci, Taewoo Ryu, Timothy Ravasi 2. Poster 105: “Microbial Electrodeionization Cell (MEDIC) for sustainable desalination, wastewater treatment and low energy recovery” Authors: Noura Shehab, Gary Amy, Pascal Saikaly 3. Poster 112: “Mapping the conformational dynamics of E-selectin upon interaction with its ligands” Authors: Fajr Aleisa, Kosuke Sakashita, Satoshi Habuchi, Samir Hamdan, Jasmeen Merzaban
COMPUTER, ELECTRICAL, AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING (CEMSE) 1. Poster 296: “Predicting new molecular targets for existing drugs using a stochastic pocket ensemble” Authors: Hammad Naveed, Xin Gao 2. Poster 255: “Outlier and change detection in data streams" Authors: Abdulhakim Qahtan, Xiangliang Zhang 3. Poster 284: “Inkjet printed multi-layered tracking system” Authors: Rana Muhammad Bilal, Fahad Farooqui, Hammad Cheema, Atif Shamim
the research can benefit many companies together.
PHYSICAL SCIENCES AND ENGINEERING (PSE)
GCR Symposium was the poster session. Dr. Moody Altamimi and her team received 162 posters from KAUST's students, postdoctoral
separately, but eventually hope to do a multi-partner project where
Pedro Costa
WINNER BY PUBLIC VOTE Poster 105: “Microbial Electrodeionization Cell (MEDIC) for sustainable desalination, wastewater treatment and low energy recovery” Authors: Noura Shehab, Gary Amy, Pascal Saikaly
Dr. Moody Altamimi and PhD student Noura Shehab
6
Research
May 2014
The Beacon
KAUST TEAM USES ELECTRON TOMOGRAPHY TO EXPLAIN ENERGY STORAGE MECHANISM IN SUPERCAPACITOR ELECTRODES IN A PAPER recently published in Advanced Functional Materials
much higher energy density. However, a problem with
(DOI: 10.1002/adfm.201303508), Wei Chen, a recent PhD graduate
pseudocapacitive materials is their cycling stability:
from the group of Dr. Husam Alshareef, Professor of Materials
they typically show a drop in capacitance as they are
Science and Engineering, collaborated with KAUST’s Imaging
cycled between charge/discharge processes.
and Characterization Lab scientists to explain the mechanism
In the paper, which was chosen for the inside
underpinning the charge storage process in a common supercapacitor
front cover of Advanced Functional Materials, Prof.
material and its behavior during charge/discharge cycling.
Alshareef’s group, including Chen and postdoctoral
Supercapacitors are energy storage devices that fill the gap
fellow Dr. Rakhi Raghavan Baby, collaborated
between batteries and electrostatic capacitors. They have a high
with KAUST Core Labs scientists Qingxiao Wang
power density and yet enough energy density to allow them to be
and Nejib Hedhili, using electron tomography and
used to power portable devices or to compliment batteries in electric
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to show how the
and hybrid electric vehicles. The market size for supercapacitors is
morphology and crystal phase of manganese oxide
growing extremely fast, and they are already appearing in many
electrodes affect their energy storage density and,
applications, including portable power tools, cranes, intercity trains,
more importantly, their unique behavior during
and street lamps.
charge/discharge cycling.
Schematic illustrating shape and phase design of nanostructured MnO2 electrodes used in supercapacitor devices. Design by Olga Kasimova
There are two common types of supercapacitors. The first type, the
By using 3D tomography, the team established
double-layer capacitor, relies primarily on carbon-based electrodes,
how the morphological evolution of the electrode
which store charge much like a conventional electrostatic capacitor
increases its surface area, leading to enhanced energy densities.
applications, and acts as a guide for future experiments,” stated
found in electronic circuits. The second type, called an ultracapacitor
Furthermore, through the use of a combination of tomography and
Prof. Alshareef.
or pseudocapacitor, utilizes the so-called pseudocapacitive materials,
spectroscopy, the team showed that the electrolyte actually etches
Prof. Alshareef’s group has been active in the area of energy storage,
which include transition metal oxides such as MnO2, to achieve even
nanoscale openings in the manganese oxide sheet electrodes, which
focusing on electrode material development for supercapacitors,
higher capacitance.
surprisingly enhanced the electrolyte permeability and increased the
Li-ion batteries, and more recently, Na-ion batteries.
These pseudocapacitive materials undergo Faradic reactions and
energy density of the device during cycling.
“I believe this research area is strategic for KAUST and the
provide an additional charge storage mechanism. This means that
“This work improves our understanding of manganese oxide, one
pseudocapacitive electrodes can produce supercapacitors with a
of the most promising pseudocapacitive materials for energy storage
Kingdom, and I am happy that we have built a recognized program in this field,” he said.
KAUST RESEARCH ON LI ION BATTERY SELECTED AS VIP PAPER BY SMALL THE RESEARCH work of Nulati Yesibolati, a recent KAUST master’s degree graduate from the group of Husam Alshareef, Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, has been selected as a VIP paper and was recently published online in the Wiley journal Small (DOI: 10.1002/smll.201303898). In his research, Yesibolati worked on producing a promising Li ion battery anode using tin oxide (SnO2), which has much higher theoretical storage capacity compared to the current commercial Li ion battery anodes, which are made of graphite. However, tin oxide also has one serious problem: it undergoes severe volume changes as it interacts with the battery’s electrolyte during the charging and discharging cycle of the battery. To combat this issue, Yesibolati used atomic layer deposition to coat the surface of the SnO 2 anode with a few atomic layers of another electrochemically inactive oxide (HfO2) to reduce the reaction of SnO2 and the battery electrolyte. The atomic layer coating of HfO2 significantly reduced the volume change of the SnO2 anode, but at the same time still allowed Li ion diffusion through the thin layer of HfO2 to reach the SnO2 anode and charge the battery. Yesibolati’s technique resulted in an almost 56% improvement in the storage capacity of the SnO2 anode, and also improved its cycling stability in a significant way. Although the use of other atomic layer deposition coatings has been reported previously, what is unique about Yesibolati’s approach is that it appears to be quite insensitive to HfO2 thickness. “Amazingly, HfO2 layers as thick as 20 nm were used, and we could still see the improvement in battery performance,” noted Prof. Alshareef. The authors attribute this phenomenon to the amorphous structure of the HfO2 layer, and possibly the catalytic effect of hafnium (Hf), which allow easier diffusion of the Li ions toward the SnO2 anode. The work was done as part of a KAUST-IBM collaboration grant, and has resulted in additional publications
Schematic illustrating Li-ion battery structure using HfO2-coated SnO2 anodes. Design by Olga Kasimova
besides Yesibolati’s Small paper.
ACCOLADE DR. PRINTSYPAR WINS 2014 INTERPORE-FRAUNHOFER YOUNG RESEARCHERS AWARD GALINA Printsypar, a postdoctoral fellow in
materials modeling and computer simulation. Dr. Printsypar
Dr. Printsypar works closely with industrial companies to
the Center for Numerical Porous Media, has
received the 2014 award for her professional achievements
address their needs in modeling and simulations of porous
been awarded the prestigious 2014 InterPore-
for providing common solutions for diverse applications,
media problems.
Fraunhofer Award for Young Researchers.
helping to bridge academic research and industry.
Dr. Printsypar will receive her award at the 2014 Interpore
This award is granted annually by The International Society
Dr. Printsypar has contributed to modeling, analysis,
Conference and Annual Meeting in the US at the end of
for Porous Media, InterPore, on behalf of the Fraunhofer
and computer simulation of processes in technical (paper,
May. As winner, she will also spend approximately three
Institute for Industrial Mathematics (ITWM) to a young
nonwoven textiles, sponge, and tubular membranes, etc.)
months working on joint research at Fraunhofer ITWM and
researcher working in the areas of porous and composite
and in natural (rocks, soil, etc.) porous media. Currently,
receive 5,000€.
Research
www.kaust.edu.sa
May 2014
HYBRID DESALINATION PILOT PLANT COMING SOON
industries. Dr. Ng says one of the reasons for integrating the two cycles is that it will
Aram Amassian and Ruipeng Li
improve water production yields. “The integration is estimated to produce up to three times more water production for
“SQUEEGEE” METHOD | Continued from p1
almost the same heat resource. We call
“Understanding how these remarkable crystals
While watching the X-ray movie, the
are formed can open up entire new fields of
researchers were surprised to find the crystals
A NEW hybrid desalination pilot plant is in
application which go well beyond electronics.
forming in a highly unusual sequence. The most
the process of being built at KAUST on top
Recently the desalination team completed
In fact, the dissolution rate and bioactivity of
common and stable polymorph of a crystal
of the current adsorption desalination (AD)
the testing with the solar-powered
pharmaceuticals or the flavor of certain foods
usually forms last in a sequence of polymorph
plant at LFO27. “The new desalination pilot
adsorption pilot plant and trained several
depends on the type of form of crystal, or the
crystallization. But this did not happen with the
is a hybrid between the adsorption cycle and
KAUST master’s students in the desalination
polymorph,” Prof. Amassian explained.
crystals formed by the “squeegee effect.”
the multi-effect distillation (MED) cycles,”
process. This new hybrid group will continue
this thermodynamic synergy between the thermally-driven cycles,” he said.
To record the process of crystallization, the
“We were stumped when the stable form
said Dr. Kim Choon Ng, Visiting Professor
their desalination research based on the
KAUST team combined a tiny, bright X-ray beam
appeared first, followed by the strained
of Environmental Science and Engineering.
performances of the adsorption and multi-
produced by Cornell University’s High Energy
polymorphs,” explained Prof. Amassian.
More environmentally friendly than
effect distillation plant. “We have completed
Synchrotron Source (CHESS) with high-speed
“This pointed to an unusual effect – possibly
traditional methods, adsorption desalination
the cycle simulations and published much of
X-ray cameras to shoot a movie showing how
confinement [thinning or thickening the liquid
(AD) is an emerging, low cost solution for
it,” Dr. Ng said.
organic molecules form different types of crystals.
near the onset of crystallization] – similar to what
potable water production that can be used
The Nature Communications paper explains
is used in the pharmaceutical industry to control
as a solution for agriculture, homes, and
why the process can produce an ideal lattice:
The scientists confirmed their hypothesis by
the nanoscale thinness of the liquid at the moment
tuning the confinement conditions to produce
crystals grow plays a large role. Once the liquid film
different polymorphs, discovering that solvents
becomes thin enough to confine the crystallization
with different molecular sizes also affected the
process, the polymorph to be produced can be
formation of the polymorphs. “We were pleased to demonstrate our initial
Prof. Amassian and the KAUST team faced
hypothesis of confinement, but things got even
a number of challenges while working on the
more exciting when we showed the ease with
research, which took two years to complete. One
which the crystal formation can be selected
was the production of the miniature, remotely
within the confinement window,” Prof.
operated “squeegee blade” used to drag the
Amassian said.
thinning liquid and produce crystals in the safety of an X-ray room.
new plant is October or November 2014.
the formation of certain drug polymorphs.”
quick evaporation of the solution coupled with
selected with unprecedented control.
The estimated timeline for completing the
The solution-shearing method can produce continuous films of strained organic
“We had to get the design right and test it
semiconductors over large areas, making it
on-site at CHESS on a very tight schedule,” noted
compatible with roll-to-roll manufacturing.
KAUST postdoctoral fellow Dr. Ruipeng Li, who
Detailed knowledge of how to pack crystals with
co-authored the paper.
precise characteristics over large area substrates
The main technical challenge the researchers
will help make strained organic semiconductors
encountered was focusing the X-ray beam onto
more practical for use in new types of flexible
a small spot at the edge of the moving squeegee
electronic devices.
blade, and then firing the beam at intervals a few
In pharmaceutical manufacturing, drug
milliseconds apart as the squeegee quickly dragged
activity depends upon precise control of
the thinning liquid and crystallization began.
compounds’ crystal structures. Currently,
The high-speed X-ray camera took snapshots
pharmaceutically active compounds are
of the crystal polymorphs as they were being
produced by 3D confinement of molecules in a
produced, and the researchers then reassembled the
mesoporous polymer or glass medium to produce
snapshots to create an animated movie showing
isolated nanocrystals which are not electrically
the process of crystallization. The researchers
connected. The new method allows formation
also sought out high speed microscopy expertise
of polymorphs over large areas in a roll-to-roll
from Sigurdur Thoroddsen’s group in Mechanical
manner and with very well controlled topography
Engineering (at KAUST) to observe the crystal
and crystal orientation, which has the potential
formation process.
to benefit the production of pharmaceuticals.
A polarized optical image snapped during the squeegee process, showing the ribbon-like crystals forming as the squeegee blade drags the liquid meniscus. Polarized optical images in different confinement regimes in A. The trailing meniscus becomes longer as concentration is decreased and consequently thinner before crystallization occurs, resulting in increasing confinement. As the confinement increases, X-ray diffraction measurements in B show the lattice becoming distorted away from the equilibrium polymorph, a clear indication that the polymorphism changes.
7
8
Community
May 2014
The Beacon
PHOTO CREDIT: Bahir Skinner
MY UNIVERSITY MERFAT K. JANNAH “I LOVE to cook” says Merfat Jannah about her passion for preparing Saudi, savory favorites. More specifically, she has always dreamed of opening a restaurant, although until recently, it wasn’t a dream she took seriously. “I tend to be a shy person. I just keep to myself. But working at KAUST has changed that. It has developed my personality and opened me to new people and new situations. I’m even willing to see myself differently—even as a restaurant owner
TO PHOTHE OF NTH MO
some day,” she says. Merfat works in security at KAUST, a position that requires her to engage with the public and stay alert for important details. She studied in Jubail and Yanbu before moving to Jeddah in 2004, so she feels at home in an environment like KAUST. She began work on campus near the end of 2009, and is looking forward to completing her fifth year of service at KAUST—something she takes great pride in. Merfat has big dreams, but she also enjoys a good horror movie now and then. She
THE BEACON is just a silhouette against the night sky in this photo taken by Bahir Skinner, Project
wouldn’t name specific titles, but she clearly enjoys kicking back for a good scare after a
Coordinator in the Procurement Services Department, during Earth Hour 2014 at KAUST. Celebrated
long day of making sure everyone on campus is safe and sound.
around the world on March 29 this year, Earth Hour sees communities worldwide dimming or turning off their lights for one hour to conserve energy and demonstrate commitment to protecting the environment. The KAUST community did its part, shutting off lighting around campus – including
OLAWOLE KUTI
the Beacon – and celebrating this important occasion to protect our home, planet Earth.
AFTER graduating from the Federal University of Technology in his home country of Nigeria, KAUST postdoctoral fellow Olawole Kuti’s life took a very international turn: he received the Japanese
Email your photos to thebeacon@kaust.edu.sa.
government’s prestigious Monbukagakusho scholarship to pursue a PhD in Mechanical System Engineering at the University of
KAUST’S EARTH SERIES FULL OF GREEN EVENTS FOR ENTIRE COMMUNITY
Hiroshima. Describing his experience in Japan as “very interesting,” Olawole completed his PhD studies there in 2011. He and his wife, Funmi, and their two young sons then decided to continue their international adventures, with Olawole accepting a postdoctoral position
PHOTO CREDIT: Sean TangonanSKINNER
at KAUST’s Clean Combustion Research Center (CCRC) in 2013. “I was amazed to see the kind of research people are engaged in here,” he notes. “I couldn’t believe a place like the University existed. The CCRC’s state-of-the-art research on combustion and its caliber of scholars also attracted me to come to here.” During his time at KAUST, Olawole has gained much valuable research experience. “It has been a real blessing working with the CCRC’s researchers like Profs. Suk Ho Chung, William Roberts, and Mani Sarathy,” he says. “KAUST’s facilities are superb, and working here has enabled me to meet other excellent researchers from all over the world.” In their free time, Olawole and his family enjoy exploring their new home and experiencing the Saudis’ famous hospitality. “We love to go to the beach and enjoy the cool breeze and beautiful scenery of the Red Sea,” he says. “It is a privilege for us to live Community members tour the seawater reverse osmosis plant for world water day
and work in a peaceful and unique place like KAUST.”
PHOTO CREDIT: Caitlin ClarkSKINNER
Visitors enjoy Earth Day events at the Harbor Sports Club Field FACILITIES & Community introduced KAUST’s Earth Series
Solutions for Costal Cities: Forward Osmosis (FO).”
2014 through three community events promoting environmental
Community visitors also toured the Seawater Reverse Osmosis
stewardship and sustainability at work and at home. With the support
Plant, learning about KAUST’s high quality water purification process
of The KAUST School, the Graduate Student Council, and KAUST’s
and the lengths taken to ensure that household water is safe to drink.
The one-hour lights-out saw the Beacon, the King Abdullah
faculty, students, and staff, the Earth Series brought the community
Earth Hour, which took place on March 29, is a global event in
Mosque’s minarets, street lights, and other campus and
World Water Day, Earth Hour, and Earth Day. Each of these successful
which communities are encouraged to turn off their non-essential
community lighting switched off or reduced, resulting in
and exciting events highlighted how the entire community can get
lights for one hour (from 8:30 – 9:30 p.m. local time). At KAUST,
significant energy savings.
involved in securing a sustainable future.
the event also symbolized many different branches of the University
On March 22, World Water Day provided an opportunity for the
coming together to support an important cause.
Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) team to show off our night sky both before and during the event’s one hour lights-out.
Earth Day celebrations on April 23 and 24 marked the culmination of KAUST’s Earth Series, with a community event at the Harbor
University’s Water Desalination and Reuse Center (WDRC) team to
KAUST’s Earth Hour activities took place at the Harbor Walk,
Recreation Center field showcasing KAUST’s waste minimization
showcase the current trends in water desalination in the Kingdom
where over 300 attendees took part in many interactive and
efforts with themed activities for the community to enjoy. The week
and globally.
exciting activities. Children were introduced to Dr. Seuss’s tale of
ended with a tree planting at Safaa Gardens Secondary School.
Members of the KAUST community had the opportunity to listen
environmental conservation, The Lorax, and parents were informed of
Look out for the latest Earth Series competition, the Green Office
to WDRC researchers give two lectures, entitled “Recent Trends
the usefulness and efficiency of solar lamps. The student-led Amateur
Certification Program, by visiting the “Environment” page on the
& Innovation: Seawater Desalination,” and “Sustainable Water
Astronomy Association was on hand with a telescope provided by the
Facilities & Community intranet.