KAUST research scientist Muhammad Wakil Shahzad won the 'best presenter' award at the 2019 Global Summit and Expo on Power & Energy Engineering in Dubai. His presentation focused on the energy efficiency of seawater desalination processes. Shahzad's research at KAUST's Water Desalination and Reuse Center aims to improve desalination methods and develop water reclamation strategies. Why it matters: This award highlights KAUST's contributions to innovative desalination technologies, which are crucial for addressing water scarcity in the Gulf region and drought-stricken areas globally.
Dr. Muhammad Wakil Shahzad, a research scientist at KAUST's Water Desalination and Reuse Center, won the 'Best Oral Presentation' award at the 2nd Global Conference and Expo on Applied Science, Engineering and Technology in Amsterdam. The award recognized Shahzad's research and presentation on the "Fallacy of Energy Efficiency of Desalination processes Comparison." He also delivered the opening ceremony speech during the conference. Why it matters: This award recognizes KAUST's contribution to research in water desalination, a critical area for Saudi Arabia and the broader Middle East.
KAUST postdoctoral fellow Muhammad Jamil won the best poster award at the 15th World Congress on Parasitic Plants for his research on combating the parasitic plant *Striga hermonthica*. His poster outlined his work at KAUST on developing technologies to help farmers in sub-Saharan Africa control this weed, which severely impacts cereal crops. Jamil is part of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation-funded project at KAUST focused on controlling *Striga* in pearl millet. Why it matters: This recognition highlights KAUST's contributions to addressing critical food security challenges in Africa through innovative agricultural technologies.
KAUST alumnus Jagdish Chandra Vyas (Ph.D. '17) received a Student Presentation Award at the 2017 Seismological Society of America Annual Meeting for his poster "Mach Wave Coherence in the Presence of Source and Medium Heterogeneity." Vyas's Ph.D. research at KAUST, under Professor Martin Mai, focused on the effects of rupture complexity and heterogeneities in Earth structure on ground motions. Currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand, Vyas credits KAUST's academic environment and facilities for nurturing his research and scientific growth. Why it matters: This award recognizes the high-caliber research conducted at KAUST and highlights the university's contribution to the field of seismology.
KAUST alumnus Jagdish Chandra Vyas (Ph.D. '17) received a Student Presentation Award at the Seismological Society of America (SSA) Annual Meeting for his poster "Mach Wave Coherence in the Presence of Source and Medium Heterogeneity." Vyas's Ph.D. research at KAUST, under the direction of Professor Martin Mai, focused on analyzing the effects of rupture complexity and heterogeneities in Earth structure on near-source ground motions. He is currently a postdoctoral scholar at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand. Why it matters: This award recognizes the high-caliber research being conducted at KAUST and its impact on the field of seismology.