KAUST Ph.D. student Sheikha Alardhi won the sustainable energy and fuels poster award at the 2017 Spring Meeting and Exhibit of the European Materials Research Society (E-MRS) in Strasbourg, France. Alardhi's poster was titled "Ab initio Assessment of Bi1-xRExCuOS (RE=La, Gd, Y, Lu) Solid Solution for Water Splitting". Her poster came in first place among 77 student and postdoctoral fellow posters. Why it matters: This award recognizes promising research in sustainable energy and highlights KAUST's contributions to the field.
KAUST students and faculty attended the 2017 Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting & Exhibit in Phoenix, Arizona. KAUST students also participated in the 2016 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in Boston, Massachusetts, where they organized seminars and workshops. Rahim Munir represented the KAUST student chapter at the Spring 2017 event, attending a luncheon to recap the Fall 2016 communication seminars. Why it matters: KAUST's strong presence in international materials science conferences highlights its commitment to advancing research and fostering collaboration in the field.
KAUST's Vice President for Research, Donal Bradley, received the 2019 Jan Czochralski Award from the European Materials Research Society for his work in advanced materials science. He was presented with the award at a ceremony in Warsaw, Poland, and gave a lecture titled "Tuning Conjugated Polymer Electronic and Optical Properties via Physical Structure and Environment." Bradley is the 16th recipient of the award, joining a list including Nobel laureate Shuji Nakamura. Why it matters: This award recognizes KAUST's leadership in materials science and its commitment to attracting top researchers in this critical field.
The KAUST student chapter of the Materials Research Society (MRS) was the first outside the U.S., established in 2012. In late 2016, KAUST students, faculty, and staff attended the MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit in Boston, setting up a recruitment booth and organizing student-led seminars. KAUST faculty and PhD students also gave talks on their research at the event. Why it matters: This highlights KAUST's commitment to international engagement and student development in material science, fostering research and career opportunities.
KAUST Ph.D. student Maha Alamoudi won a best poster award at the 2016 Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting in Boston. The award was for her poster entitled “Photophysical Processes in Polymer:Non-fullerene Small Molecule Acceptor Bulk Heterojunctions for Organic Solar Cells.” She is supervised by Frederic Laquai, associate professor of material science and engineering at KAUST's Solar Center. Why it matters: This award recognizes promising research in materials science at KAUST.
Professor Jean-Luc Bredas, Director of KAUST’s Solar Center (SPERC), has been elected to the European Academy of Sciences (EURASC). Bredas is recognized for his theoretical research into organic materials for semiconductor devices like LEDs, transistors, and solar cells. His KAUST group focuses on understanding the electronic and optical properties of these materials. Why it matters: This recognition highlights KAUST's growing prominence in advanced materials research and its contributions to global scientific advancements in electronics and photonics.
KAUST Vice Provost Suzana Nunes has been appointed as an Honorary Member of the European Membrane Society (EMS). This appointment recognizes Nunes' contributions to education, science, and technology in the field of membranes. Nunes has been a KAUST professor since 2009, focusing on polymeric materials for membrane applications. Why it matters: The recognition highlights KAUST's contributions to advanced materials science and engineering, enhancing its reputation as a research hub.
DERC's Aysha Al Neyadi won the Young Scientists Competition at the 14th International Conference Interaction of Radiation with Solids in Minsk, Belarus. Aysha co-authored a paper with researchers from Belarus State University and TII on the structure and phase composition stability of amorphous zirconium irradiated with helium ions. The paper examined amorphous alloy samples based on zirconium irradiated with Helium ions at 40 keV. Why it matters: This award recognizes contributions to materials science and highlights international research collaborations involving UAE institutions.