KAUST ·
KAUST PhD student Zahra Al-Saffar won first prize for her poster presentation at the 52nd European Marine Biology Symposium (EMBS) in Piran, Slovenia in September 2017. Her research was presented in poster format. The symposium focuses on marine biology research. Why it matters: This award recognizes promising research by a KAUST student in the field of marine biology.
KAUST ·
Afrah Alothman, a Ph.D. student in marine science at KAUST, is conducting research in the Red Sea, studying the impact of various variables on the marine environment. She collects seawater samples from different depths to measure temperature, nutrients, and salinity, and quantifies carbon uptake by planktonic microorganisms. Her supervisor, Susana Agusti, praised her efforts during a challenging oceanographic cruise. Why it matters: This research contributes to Saudi Vision 2030 by developing local expertise in marine science and understanding the Red Sea ecosystem.
KAUST ·
KAUST's Sami Al-Ghamdi is conducting multidisciplinary research on urban sustainability to mitigate climate change and optimize resource consumption. His work supports Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030, particularly urban gigaprojects like NEOM and Saudi Downtown. He develops computational models to assess the environmental impact of various aspects of the built environment. Why it matters: This research is crucial for advancing sustainable urban development in Saudi Arabia and achieving its ambitious environmental goals.
KAUST ·
KAUST Professor Mohamed Eddaoudi has won the 2023 Kuwait Prize in chemistry for his work on functional solid-state materials, specifically metal-organic frameworks (MOFs). His research focuses on innovative design strategies for these materials and their applications in gas separations, catalysis, energy storage, and carbon capture. Eddaoudi, a founding faculty member at KAUST since 2009, shares the prize with Prof. Nashaat Nassar from the University of Calgary. Why it matters: The award recognizes KAUST's research excellence and highlights the importance of materials science for energy and environmental sustainability within the Arab world.
TII ·
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.