Congratulations to the WDRC-Environmental Science and Engineering (EnSE) Class of 2018!
The Water Desalination and Reuse Center is proud to announce the center's ‘Environmental Science and Engineering’ graduates for 2018:
Doctor of Philosophy (in the picture, left to right):
- Oliver Lopez Valencia
- Nada Aljassim
- Elaf Ahmed
- Le Shi
- Babar Khan
- Joline El Chakhtoura (not present)
Master of Science (continued in the picture, left to right):
- Mohammed Albaity
- Mashael Felemban
- Nathaly Rodriguez Ortiz
- Sarah Alsaidalani
- Mousa Alharthi (not present)
- Kimberly Cribbs (not present)
Graduates from the Division of Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering
Highlights of the 2018 Commencement Ceremony:
- His Excellency Ali I. Al-Naimi was conferred with an honorary doctorate degree by the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, the first ever given in the Kingdom for being a champion of solar energy and an advocate for discovering cleaner and more efficient ways to use oil. H.E. Al-Naimi played a central role in the establishment of KAUST and also chaired the KAUST Board of Trustees from inception until early 2018.
- Dr. Tony F. Chan was inaugurated as the new president of KAUST. Since hosting the University’s founding team at the National Science Foundation (US) in 2008, Dr. Chan developed a friendship with KAUST until he joined as a member of the Board of Trustees in 2011. Dr. Chan most recently joined as a member of the Board’s newly established Innovation Committee.
- WDRC-EnSE Ph.D. graduate Nada Aljassim was the 2018 Student Commencement Speaker. Nada is the first graduate of the KAUST Gifted Student Program (KGSP) to have completed a Ph.D. program at KAUST. Through the KGSP, she earned her bachelor of science degree at the University of College London. She returned to KAUST in 2012 for her master’s degree in environmental science and engineering and her Ph.D. in the same area under the supervision of Professor Peiying Hong. Her research was focused on the process of wastewater treatment, examining water safety levels and assessing threat posed by antibiotic-resistant bacteria that could come out of wastewater treatment plants. While at KAUST, Nada published three first-author papers, with a fourth submitted for peer review. She also won three awards and is an advisor on the Board of the KAUST Gifted Student Program Alumni Association.
