Spotlight

Texas A&M University at Qatar has published the 2008-2009 Annual Report. The annual report contains reports, fact, figures and features about the 2008-2009 academic year.

News

Beginning on 16 Aug. Texas A&M at Qatar will host new student orientation for all students enrolling in the University's engineering programs. "New student orientation is the first step into the Aggie way of life for all new Texas A&M at Qatar students," said Emily Yates, a student development specialist. Orientation is hosted by the Department of Student Affairs, and in addition to meeting their new classmates, students will tour the Texas A&M Engineering Building, attend academic advising sessions and learn about University traditions. New student orientation is scheduled for 16-19 Aug. in the Texas A&M Engineering Building. For information contact Jeffrey Sulik: jeffrey.sulik@qatar.tamu.edu.

Dr. Mark H. Weichold, dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar, announced today the promotion of seven Texas A&M at Qatar faculty members.

Mariam Al-Mannai, director of the Office of Student and Community Relations, on 4 July was honored by the Al Bayan Educational Complex for Girls. Al-Mannai received an award for her continuous and unlimited support to the success of all Al-Bayan school students.

Dr. Ashfaq Bengali, senior associate professor of chemistry, Dr. Ed Brothers, visiting assitant professor of chemistry, and Dr. Don Darensbourg, professor of chemistry at Texas A&M, published "Displacement Kinetics of h2 Bound Furan and 2,3-Dihydrofuran from Mn and Cr Centers: Evidence for the Partial Dearomatization of the Furan Ligand." Featured in the journal Inorganic Chemistry, the paper looks at the interaction energy between two metal centers (Cr and Mn) and the organic ligands, furan and dihydrofuran. These molecules serve as models for intermediates that might exist in reactions catalyzed by organometallic complexes. Understanding the energetics of the displacement of these ligands from metal centers can lead to a better fundamental understanding of catalytic mechanisms.

Dr. Khalid Qaraqe, senior associate professor of electrical engineering, Dr. Hasari Celebi, postdoctoral research associate, and Dr. Huseyin Arslan, associate professor of electrical engineering at University of South Florida, received the best paper award in the Crowncom 2009 Conference on 24 June in Hanover, Germany. The award was given for their collaborative work titled "Performance Comparison of Time Delay Estimation for Whole and Dispersed Spectrum Utilization in Cognitive Radio Systems." Crowncom is one of the leading conferences in cognitive radio, oriented wireless networks and communications.

Texas A&M at Qatar hosted a new summer program introducing outstanding Qatari high school juniors to the chemical, electrical, mechanical and petroleum engineering programs offered at Texas A&M at Qatar. The goal of the program is to further the understanding of what engineering is and to encourage students to undertake engineering to contribute and support the changing needs of the State of Qatar. Students who participated in the program were introduced to the Texas A&M at Qatar campus and were divided into groups with each group being assigned a specific task. On the final day of the program, each group presented their final project to a panel of faculty judges.

Two Texas A&M at Qatar faculty members are featured in Advance, an annual research magazine published by the Office of the Vice President for Research at Texas A&M. Dr. Nimir Elbashir, visiting assistant professor of chemical engineering, and Dr. Eyad Masad, associate professor of engineering, were highlighted for their transportation-related research in an article titled "Getting from Point A to Point B." Elbashir's research looks at using gas-to-liquid technology to convert natural gas into transportation fuel, and Masad is studying ways to improve the composition of asphalt for road construction. Read more about their research in the new issue of Advance.

QAFCO and Texas A&M University at Qatar jointly with the Environmental Studies Center at Qatar University today inaugurated a one-year research project to study the environmental impact of cooling water discharge at Mesaieed Industrial City (MIC).

Dr. Hussein Alnuweiri, senior professor of electrical engineering, and Dr. Hossam Fattah, a postdoctoral research associate, this week received an award for best paper at the International Communication Conference in Dresden, Germany.

The Doha A&M Club has donated QR 15,000 ($4110) to the scholarship fund at Texas A&M at Qatar. The donation comes from proceeds of the annual "boot scoot" fundraiser held earlier this year. The Doha A&M Club has been an active supporter of Texas A&M at Qatar, encouraging members to stay connected with the University's Qatar campus. Harris Swartz '80, president of the Doha A&M Club, inducted the 2009 Texas A&M at Qatar graduates into The Association of Former Students. "The Doha A&M club opens a new chapter in the lives of former students," he said at commencement. "Being a part of the Aggie Network is being part of a 130-year-old legacy of pride and commitment that comes with being a former student of Texas A&M."

Two hundred students are enrolled in summer courses at Texas A&M at Qatar in the five- and eight-week summer terms, University officials reported this week. "This summer's total numbers are higher than last year," said Maha Ayyash, associate director of admissions and records. The five-week term concludes on 25 June and the eight-week term concludes on 19 July. The fall 2009 semester begins on 23 Aug.

Dr. Ashfaq Bengali, senior associate professor of chemistry, has published a paper in the American Chemical Society journal Organometallics. Bengali, in collaboration with Professor Wai Yip Fan from the National University of Singapore and Khaldoon Abdulrazak, a senior chemical engineering major, published "Trends in the Reactivity of the CpMn(CO)2(h2-arene) Bond [arene = benzene, toluene, o-xylene, m-xylene, p-xylene, and mesitylene]: An Experimental and Theoretical Investigation."

Texas A&M at Qatar students who attended the first IEEE Middle East student branch congress in Jordan this month competed for and won the honor of hosting next year's IEEE Middle East student branch congress. The delegation from Texas A&M at Qatar competed in presentation, financial and managerial competitions. Texas A&M at Qatar placed second overall. "It's a great honor for Texas A&M at Qatar," said Wael Halbawi '11, IEEE student branch chair and a junior electrical engineering major. "This will encourage and stimulate extracurricular activities and volunteer work."

For information contact Dr. Khalid Qaraqe: khalid.qaraqe@qatar.tamu.edu.

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from Texas A&M at Qatar and Texas A&M University has received a contract from Qatar Science & Technology Park to develop a novel method for using polymers to stabilize soils under pavement structures in Qatar. This research project combines the civil engineering expertise of Dr. Eyad Massad, associate professor of engineering, and Dr. Dallas Little, professor of civil engineering, with the chemistry expertise of Dr. Hassan Bazzi, senior assistant professor of chemistry, and the physics expertise of Howard Hanley, research scientist. The results of the study are expected to improve road conditions, increase roads' service life and reduce road maintenance costs.

Researchers get $27.5 million for projects in engineering and natural, social and medical sciences.

Dr. K.R. Rajagopal, professor of mechanical engineering at Texas A&M University, on Wednesday will present "Art, Craft and Philosophy of Science." The lecture focused on features that go into the development of a scientific theory. The lecture also focused on how art, craft and philosophy all play a crucial role in the development of scientific theories. The lecture was hosted by the Mechanical Engineering Program at Texas A&M at Qatar.

Dr. Hussein Alnuweiri, senior professor of electrical and computer engineering, and collaborators Dr. Majd F. Sakr, associate teaching professor at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar, and Professor Qutaibah Malluhi, head of computer science and computer engineering at Qatar University, are on the cover this month's issue of Network magazine. The article, headlined "On Cloud Nine," focuses on the implementation of a joint cloud computing project spanning research and the industrial sector of Qatar and its economy. "Cloud computing comes as a natural next step in computing cluster technology," Alnuweiri said. "Here we have a computing cluster that consists of a few hundred computer nodes and they are actively used by researchers. It was the right application for the university and the kind of collaborative research that is conducted here. There is a demand for increased computational power for research to solve problems. These developments made us look for new paradigms such as cloud computing." The print edition of Network will be available soon, but the article is available now at www.itp.net.

The 2009 Student Affairs Leadership and Student Achievement celebration on Thursday honored several students for their outstanding commitment and leadership abilities.

More than two-thirds of graduates are Qataris

Several members of the Texas A&M at Qatar faculty and staff were honored for their continued hard work and dedication to the University and students alike. Below is a list of the 2009 faculty and staff honorees.

Texas A&M at Qatar Years of Service Recognition
The service award is awarded to faculty and staff of Texas A&M at Qatar who have completed five years of service.
Ahmed Abdel-Wahab
Hala Abdul-Jawad
Milivoj Belic
Mark Bell
Beverly Farmer
Curtis Farmer
Khalid Farzat
Suzanne Gyeszly
Jim Holste
Tingwen Huang
Carol Nader
Mark Ridgway
Laila Sayeh


ABET Recognition
This honor is to recognize those who contributed significantly to the preparation for the Texas A&M at Qatar ABET team accreditation visit in addition to follow-up activities and response to ABET findings.
Ahmed Abdel-Wahab
Hassan Bazzi
Richard Griffin
Steven Gyeszly
Earl Hoskins
Houshang Masudi
Hazem Nounou
Mohamed Nounou
Mohamed- Slim Alouini
Douglas Thornton


Dean's Meritorious Service Award
The Dean's Meritorious Service Award was established to recognize outstanding and exceptional service to Texas A&M at Qatar, students and the community at large. This honor is bestowed to one member faculty member and one staff member.
Staff: Lama Abdalla
Faculty: Steven Gyeszly


Faculty Excellence Award
The Faculty Excellence Award was established to recognize and reward faculty who have shown excellence in teaching, research, scholarship, professional service, student interaction, engagement within the Texas A&M at Qatar community and beyond.
Mohamd-Slim Alouini


STAR Award
The STAR award was established to recognize and award outstanding service and achievement at Texas A&M at Qatar. This award was also designed to provide special recognition to staff member whose distinguished Service, Team spirit, Attitude and Responsibility exemplify the spirit of Texas AM at Qatar.
Alia Fakhr
Carol Nader
Jan Sweis

Students at Texas A&M at Qatar carried on an important Aggie tradition last week by hosting Aggie Muster in Education City for almost 200 people. "This year, our main focus was to promote Muster to our current students, particularly since Muster is one of the most important traditions to Texas A&M," said Emily Yates, a student development specialist in the Department of Student Affairs. "In addition, since Muster, like other A&M traditions, was started by and for students, we wanted to make any changes necessary to accommodate our current students, while maintaining the scope and focus of Aggie Muster." This year's Muster was led by a student committee headed by Tausif Ahmed '09 and Misam Jaffer '10. The first Muster at Texas A&M at Qatar was held in 2004; the annual event was a relatively small affair the first few years, with former students living in Doha making up most of the attendees, Yates said. The tradition has quickly grown and students are just beginning to see the importance and impact of Muster, she added.

Texas A&M at Qatar was featured in the Friday edition of The Battalion, the student newspaper of Texas A&M University.

Under the patronage of HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, the Deputy Premier and Minister of Energy and Industry, Texas A&M University at Qatar has initiated a major program, the Qatar Sustainable Water and Energy Utilization (designated QWE) Laboratory. The program will establish a center of scientific and technical excellence dedicated to support Qatar in addressing pressing water and energy problems.

Dr. Mohammed Aggour last week was named coordinator of the Petroleum Engineering Program at Texas A&M at Qatar.

Aggour, a senior professor in the program, brings over 41 years of combined experience in industry, academia, research, consulting and training to the post, said Dr. Mark H. Weichold, dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar.

In announcing Aggour's new post, Weichold said Aggour has many good ideas to take the Petroleum Engineering Program to the next level. "I am confident that Dr. Aggour will step in and provide the needed leadership to continue the Petroleum Engineering Program on its very positive trajectory," Weichold said.

Aggour succeeds Dr. Earl Hoskins, professor of geology.

The Academic Services Office, in collaboration with the Student Engineers' Council, on Wednesday will host Careers for Engineers 2009, a one-day career fair designed to promote students who are seeking internships or full-time employment. The event consists of two sessions. The first session will be the exhibition of more than 20 companies that will have an informational booth in the research rotunda. The second session is dedicated to breakout sessions, which will be used to conduct interviews or small group sessions. The event will begin at 1:30 p.m. in the research rotunda. For a full list companies and sponsors click here.

Texas A&M at Qatar and its Science Program were featured in a recent issue of Chemical & Engineering News. "Texas A&M’s Qatar campus is part of a larger site in Doha known as 'Education City,' which hosts small campuses from several other US universities. This unusual cluster of higher education facilities is helping to bring Western-style problem-solving-based chemistry and chemical engineering education to the Middle East," the article says. To read the article, visit Chemical & Engineering News.

Several students from Texas A&M at Qatar placed in the Qtel Qatarization paper contest. The contest encouraged students to discuss ways improve the quality of their future work environment by promoting academic and professional communication among the country's future leaders. Winners from Texas A&M at Qatar were  Misam Jaffer, second place; Karim Farhat, fourth place; Amira Redissi, fifth place; Marwa Qaraqe, sixth place; and 10th place went to Paul Koch, a fall 2008 study-abroad student from Texas A&M University.

Nominations are being accepted for the Richard E. Ewing Award for Excellence in Student Research. This award is given to one undergraduate and one graduate student who excel in both academics and research, embodying the spirit of former Texas A&M vice president for research Dr. Richard E. Ewing. Each award recipient will receive a gift of QR 5,000 with a certificate and plaque. Deadline for nominations is 16 April.

Hazem Abdelmoati, a senior chemical engineering major, took second place in the first cycle of the Undergraduate Research Experience Program for his presentation of "Silica and Sulfate Removals in Inland Desalination Using Reverse Osmosis with Brine Conversion and Zero Liquid Discharge." Out of 115 total projects, Abdelmoati was listed in the top ten, receiving an award from Qatar National Research Fund and a gift voucher worth QR 20,000.

Texas A&M at Qatar is hosting 16 undergraduate students from College Station for a one-week exchange program. Students in College Station are selected based on campus involvement and leadership positions. Students participating in the program will have an opportunity to explore the Texas A&M Engineering Building, interact with fellow Aggies as well as visit local mosques, museums, and even take a desert safari.  For information contact Jeffrey Sulik: jeffrey.sulik@qatar.tamu.edu.

Qatar’s oil minister said today that $140-per-barrel oil wasn’t good for the world but that oil companies must have enough margin to develop future projects if they are to have capacity to meet future demand. "In this business, you have good days and bad days," said His Excellency Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, deputy prime minister of Qatar and the country’s minister of energy and industry. Al-Attiyah led the discussion at a forum on energy issues at the Texas A&M Engineering Building. The forum was sponsored by Bloomberg News and Texas A&M at Qatar. He said that last year’s high oil prices were a result of speculation, not demand, and that oil-exporting countries had capacity to meet demand now and in the near term. "When you need it, we will offer it," he said. Al-Attiyah also praised Texas A&M at Qatar for its work to educate engineers and develop "the human resource" in Qatar. "Without education, there is no future," he said.

Dr. Eyad Masad, associate professor of engineering, has been chosen to receive a 2008-2009 Halliburton Professorship Award. This award is given to faculty who have displayed continued excellence in both teaching and research. "I was extremely pleased," Masad said. "This is a prestigious award from the Dwight Look College of Engineering. I was pleased because of the way the University handled recognition." Masad will receive a plaque and an award of $2,500. Dr. G. Kemble Bennett, vice chancellor and dean of engineering, informed Masad of the award, writing, "I offer my sincerest congratulations on this prestigious recognition and my best wishes for your continued success in all your scholarly activities." Dr. Mark H. Weichold, dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar, lauded Masad's work. "This is a well deserved recognition of your efforts and achievements," Weichold wrote in congratulating Masad.

The Science Program at Texas A&M University of Qatar is launching a semimonthly series of lectures entitled the Science Colloquium. These lectures, featuring distinguished speakers from Qatar and abroad, will focus on the subjects of chemistry, mathematics, physics as well as other science relevant topics. The Science Colloquium will take place at 12:00 p.m., twice a month on Thursdays in lecture hall 143. A light lunch will be served. Dr. Rudolph Lorentz, senior professor of mathematics, on 12 February, will deliver the first lecture entitled, "MP3 for Weather Forecast, Data Compression for Numerical Simulation Data." The lecture will focus on developments in the world of data compression and how mathematics plays a large role in the algorithms used for compressing numerical data.

Texas A&M University at Qatar today recognized 40 high-achieving Qatari high school students who completed a rigorous two-week science and math enrichment program in collaboration with the Supreme Education Council’s Higher Education Institute.
 
The students, enrolled at 10 Doha high schools, took 40 hours of chemistry, math and  physics as part of a pre-college enrichment program designed to encourage the students to consider pursuing education and careers in engineering and science.
 
Dr. Mark H. Weichold, dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar, presented the students with certificates of achievement and congratulated them on completing the program. “This is a
significant educational accomplishment,” Weichold told the students. “Your completion of this program proves that you are on the right track to be successful university students in
engineering and science.”
 
During the program’s opening ceremony two weeks ago, Weichold urged the students to consider the importance of their studies at the University. “Your opportunities for learning
are immense. Today, you are sitting in the same chairs as full-time undergraduate engineering students who, not too long ago, were in high school just as you are now,” Weichold said. “And you are learning from some of the same outstanding faculty members who teach our undergraduate students.”
 
Those faculty members say students were anxious to learn. Dr. Hassan S. Bazzi, coordinator of the University’s science program and a professor of chemistry, said the students performed well during the courses. “It was a privilege to help organize this program, and I am encouraged to see these high school students earning such high marks,” Bazzi said. “These students did well, and that proves that their schools are doing good work.”
 
Mariam Al-Mannai, director of student and community relations for the University, said the enrichment program was a fantastic way to recruit potential engineering students. “Admission to Texas A&M at Qatar is quite competitive,” Al-Mannai said. “We are glad to reach out to potential engineering students and to challenge them with math and science that will help prepare them for university studies.”

Nominations for the Buck Weirus Spirit Award are now being accepted.  The Buck Weirus Spirit Award honors one student at Texas A&M at Qatar that demonstrates high involvement, creates positive experiences throughout the Aggie community, impacts student life at Texas A&M at Qatar and enhances the Aggie Spirit. 

Education City's first ever basketball league continues play this week, as Texas A&M at Qatar competes Monday night against Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. The league consists of seven teams, four from Education City and three from other local Doha schools. There will be a total of 40 games played over a seven week period, ending with a tournament at American of School of Doha. The Aggie men's team record stands at 7-0, including a recent win against American School of Doha, bringing an end to American School of Doha's three-year winning streak. The game is scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. at Qatar Academy gym.

The Qatar Support Office, in College Station, has relocated to the General Services Complex located at 750 Agronomy Road. FedEx and UPS have assured Qatar Support that deliveries will not be affected by this transition. All email addresses and phone numbers will remain the same.

More than 100 scientists from more than half a dozen countries gathered for the third annual Qatar Fertiliser Company and Texas A&M University at Qatar chemistry conference to discuss advances in the changing world of chemistry.

Beginning 24 Dec., Texas A&M University at Qatar will be closed for winter break. University offices will reopen on 4 Jan. 2009.

Texas A&M University at Qatar on 6 Dec. recognized nine engineering students who are degree candidates for the December term at a ceremony in the Texas A&M Engineering Building.

Dr. Mohamed-Slim Alouini recently was named a fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE). Alouini is a visiting associate professor of electrical and computer engineering and coordinator of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Program at Texas A&M at Qatar. The prestigious fellow designation is awarded by the IEEE board of directors to recognize "unusual distinction in the profession" by those with "an extraordinary record of accomplishments in any of the IEEE fields of interest," according to the IEEE. Dr. Mark Weichold, dean and CEO of Texas A&M at Qatar, praised Alouini's election as an IEEE fellow. "This is a truly fitting recognition of your leadership in the discipline," Weichold wrote congratulating Alouini.

Dr. Marvin Rowe, professor of chemistry, presented a paper titled "Four Archaeological Sites of Outstanding Universal Value in the United States" at the "Prehistory and the World Heritage Convention: Towards an Action Plan and the Related Thematic Studies" conference, held this week at the UNESCO headquarters in Paris. Eighteen experts from 12 countries were invited to participate in the categories of prehistory, human evolution and rock art. An archaeological site emphasized in Rowe's talk -- the Lower Pecos River site in southwest Texas that was occupied from about 11,500 years ago until the arrival of the Spanish in the mid-1500s -- was selected by both the prehistory and the rock art study groups for nomination as a future UNESCO World Heritage Site. Rowe was invited to participate in the next meeting of the UNESCO rock art study group to be held in February 2009 in South Africa.

Ambassador Joseph LeBaron last week praised the work of the US universities in Education City during a visit to Texas A&M University at Qatar.

Dr. Yakut Gazi, senior lead IT consultant in Information Technology Services, has co-authored a book, Discourse Indicators of Culture in Online Courses: Designing Learning Environments for Global Success. The book is based on Gazi’s dissertation research on the manifestations of culture in the electronic discourse in an online course. Online learning is a growing area of interest worldwide, as it provides learning opportunities for large groups of people independent of differences in time, pace, and location. However, difficulties in these interactions are reported to arise, partly because the dominant mode of interaction is text-based and stripped of non-verbal and visual clues to communication. This case study examines the manifestations of culture in the discourse of an online course and discusses course design features that may contribute to the creation of a third culture in online environments.

Saad Al-Kaabi, director of oil and gas ventures at Qatar Petroleum, told Texas A&M University at Qatar engineering students this week that they could be eagles in winds of change as Qatar expands its natural gas industry.

A record-breaking class of new engineering students at Texas A&M University at Qatar pushed enrollment figures above 300 and freshman class size above 100 for the first time since the University opened its Qatar campus in 2003. The incoming class comprises 101 freshmen.

“We have a stellar incoming class,” said Dr. Mark H. Weichold, dean and CEO of the University’s Qatar campus. “Competition for admission this year was the toughest it has ever been, and I’m excited to welcome such a remarkable freshman class — remarkable in size and quality.”

The fall semester began Sunday.

University officials anticipate total enrollment of about 340 for the fall semester when final numbers are tallied later this month. This puts Texas A&M at Qatar in the top slot for undergraduate program size among the six universities in Education City.

Students spent the latter half of last week participating in new-student orientation, which was students’ official welcome to life as university students. Seven students from the Texas A&M campus in College Station, Texas, USA, who are studying in Doha this semester helped lead orientation for new students who were anxious to learn about University history and traditions. Five students from Doha are studying in College Station this semester.

Weichold said he anticipates a successful and productive year and that he looks forward to seeing the new engineering students become immersed in their studies. “Their courses will be rigorous and challenging,” he said, “but I believe the students will also find their classes to be fun, too.”

The University’s academic convocation is scheduled for 25 Aug.

DOHA, Qatar -- Texas A&M University at Qatar and Schlumberger on Tuesday signed an agreement to offer advanced training and coursework for professionals in the oil and gas industry in Qatar and the region.

DOHA, Qatar -- RasGas Company Limited (RasGas) today inaugurated a new research agreement with Texas A&M University at Qatar for a research project titled  "Advanced Designs for Wireline Tool Conveyance." The project will study ways to improve designs for devices used to log oil and gas wells during the drilling process.

DOHA, Qatar -- Texas A&M University at Qatar conferred degrees to the May 2008 class of engineers on Thursday evening. These students began their studies at the university in 2003, the year Texas A&M University launched its branch campus in Doha, Qatar, in collaboration with Qatar Foundation.

DOHA, Qatar -- Dr. Elsa Murano, president of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, recently made her first visit to Texas A&M University at Qatar in Doha, Qatar.