Best Research of the Year, Dr. Khalid Qaraqe.

Dr. Kenneth Hall, associate dean of research and graduate studies, said, “Once again, Texas A&M University at Qatar has received significant funding from the QNRF NPRP program. These funds allow our faculty members and researchers to engage in curiosity-driven research for the benefit of Qatar. Such research always precedes technological development, and our research personnel have become proficient at translating research into commercial products. In addition, we have the good fortune this year to have won the two QNRF awards for the second year in a row. Our Research Office has won the award for the outstanding RO, and Dr. Khalid Qaraqe has received the Best Researcher award. We are delighted and pleased with these recognitions, and we are deeply grateful to QNRF.”

The “Best Researcher of the Year” award recognized Dr. Khalid Qaraqe, professor of electrical and computer engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar. Qaraqe said, “I would like to extend my warmest thanks to QNRF for honoring me with the prestigious 2013 Best Researcher Award.  This award is not just for me; it’s for all my colleagues and my research team. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of them for their effort and hard work. Working with such a fine team of individuals at Texas A&M at Qatar has been such great inspiration to me.”

“My biggest aim is to reflect the excellent resources and support we have from QF, QNRF and the University,” he added. “I am convinced that the profound research in Qatar will lead to enhancing KPI, human capital and international visibility, and I believe that some of our research outcomes will be applied and deployed in the near future.”

Best Research Office of the Year

These recognitions demonstrate the high quality of the University’s research, the caliber of its faculty and research staff and the immense and effective efforts of the research office in collaboration with QNRF.

“On behalf of QNRF, I congratulate Texas A&M at Qatar for their commitment to excellence in research and development,” said Dr. Abdul Sattar Al-Taie, executive director at QNRF. The Texas A&M at Qatar research office and Dr. Khalid Qaraqe deserve recognition for their high productivity and performance. We are proud to be working alongside you to advance knowledge through research for the benefit of Qatar and the world.”

This brings the total NPRP funding awarded to Texas A&M at Qatar this year to approximately $22 million, and includes the Exceptional NPRP Project recognition that was recently awarded to Dr. Haitham Abu-Rub, professor of electrical engineering, and his team.

The event was a milestone for the University as it is commemorating its 10th year in Qatar at the Qatar Foundation Education City campus. Midway through the yearlong celebration, the University is acknowledging its comprehensive growth from its inaugural class of 29 students in 2003, to one that boasts over 480 current students, a graduate program and more than $130 million in research.

Dr. Mark H. Weichold, Texas A&M at Qatar dean and CEO, noted that the graduates will be playing key roles in Qatar’s development, saying, “Congratulations to the graduates of the class of 2013 on your momentous achievement. You are a special class for the University, as you represent 10 years of Aggie engineering education in Qatar. It is an honor to be present as the University graduates its 113th new engineer; we are incredibly proud of this achievement and its contribution toward the State of Qatar’s National Vision. As engineers, you will be responsible for the further building of Qatar and for creating the new knowledge that will realize Qatar’s goal of becoming a knowledge-based economy. This is truly a time when the future is in your hands. Use the lessons you learned at Texas A&M at Qatar well and carry the Aggie values of integrity, excellence, leadership, respect and selfless service with you wherever your career takes you.”

Texas A&M at Qatar is building capacity for Qatar and the region through its mission of teaching, research and engagement, and seeks to populate the workforce with world-class engineers and leaders, training future Aggie engineers and researchers to solve critical problems and provide new knowledge and technologies needed to push Qatar toward its goal of becoming a knowledge-based economy and a global center for learning.

In his remarks, Al-Falih warmly welcomed the Class of 2013 to a worldwide network of Texas A&M alumni, noting it is “a fellowship distinguished not just by the quality of its education, but by a lasting sense of identity and purpose.” Al-Falih also outlined what sets a Texas A&M engineer apart and encouraged the graduates to leverage their unique Aggie academics, “other education” and values to meet the engineering challenges of the 21st century. “This bright and hopeful day is not only the launch pad for your careers; I believe it can also be the start of a better world, thanks to you.”

Al-Falih is a Texas A&M ’82 graduate and a recipient of the Distinguished Alumnus 2013 award and the Outstanding International Alumnus 2010 award. He is one of only three Texas A&M former students to achieve both recognitions. Al-Falih has maintained throughout his career a commitment to quality education and professional development, and was instrumental in the effort to establish the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in Saudi Arabia.

The May 2013 graduating class is diverse, featuring 24 chemical engineers, 29 electrical engineers, 32 mechanical engineers and 28 petroleum engineers. The class is 36 percent female and represents 28 countries.

VIP speakers at the commencement event also included Texas A&M University Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Karan L. Watson; Dr. David B. Prior, executive vice president and provost at Hamad bin Khalifa University; Doha Aggie Club President, Mr. John Fenn, Jr., ’05; and student speaker, Mr. Hamad Ali H.A. Al-Badr, ’11, mechanical engineering.

For information contact Dr. Othmane Bouhali: othmane.bouhali@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0038.

For information contact Hala El-Dakak: hala.el-dakak@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0147.

For information contact Elfatih Elmalik: elfatih.elmalik@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0472.

View information online or contact: continuingeducation@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0079.

View information online or contact: continuingeducation@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0079.

For information contact Dr. Kerry Noack: kerry.noack@qatar.tamu.edu, +974.4423.0207.

View the top three recognitions below.

Senior Design Track

First Place: Project title: Design of a Flywheel Installation and Manipulation Kit

• Akanksha Menon
• Deepika Sai Jonnalagadda
• Aravindh Rajan
• Nabil Ibrik

Second Place: Project title: Shell Eco Marathon (SEM) Car Dynamometer

• Marwan Said Abdollah Said
• Khaled Khaled
• Kareem Kotb
• Shaikha Al-Suawaidi

Third Place Project title: Water Bottle Assisted Lift

• Zaid Yehya Abou Qamar
• Feras Abdul Majid
• Jaganath Gangadaran

Team Presentation Track

• Ahmed AL-Sumaiti
• Ali Al-Mannai
• Abdulla Marafia
• Ahmed Abu-Ghazala
• Abdulrahnam Al-Ghanem

 Individual Presentation Track

• Benjamin Babcock

Dean’s Meritorious Service Award

• Carol Nader

Dean’s Leadership Award

• Dr. Todd Kent

 STAR Awards

• Mohammed Aqel
• Kais AbdulMawjood
• Geeta Megchiani

 Faculty Excellence Award

• Dr. Mohamed Nounou

 Faculty Research Excellence Award

• Dr. Ahmed Abdel-Wahab

 Research Fellow Excellence Awards

• Dr. Fawaz Al-Qahtani
• Dr. Behrouz Ebrahimi

Research Team Excellence Award

• Dr. Milivoj Belic

 Richard E. Ewing Awards for Excellence in Student Research

• Mohammed Al-Jubouri – undergrad