Texas A&M at Qatar faculty recognized for teaching excellence
Published Sep 17, 2019
Two faculty members from Texas A&M University at Qatar have been recognized for teaching excellence.
Dr. Nayef Alyafei, assistant professor of petroleum engineering, and Dr. Joseph Ura, associate professor of political science, were recently honored with the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students College-level Distinguished Achievement Award for Teaching.
Alyafei is a Class of 2009 graduate of Texas A&M at Qatar and joined the faculty of his alma mater in fall 2015 after completing his Ph.D. at Imperial College London (UK). In 2018, he was named Outstanding Alumnus of the Year by Texas A&M at Qatar for his outstanding teaching and mentoring. During his four years as a faculty member, he has demonstrated that teaching is a passion, not a duty. One of his former students, who nominated him for this award, said that in the classroom, Alyafei’s enthusiasm and exceptional skills are apparent, which creates a truly inspiring learning environment for students.
Ura joined the faculty of the branch campus in 2019. He was selected to receive the award for his outstanding teaching in and out of the classroom as a faculty member in the College of Liberal Arts at Texas A&M’s main campus, where, in 12 years, he taught more than 4,000 Aggies of all majors and disciplines. He is described as a rare and extraordinary teacher who has made unique and valuable contributions to teaching at Texas A&M while building a nationally recognized record of scholarly achievement and service.
