Texas A&M at Qatar recognizes student achievements during annual awards
Published May 03, 2023.jpg)
Texas A&M University at Qatar, a Qatar Foundation partner university, recognized students who have excelled in academics, leadership and involvement for the 2022-2023 academic year during the university’s annual Aggie Achievement Awards.
The awards included students of the year, which are nominated by the faculty of each academic department. These students are outstanding leaders who excel in academic performance and have significantly contributed in service to Texas A&M University at Qatar and our global community. This year’s undergraduate student awardees are Faisal Ashour (Chemical Engineering), Fathima Hakeem (Electrical and Computer Engineering), Ayman Karaki (Mechanical Engineering), Romeo Robert Indico (Petroleum Engineering) and Reem Haji (Arts and Sciences). The master’s student awardee was Yusra Ahmed (Chemical Engineering).
Other awards given at the ceremony included the Buck Weirus Spirit Award, which honors students at Texas A&M’s flagship and Qatar campuses who excel each year in terms of involvement, experiences, impact and spirit; the Gathright Phi Kappa Phi Outstanding Junior Award that recognizes the top junior in each of the academic colleges at Texas A&M University; the Richard E. Ewing Award for Excellence in Student Research; and the Aggie Core Value Awards that recognize students who epitomize Texas A&M’s core values of respect, excellence, leadership, loyalty, integrity and selfless service.
Student engagement awards were also presented. These awards recognize the campus’s incredibly talented student leaders, student organizations and their advisors for hard work, excellence and dedication to add value to student life at Texas A&M at Qatar.
Faisal Ashour, who won multiple awards including the Chemical Engineering Undergraduate Student of the Year, Buck Weirus Spirit Award, Student Leader of the Year and an Engineering ELITES Award, said that it felt surreal to be recognized by faculty and his peers.
“I am truly humbled and honored to receive these awards,” Ashour said. “Over the past four years, Texas A&M University at Qatar has given me multiple opportunities to enhance skills including communication, leadership, and project management; and the mentorship and support from my faculty and peers has contributed immensely to making me who I am today, and for that I am truly grateful.”
The Engineering ELITES Program provides an opportunity for students to participate in six High-Impact Practices, which equip student with skills and experiences outside of their regular courses. Such skills include teamwork, communication, leadership, and design, skills that are highly sought in the job market. In order to earn an Engineering ELITE award, a student must have participated in experiential learning or an internship, held leadership roles, visited the flagship campus in College Station in a learning capacity, conducted research and engineering design, and been on a service learning trip.
Ghalya Abdulla, a recipient of the Engineering ELITE award, said, “I am honored to receive this prestigious award. As a Qatari female engineering student, I would like to urge my fellow colleagues to step that extra mile and take advantage of every opportunity that could extend their knowledge and build their character. Texas A&M University at Qatar gives us opportunities to be more than just another engineer. It offers us the required support and opportunities that reflects our potential to become a real engineering leader.”
Dr. Hazem Nounou, associate dean for academic and student services at Texas A&M at Qatar, said, “It gives me great pride to recognize our incredible students who have worked tirelessly over the course of the year, not just to excel at academics but also uphold the Aggie core values in everything they do. These students go above and beyond – be it academics, research or their involvement in extracurricular activities. These students show us what makes an Aggie special. Congratulations to all the Aggies who have worked so hard this year –– you have earned these awards.”
List of Award Winners:
| Academic Awards | |
| Award Name | Winner |
| Undergraduate Student of the Year, Chemical Engineering Program | Faisal Ashour |
| Graduate Student of the Year, Chemical Engineering Program | Yusra Ahmed |
| Undergraduate Student of the Year, Electrical & Computer Engineering Program | Fathima Hakeem |
| Undergraduate Student of the Year, Division of Arts & Sciences | Reem Haji |
| Undergraduate Student of the Year, Mechanical Engineering Program | Ayman Karaki |
| Undergraduate Student of the Year, Petroleum Engineering Program | Romeo Robert Indico |
| Core Value Awards | |
| Award Name | Winner |
| Respect Core Value Award | Youssef Mahmoud |
| Excellence Core Value Award | Beena Debnath |
| Leadership Core Value Award | Hassan Khan |
| Loyalty Core Value Award | Sai Lingampalli |
| Integrity Core Value Award | Vishmi Singhapura |
| Selfless Service Core Value Award | Mohamed Ahmed Bakri Mohamed |
| Buck Weirus Spirit Award | |
| Award Name | Winner |
| Buck Weirus Spirit Award | Fasial Ashour |
| Buck Weirus Spirit Award | Noor Hassan |
| Buck Weirus Spirit Award | Hassan Khan |
| Gathright Phi Kappa Phi Outstanding Junior Award | |
| Award Name | Winner |
| Gathright Phi Kappa Phi Outstanding Junior Award | Wellage Ushara Ovidu De Silva |
| Student Organization Awards | |
| Award Name | Winner |
| Student Engagement Award | Arindha Joshua Silva Gunananda Muni |
| Student Leader of the Year | Fasial Ashour |
| Student Organization Advisor of the Year | Ms. Irawaiti Setiwan |
| Student Organization Event of the Year | Jashn-e-Bahaar by Aggie Desi Club |
| Student Organization of the Year | American Society of Mechanial Engineers |
| ELITES Awards | |
| Award Name | Winner |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Ghalya Abdulla |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Omar Affifi |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Sayed Afnaan Ahmed |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Faisal Mamdouh Asaad Ashour |
| Engineering ELITES Award | AlMaha Bahzad |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Nathan Joseph Braganza |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Beena Rani Debnath |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Mehtab Ellahi |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Leela ElZayat |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Ahmad Hammoud |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Hassan Khan |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Saba Hanif Khan |
| Engineering ELITES Award | Vishmi Mandira Singhapura |
