Two leading scientists have been announced winners of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Medal for Scientific Excellence. Professor Rachid Yazami and Dr Lourdes Vega each received the prestigious accolade at a ceremony on Tuesday. Prof Yazami, from Morocco, has contributed to the development of lithium-ion batteries for mobile phones. Dr Vega is director of the Research and Innovation Centre on CO2 and Hydrogen at Khalifa University.

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Nine Khalifa University faculty members were granted permanent residency during a special ceremony in Abu Dhabi on 12 November 2019. The permanent residency, also known as the Golden Card Visa, is a renewable 10-year residency program granted to qualified investors, entrepreneurs, chief executives, scientists, and outstanding students.

The following are the nine deserving KU professors who received permanent residency:

Dr. Lourdes Vega

Dr. Vega is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and the Director of the Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and H2 (RICH Center). A recognized authority of molecular thermodynamics, clean energy, and sustainability, she has authored and co-authored more than 200 publications and has five patents to her name.

“I feel very excited, honored, and immensely grateful to the leaders of this country for granting me this permanent visa. One of the things that attracted me the most when I decided to come to the UAE to continue my research on clean energy and sustainability was the eagerness of its people to learn, to progress, and to contribute from this country to a better future for the next generation. This motivated me to work from here and to try to make an impact in the UAE, addressing its needs, and helping shape the expertise and education of its people, so I decided I wanted to be part of this adventure in which I’m fully engaged now, and I’m very happy about it. I have also been fascinated since the beginning by the vision and commitment of the UAE leaders regarding the advancement of science and education, as shown by the support of research and innovation we receive through Khalifa University and the activities developed through the Mohammed bin Rashid Academy of Scientists, among other things. Granting this golden visa to scientists is, once more, a clear example of the deep commitment of this country to the advancement of science, technology and innovation.” – Dr. Lourdes Vega

Dr. Linda Zou

Dr. Zou is a Professor of Civil Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering at KU. She is known for leading the ground-breaking research project of using nanotechnology to develop cloud seeding materials, which was awarded a three-year grant by the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement Science (UAEREP) in 2016. Now, actual seeding operations using her research have begun in the UAE.

“It is a good feeling when your work and effort as a scientist and researcher have been directly recognized by the government and such honor is only possible with the great opportunity and continued support provided by Khalifa University and other UAE sponsors on advancing scientific research and innovation.” – Dr. Linda Zou

Dr. Hassan Arafat

Dr. Arafat is a Professor of Chemical Engineering and Director of the Center for Membrane and Advanced Water Technology (CMAT). His expertise in developing desalination technologies and systems, with particular focus on sustainable, low-energy technologies has tremendous impact since the UAE relies on desalination plants for most of its potable water. Dr. Arafat was also one of the awardees of the Khalifa Award for Education in 2017. He won the ‘Distinguished University Professor in the Field of Scientific Research’ award in the ‘Higher Education within the UAE and the Arab World’ category.

“The permanent residency is a major step in the right direction in cementing the UAE’s position as a knowledge hub in this region. It ensures the sustainability and long term stability of our activities as scientists and researchers working in the UAE. Surely, the research ecosystem available to us at KU has played a key role in me achieving the status of research excellence that led to this residency.” – Dr. Hassan Arafat

Dr. Wesley Cantwell

Dr. Cantwell is a Professor of Aerospace Engineering and Director of the Aerospace Research & Innovation Center (ARIC). The ARIC is a research initiative funded by Mubadala and Khalifa University, which focuses on manufacturing strategies for producing high-quality composite structures, as well as the automated assembly of composite parts. The center is unique in the region as it hosts a range of manufacturing, non-destructive testing, and robotic equipment. It also supports manufacturing initiatives at Strata in Al Ain and works closely with leading aerospace OEMs.

“I am honored to be among the first scientists to receive this award. It is nice to be recognized by the nation for one’s efforts to build a knowledge-based economy here in the UAE. I believe that 10-year visas will serve to attract leading international scholars to the UAE. Research often involves long-term horizons and having the option to stay in the UAE for a long period, build a research group and establish a strong research activity will be appealing to many internationally-recognized academics. The research facilities and funding levels in my own university are excellent and this is creating a highly attractive environment in which to work and undertake cutting-edge research.” – Dr. Wesley Cantwell

Dr. Lakmal Seneviratne

Dr. Seneviratne is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Director of the Khalifa University Center for Autonomous Robotic Systems (KUCARS). As director of KUCARS, he leads his team of researchers working on innovations that could potentially save lives. His projects include building drones to fight fire in high-rise buildings, systems designed to prevent industrial accidents, and even developing self-driving cars.

Dr. Ernesto Damiani

Dr. Damiani is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Senior Director of the Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems Institute, and Director of the Cyber-Physical System (C2PS) Center. His research interests include secure service-oriented architectures, privacy-preserving big data analytics, and cyber-physical systems security. In 2015, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation granted US100,000 for Dr. Damiani’s ‘Pay with a Selfie’ technology to be developed.

Dr. Hatem Zeineldin

Dr. Zeineldin is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. His research focuses on renewable energy, smart grids, energy systems and renewable energy integration and its impact on the operation of energy systems.

Dr. Enas Nashef

Dr. Nashef is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering whose research interest is in green engineering and sustainability, focusing on the use of ionic liquids and deep eutectic solvents in engineering applications. He has co-authored more than 100-peer reviewed journal publications and has eight patents from the US and EU patent offices. He has also received the ‘King Abdullah Award for Best Innovation’ in 2013.

“Everyone nowadays is looking for stability and peace of mind, and so this initiative will really help when it comes to attracting the best scientists from around the world. Personally, I am really happy with the 10-year visa, it shows that you and your work are appreciated. Having the long-term visa also encourages me to strive harder in my work now because we have received a big honor from the government of the UAE. This s a very big motivation.” – Dr. Enas Nashef

Dr. Ehab El-Saadany

Dr. El-Saadany is a Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and Director of the Advanced Power and Energy Center (APEC). His research interests include distribution system operation and control, smart/micro grids, renewable integration, and power quality and protection systems. Dr. El-Saadany also has five US patents.

“The UAE has set many ambitious and strategic energy goals and launched many pioneering energy projectst to achieve said goals. Our objective at APEC is to develop the country’s intellectual and human capital to provide innovative ideas and solutions. We are also working on electric energy systems, allowing seamless and economical operations of renewable and clean energy resources.” – Dr. Ehab El-Saadany

The group was among the first batch of scientists to receive permanent residency visas as part of the government’s move in strengthening the nation’s talent pool and positioning the UAE as an incubator and hub for talents, creatives, and innovators.

Ara Cruz
News Writer
5 December 2019

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Faculty among 19 Honored with ‘Mission Innovation Champions’ Award at Fourth Annual Ministerial Meeting in Canada

Dr. Mohamed El Moursi, Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering, became one of 19 winners of ‘Mission Innovation Champions’ award at a ceremony held on the sidelines of Mission Innovation’s fourth annual Ministerial meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The Mission Innovation program recognizes the most exceptional researcher and innovator from each participating Mission Innovation member country who is developing novel ways of making energy cleaner, cheaper, and more reliable and using it more efficiently.

Dr. Arif Sultan Al Hammadi, Executive Vice-President, Khalifa University of Science and Technology, said: “International recognitions such as the ‘Mission Innovation Champions’ award strongly reflects our faculty’s research expertise and the ability to attract world class industry collaborations for grants. The scale and extent of the research also illustrate Khalifa University’s consistent contributions to the growth of the clean energy sector in general and the UAE’s smart grid area in particular. Congratulations to Dr. Mohamed El Moursi for this honor and I believe our accomplishments will gather even more momentum across all research areas as we continue to raise our benchmark for excellence in innovation.”

Dr. El Moursi’s research addresses challenges to increasing penetration of solar PV power generation and the resulting uncertainty, the integration of nuclear power generation, and changes in the power system’s stability profile due to interconnections within the GCC countries. He is also the recipient of the Faculty Research Excellence Award 2018 for the College of Engineering at Khalifa University. His research works have been published in top-tier (Q1) journals, and his research outcome have led to US patents.

Dr. El Moursi has also designed and developed several in-house experimental prototypes and tools, which are currently in the implementation phase. For example, Abu Dhabi Transmission & Despatch Company Transco and Manitoba Hydro International (Canada) has financially supported the implementation of the innovative Stability Assessment, Visualization and Enhancement (SAVE Tool) with renewable energy integration. Also, Elia Grid International (Belgium) has financially supported the implementation of the innovative Renewable Energy Management System (REMS Tool). Dr. El Moursi initially developed REMS concept along with his students for dispatching hybrid renewable energy systems with minimum utilization of energy storage systems.

Launched in 2015, Mission Innovation is a global initiative of 23 countries, including the UAE, working to reinvigorate and accelerate global clean energy innovation with the objective to make clean energy widely affordable.

The Mission Innovation Champions Program attracted wide interest from academia, business and research communities across the participating member countries. Following a rigorous competition, including peer-to-peer reviews and evaluations by a diverse panel of experts, the top-scoring candidates from each country were selected to travel to Vancouver to be recognized by their Ministers and the clean energy community as Mission Innovation Champions.

With 16 research centers that drive innovation in the UAE’s strategic sectors including clean energy, Khalifa University remains prominent among the academic institutions that contribute to creating intellectual and human capital driving the country’s knowledge economy transformation. These research centers focus on some of the high-technology areas including clean energy, energy storage, composites and advanced materials, artificial intelligence, robotics, aerospace, nuclear engineering, biomedical engineering, data science, information security, transport and logistics, water and environment, healthcare, civil security, nanotechnology and petroleum exploration technologies.

Clarence Michael
News Writer
12 June 2019

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Prof. Lourdes F. Vega, Professor of Chemical Engineering and the Director of the Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen (RICH Center) at KU, has been appointed as Co-Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Molecular Liquids (MOLLIQ).

“I was approached by the publisher in one of the conferences I attended,” said Prof. Vega. “He proposed the position to me and explained in detail what the role was and the responsibilities that came with it. After considering, I accepted.”

Prof. Vega is an internationally recognized and leading authority in the area of molecular thermodynamics, clean energy and sustainability, and has played pivotal roles on international advisory academic and industrial boards. In 2019, Prof. Vega was also granted a golden visa as the UAE recognized and celebrated its talented and influential scientists and intellectuals. She will now be contributing her significant expertise to the journal, alongside Dr. Wolffram Shroer of Bremen University, Dr. Toshio Yamaguchi of Fukuoka University, and Dr. Artur J. M. Valente of the University of Coimbra.

The Journal of Molecular Liquids is a leading journal in the field of condensed matter physics, materials chemistry, atomic and molecular physics and optics, and electronic, optical and magnetic materials, published by Elsevier.
Being invited to join an editorial board, particularly as Editor-in-Chief, is a compliment. While there is plenty of prestige associated with being an editor of a respected journal, most editors are fueled by the desire to serve their community and further their field’s impact within the scientific community.

“I feel both excited and honored,” said Prof. Vega. “I think this is a great opportunity to help the scientific community I belong to, to have an impact in this area of research, promote high quality publications, and increase the international visibility and reputation of Khalifa University and the UAE as well.”

In addition to her new appointment, Prof. Vega also serves on the editorial board of five ISI journals and five international conference organizing committees. She has more than 200 publications, five patents and has raised more than $50 million in grants as chief investigator. The impact of her research has been internationally recognized by the reception of several prestigious awards, and she has made significant contributions in the development of molecular-based equations of state, CO2 capture and utilization, and alternative solvents, among many other fields.

It is the editor’s role to publish the best research and Prof. Vega will be looking out for experimental studies, computer simulations, and analytical theory that will contribute to the understanding of the fundamentals of molecular and ionic liquids to advance the field.

“Given my area of expertise and personal interest, works with an emphasis on clean energy, green solvents and sustainable processes and products will be especially welcomed,” said Prof. Vega.

Taking on the duties of an editor is an enormous undertaking, with Prof. Vega accepting responsibilities towards the authors providing the content of the journal, the peer reviewers commenting on the manuscripts, the journal’s readers and the scientific community, the publishers of the journal, and the public as a whole. Prof. Vega will be balancing these activities with her continued teaching, research and dedication to Khalifa University.

Jade Sterling
News and Features Writer
18 November 2019

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Dr. Eiyad Abu-Nada has published more than 80 journal papers and averaged 47.71 citations per publication according to Clarivate Analytics – a leading online resource for scientific publications

Khalifa University Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Dr. Eiyad Abu-Nada, is rated among the top 1% of researchers worldwide for citations of published research in the field of Engineering between 2006 and 2016 – a great achievement in the scientific community. During his academic career, Dr. Abu-Nada has published more than 80 journal papers and averaged 47.71 citations per publication as listed on Clarivate Analytics – a leading online resource for scientific publications. Most of his published journal papers appeared in the top prestigious Q1 journals in the Web of Science database. Dr. Abu-Nada has also published numerous conference papers in international conferences.

“I have always been driven by my work to discover something new, it excites me. Now I feel more enthusiastic to continue doing great work,” Dr. Abu-Nada remarked. “I remain humbled by how little we understand, and how much more there is to know. I try to impart that curiosity on my students each semester, hoping that they can one day contribute to science, and explore something new. That would make me proud.”

Besides quietly digging away at the complexity of nature in search of its secrets, Dr. Abu-Nada has also been teaching Mechanical Engineering at KU since 2013. Though primarily devoted to the study of heat transfer and fluid dynamics at the nanoscale – the investigation of the properties and interaction of fluids with particles – his published papers span various sciences, such as thermal sciences, energy, biophysics, and microfluidics.

After earning his BSc and MSc in Mechanical Engineering from Jordan, Dr. Abu-Nada moved to the states and completed his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from New Mexico State University in 2001. He began establishing the groundwork for his research which gained him momentum and valuable experience. In 2010, Dr. Abu-Nada received a fellowship at the prestigious Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. Also, he received other significant awards at the regional level such as the Abdul-Hameed Shoman Award in Jordan and the Arab Fund award from Kuwait.

“I was able to work with great researchers and very professional people. I learned from, and was motivated by their fundamental understanding of the underlying physics of engineering problems and inspired by their scientific ethics. Collaboration is key to expanding one’s understanding and learning new things,” said Dr. Abu-Nada as he reflected on his early career. “I was put onto a narrow research track that remains a focal point of my research. More importantly, I was exposed to rigorous scientific exploration and science for the sake of science: not chasing dreams, but rather, chasing the truth.”

Dr. Abu-Nada’s specialized research focus has won him over 4,000 citations on Web of Science – an online resource for scientific publications – and an h-index of 27. A researcher’s h-index is a measurement of the productivity and impact of their research.

Dr. Abu-Nada’s research has steadily pushed the limits of our collective knowledge on topics like heat transfer enhancement using nanofluids, dissipative particle dynamics and convective heat transfer, carving out a niche for himself. Among his most cited published papers is the “Numerical study of natural convection in partially heated rectangular enclosures filled with nanofluids.” In it, Dr. Abu-Nada describes the factors that impact heat transfer in base fluids through using different fluids and nanoparticles. Besides cataloguing results from different variables, the study is considered unique because he and his team laid the groundwork for mathematical modeling of heat transfer at the nanoscale.

Dr. Abu-Nada spent considerable efforts in pushing the limits of dissipative particle dynamics (DPD), a technique used for simulating the interactions of fluids and particles in order to better understand and improve energy transfer in thermal fluid systems. DPD has potential applications in emerging energy technologies, such as solar energy and steam power plants, where efficiencies and improvements are key elements in enhancing performance.

“DPD is my passion. I am keen to get back into the type of work I was doing early in my career with the experience and understanding I now have,” Dr. Abu-Nada commented about his future plans. “I began my career with biofluids and its study has always held a special place in my heart. I want to apply the tools I have acquired throughout my career to the study of blood flow, its physical properties, and red blood cell aggregation. I’m also interested in collaborating on research that examines renewable energies more closely.”

Dr. Abu-Nada advises students and aspiring researchers: “Participate in conferences where you can interact with experts, visit big labs, and be inspired. Aim high, have high standards, have a plan to only target the big journals for your publications. If you get turned down, take their feedback, revise, and resubmit. Collaborate and interact with peers and colleagues, give and take input and criticism. Learn from others’ experiences and work.”

“I am very grateful for the support I have received from family, friends, and my teachers, those who inspired me and those who mentored me. Khalifa University has been instrumental in my research, providing me access to the cutting edge tools I need, helping me to attend conferences, and supporting the researchers with funding and initiatives. I also want to say thank you to my peers, Professors, the Department Chair, Deans, Provost, and University Leadership for their support.”

Zaman Khan
News and Features Writer
24 July 2019

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