Chemistry scientist Niveen M. Khashab will chair next year’s annual Winter Enrichment Program (WEP) at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST). The event will be co-chaired by Khaled Salama, professor of electrical engineering at KAUST’s Computer, Electrical and Mathematical Science and Engineering Division (CEMSE).
The associate professor of chemical sciences and engineering at the Physical Science and Engineering Division at KAUST is the first female chair for the annual festival of science hosted on and off campus. Khashab is the winner of the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Award in the field of physical science for her research in organic chemistry in 2017.
“I feel that KAUST leadership simply looks at scientific merit and service when appointing individuals in key roles that represent KAUST such as chairing WEP, which makes me very confident in our future as a leading scientific institute,” said Khashab.
The scientist’s message to women in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) is: “There is plenty of room for you to join us!”
Next year’s WEP 2020, taking place between Jan. 12 and 23, will focus on “personalized medicine,” which aims at tailoring practices, interactions and medicine to the individual patient. It is a futuristic yet fast approaching health care platform for treating different diseases, especially cancer.