JEDDAH, 16 March 2008 — King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) yesterday announced the winners of its Global Research Partnership (GRP) investigator competition. They included leading researchers from around the world seeking cutting-edge discoveries on critical scientific challenges.
Twelve international scientists were selected as KAUST Investigators for the 2007 round of nominations, which featured more than 60 submissions from 38 of the world’s leading research universities, an official statement said.
A new world-class research university, currently under development in Thuwal, near Jeddah, KAUST intends to provide individual research assistance to a group of highly accomplished scientists and engineers who are dedicated to a wide range of research topics of global significance with particular importance to Saudi Arabia and the region.
In his statement on the occasion, Ali Al-Naimi, minister of petroleum and mineral resources and chairman of the university’s Board of Trustees, said, “We are pleased that these exceptionally talented individuals have chosen to partner with KAUST to bring their significant scientific and technological contributions to life. Their specific research will not only stimulate the growth of Saudi Arabia’s emerging knowledge-based economy but also serve as a cornerstone of scientific advancement for the good of all people the world over.”
• The winners are: Dr. Ahmed F. Ghoniem, professor of mechanical engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Engineering; Dr. William Koros, professor and Roberto C. Goizueta Chair for Excellence in Chemical Engineering at the School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Georgia Institute of Technology; Dr. Nicholas Paul Harberd, professor of Plant Sciences at the University of Oxford; Dr. Nobuyasu Ito, associate professor in the Department of Applied Physics at the University of Tokyo; Dr. Bruce Logan, professor of Environmental Engineering at Pennsylvania State University; Dr. Peter A. Markowich, professor of applied mathematics at the Center for Mathematical Sciences at the University of Cambridge; Dr. Paulo Monteiro, professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Dr. Bengt Nordén, chair professor of physical chemistry, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden; Dr. Edward Hartley Sargent, professor and Canada Research Chair in Nanotechnology at the University of Toronto in Canada; Dr. Brian Stoltz, professor in chemistry and chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology; Anna Tramontano, professor of biochemistry at the University of Rome, La Sapienza, Italy; and Dr. Yi Cui, assistant professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Stanford University.
Each KAUST Investigator is expected to spend between three weeks and three months per year on the KAUST campus participating in the research and academic life of the institution. Additional personnel exchanges including the investigators or their research personnel will be arranged according to the needs of the collaborative work established with KAUST’s faculty.
