8
THE REACTOR AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH Semi-Annual Newsletter Fall 2012 | Volume II | Issue I 1 Firstly, I’d like to thank the CHE club and the “e Reactor” newsletter team for allowing me this opportunity to say few words for our dear students. I would like to welcome our new CHE freshmen students and wish them a successful academic journey in the CHE world. I am sure that they took a step in the right direction towards having a challenging future career. It’s worthwhile to mention that the CHE yearly freshmen enrolment is going up and this year our department witnessed the second highest enrolment number in the college. is shouldn’t come to a surprise, as Chemical Engi- neering at the AUS is known throughout the country for its diverse student body, faculty research and the success of its alumni. Most recently, the program has been ABET re-accredited. I urge all of our CHE students to familiarize them- selves with the CHE curriculum and the associated study plan. Of most impor- tance is acquaintance with pre-requisite issues and awareness that it is the stu- dent’s responsibility when registering for a certain course to finish successfully all pre-requisites. (con’d on page 3) From the New Department Head As a new CHE Dept. Interim Head, Dr. Naif Darwish shares a few words with e Reactor Aſter a semester long break e Reac- tor is back and now with more fun than ever. Besides endeavoring to keep you at the forefront of the latest advances in Chemical Engineering, e Reactor brings you interviews, alumni news and “fluff pieces” that guarantee to lighten up your rather dull day in the CHE labs. Also included in this issue is a crossword puzzle that is hell bent on stimulating your engineering neurons, so give it a try! And your feedback on this issue would be highly appreciated. -e Reactor Editorial Board e Reactor Photo credit: Saeed Nusri Shell, one of the world’s leading en- ergy and petrochemical company, has launched a global ‘Energy Mix’ campaign to address the challenge of rising energy demands. As the global population growing and more people gain access to modern energy, its use around the world is phenomenally rising. With global en- ergy demand predicted to double in the first half of this century, global energy mix is important. Shell believes a broad energy mix will be needed to help meet demand and limit CO 2 emissions. e company is find- ing ways to deliver energy from cleaner Shell’s New Initiative – Global Energy Mix sources and make the most of existing resources. Human ingenuity, innovation and technology are being brought to- gether to meet the world’s future energy needs and an attempt is being made to accomplish this in a socially responsible way with minimal impact to the environ- ment. Some of their proposed invest- ment ideas include bio fuels made from renewable sugar cane, more efficient lubricants, economic vehicles, increased natural gas use, extracting oil from Canada’s oil sands and tapping energy from human footsteps in Tokyo. (cont’d on page 4) Words by e Wise- Alumni When e Reactor got in touch with some of the recently graduated AUS Chemical Engineers this is what they had to say: “My senior design project with Dr. Naif fueled my interest in carbon dioxide capture technolo- gies, which have become the center of my masters’ thesis.” Sami Marwan MSc. Candidate at University of Strathclyde, Scotland “It’s been fulfilling experience to carry forward my dreams of establishing an e-waste recycling company in the UAE. Got any old phones? Just send them to Ecyclex (www.ecyclex.com)!” Youssef Chehade CEO of Ecyclex e-waste Management Consultancy More interesting quotes on page 5.

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Page 1: THE REACTOR AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH Semi … · 2016-09-16 · Merox processing of gasoline; the Merox processing of kerosene/jet fuel; and the caustic scrubbing/Merox processing

THE REACTOR AMERICAN UNIVERSITY OF SHARJAH Semi-Annual Newsletter

Fall 2012 | Volume II | Issue I

1

Firstly, I’d like to thank the CHE club and the “The Reactor” newsletter team for allowing me this opportunity to say few words for our dear students. I would like to welcome our new CHE freshmen students and wish them a successful academic journey in the CHE world. I am sure that they took a step in the right direction towards having a challenging future career. It’s worthwhile to mention that the CHE yearly freshmen enrolment is going up and this year our department witnessed the second highest enrolment number in the college. This shouldn’t come to a surprise, as Chemical Engi-

neering at the AUS is known throughout the country for its diverse student body, faculty research and the success of its alumni. Most recently, the program has been ABET re-accredited. I urge all of our CHE students to familiarize them-selves with the CHE curriculum and the associated study plan. Of most impor-tance is acquaintance with pre-requisite issues and awareness that it is the stu-dent’s responsibility when registering for a certain course to finish successfully all pre-requisites.

(con’d on page 3)

From the New Department HeadAs a new CHE Dept. Interim Head, Dr. Naif Darwish shares a few words with The Reactor

After a semester long break The Reac-tor is back and now with more fun than ever. Besides endeavoring to keep you at the forefront of the latest advances in Chemical Engineering, The Reactor brings you interviews, alumni news and “fluff pieces” that guarantee to lighten up your rather dull day in the CHE labs. Also included in this issue is a crossword puzzle that is hell bent on stimulating your engineering neurons, so give it a try! And your feedback on this issue would be highly appreciated.

-The Reactor Editorial Board

The Reactor

Photo credit: Saeed Nusri

Shell, one of the world’s leading en-ergy and petrochemical company, has launched a global ‘Energy Mix’ campaign to address the challenge of rising energy demands. As the global population growing and more people gain access to modern energy, its use around the world is phenomenally rising. With global en-ergy demand predicted to double in the first half of this century, global energy mix is important. Shell believes a broad energy mix will be needed to help meet demand and limit CO2 emissions. The company is find-ing ways to deliver energy from cleaner

Shell’s New Initiative – Global Energy Mixsources and make the most of existing resources. Human ingenuity, innovation and technology are being brought to-gether to meet the world’s future energy needs and an attempt is being made to accomplish this in a socially responsible way with minimal impact to the environ-ment. Some of their proposed invest-ment ideas include bio fuels made from renewable sugar cane, more efficient lubricants, economic vehicles, increased natural gas use, extracting oil from Canada’s oil sands and tapping energy from human footsteps in Tokyo.

(cont’d on page 4)

Words by The Wise- AlumniWhen The Reactor got in touch with some of the recently graduated AUS Chemical Engineers this is what they had to say:

“My senior design project with Dr. Naif fueled my interest in carbon dioxide capture technolo-gies, which have become the center of my masters’ thesis.”Sami MarwanMSc. Candidate at University of Strathclyde, Scotland

“It’s been fulfilling experience to carry forward my dreams of establishing an e-waste recycling company in the UAE. Got any old phones? Just send them to Ecyclex (www.ecyclex.com)!”Youssef ChehadeCEO of Ecyclex e-waste Management Consultancy More interesting

quotes on page 5.

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THE REACTOR | DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING | Semi Annual Newsletter

2

Chemical Engineering Organization Events and ActivitiesAmbitious and energetic as ever the new ChEO board is ready to fuel up and enrich your student life in Chemical En-gineering with its various trips, events, workshops and competitions. Addition-ally, we aspire to intertwine both fun and learning. Hence, combinations of both enjoyable and educational trips to many diverse companies such as Unile-ver, Bee’ah and Petrofac are organized frequently, alongside other companies in the field which produce products such as: petrochemicals, consumer goods and polymers/plastics. These trips allow the students to grab the essence of what their

future careers will entail and demon-strate the applicability of the knowledge they have accumulated from their CHE courses.

On the other hand, numerous BBQS, social gatherings and sport events have been arranged; thus, giving students the opportunity to have a break, relax and enjoy their time with their colleagues. Moreover, the ChEO has arranged multiple workshops which aim to help students improve or further develop their programming and simulating skills such as the “Advanced Hysys Workshop”

that was given by Dr. Nabil, or the “In-ternship 101”, where students discussed their past internship experiences. These workshops have explicitly been designed to solidify the Chemical Engineering background of the students in terms of technical skills and past experiences. As is clearly evident, the ChEO aims to promote the personal and professional growth of the Chemical Engineering students and allows them to suggest and express their ideas and concerns!

-Sahar Ibrahim

The Middle East’s Future Source: Using Palm Tree Solid Waste to Create Fuel

The professors of the Chemical Engi-neering Department at AUS are con-stantly searching for ways to make our lives and futures easier, more productive, and cleaner. This is done under guidance and support from the College of Engi-neering and the AUS administration, their inventions and projects. Dr. Ahmed Aidan, Dr. Nabil Abdel Jabbar and Dr. Rachid Chebbi, members of the chemi-cal engineering department at AUS, have proposed a new biofuel from solid waste. The project will be carried out under the partnership signed between AUS and Jubail Pearl group (KSA) for further de-velopment and commercialization of the product. The team, led by Dean Yousef Al Assaf, is currently filing the applica-tion for the patent of the project. This

sponsorship was part of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was signed by His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sul-tan Bin Mohammed Al Qassimi Supreme Council Member, Ruler of Sharjah, and President of the American University of Sharjah and His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf Bin Abdallah Bin Saud Bin Abdul Aziz, Chairman of Directors of the Jubail Pearl Group. This MoU will be used as an outline for cooperation and facilitation between AUS and Jubail Pearl Group. Once the patent has been filed, the project will be implemented com-mercially in Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Kuwait, Bahrain, Oman, and the UAE.

This new project finds a method to convert waste to solid fuel. Thus no raw

material is needed. The waste that will be used is that of palm trees. Although it will be implemented in various regions worldwide, the project will mostly be executed in the GCC and Middle East due to the large amounts of palm tree waste that can already be found in those two regions. The designed process has the potential to be employed both at an industrial level and a domestic one.

An invention patent application is cur-rently being filed for this process. The project will be carried out under the partnership signed between AUS and Jubail Pearl group (KSA) for further development and commercialization of the product.

-Mariam Khafagy

AUS professor propose a new kind of biofuel from solid waste

Photo credit: Dr. Ahmed Aidan

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Fall 2011 | Volume II | Issue I

3

Treatment of Mixed Refinery Spent CausticRefineries often use a solution of caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) to extract hy-drogen sulfide, marcaptans and organic acids. The term “spent caustic” refers specifically to the solution of used or wasted caustic soda. Spent Caustic solu-tions can be categorized in three groups depending on their origin and composi-tion – sulfidic, naphthenic and cresylic. The three are often mixed together before disposal and called “mixed-refinery spent caustic”. Refinery spent caustic comes from multiple sources: the Merox processing of gasoline; the Merox processing of kerosene/jet fuel; and the caustic scrubbing/Merox processing of LPG. In these streams sulfides and organic acids are removed from the product streams into the caustic phase. This spent caustic is contaminated with sulfides, carbonates, and in many cases a high fraction of heavy organic acids. The disposition of spent caustic may result in costly economical and envi-ronmental outcomes. Conventional treatment methods (biological, physical-chemical) are not efficient enough. On the other hand, severe conditions oxidative methods (incineration, high pressure/temperature oxidation systems)

are not economically attractive.

The proposed technology uses hydrogen peroxide to generate highly oxidative hy-droxyl radicals. It can be used to treat all types of organic wastewaters to achieve Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) and total organic carbon (TOC) reduction, or increase biodegradability. It can be applied as the standalone treatment or combined with a more economical biological treatment, depending on the oxidant’s dose. This technology is based on Fenton’s reaction (Fenton’s reagent). The reaction is carried out under acidic conditions and ambient to mild range of temperature and pressure in a safe and efficient way, using optimized catalyst and hydrogen peroxide.

Since composition and contents of the mixed-refinery spent caustic vary greatly, the process must be optimized to suite the supplied waste. Many organic matter oxidations take place at slightly higher pressure (P) and temperature (T). The temperature in the reactor is main-tained by a jacket controller. Reagent and catalyst are fed to the continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR). Operat-ing conditions (T and P) are lower than

other chemical oxidation systems that rely on air or oxygen to oxidize the organic compounds, and therefore allow waste effluent treatment in a safer and economical way. The oxidation pilot-unit at our laboratories showed that it is pos-sible to reduce the TOC and COD to less than 100 mg/l and 300 mg/l respectively.

After Before

The research was funded by AUS Faculty Research Grant (AED 40,000) and by Emirates Foundation (AED 200,000). The research activities were directed to the treatment of mixed refinery spent caustic streams contain-ing sulfidic, phenolic, cresylic, and or naphthenic compounds by chemical oxidation. In addition, we were explor-ing physical treatment methods such as adsorption. Based on the findings of the project, we signed AED 400,000 contract with Saudi Company for Environmental Works Ltd (SEW) to design a commer-cial-scale unit to treat mixed-refinery spent caustic using hydroxyl radicals generated from Hydrogen Peroxide in the a metallic salt at ambient tempera-ture and pressure. A master’s thesis was based on the research.

-Dr. Raafat Alnaizy

The treatment results of “spent caustics”, Before (Right) and After (Left)

AUS professor proposes a new technology to treat “spent caustic”

(From the New Department Head contin-ued)

I do believe that students should have an active role in the continuous quality enhancement of the education process. Given the shared-governance envi-ronment prevailing in the AUS, I rate CHE students’ level of participation as very low. I truly look forward for more involvement of the CHE students in the ongoing teaching/learning process in our department. To help fostering more in-volvement, students, through their club or individual, are highly encouraged to

be active in the department activities and to share their views and suggestions. The department will provide the needed en-vironment to bring students involvement to success. For example, next semester, CHE students, through their club, will be given a chance to share their views and suggestions regarding midterm exams schedule. The course schedules will also be shared with students once finalized by the department faculty, which will open the door for students’ suggestions and feedback. The department will do its utmost to help CHE students creat-ing accredited students chapters that will

enhance visibility of current students and alumni. Lastly, I wish all the faculty, students, and staff of the CHE depart-ment a fruitful and prosperous academic year. To our students who will soon become alumni: I pray to Allah Almighty to grant you the blessing and success in landing the sort of career you dream of and to lead the kind of life you aspire to. I am sure you will be a bright source for our pride. Please, keep the ties with your alma mater and always count on us for any guidance.

- Dr. Naif Darwish, CHE Department Head

Spent caustic treatment unit. Photo credit: Dr. Raafat Alnaizy

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THE REACTOR | DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING | Semi Annual Newsletter

4

The Make Up of Make-upChemistry creates cosmeticsToday, there exists a multi-billion dol-lar industry that thrives on the appeal of bright red-stained lips, shimmering bronze cheeks, and intense thick long eyelashes. This is the cosmetics industry. The earliest use of cosmetics dates back as early as 4,000 B.C. in ancient Egypt. Henna, kohl, colored powders, dyes and paints were used by ancient Egyptian men and women to adorn their skin, body and hair. In modern times, this market quite exclusively targets women and it has come a long way since then. Women who wear make-up to enhance their natural beauty are essentially apply-ing chemicals on their skin. The composition of cosmetics includes natural and synthetic products. The com-position varies depending on whether the product is lipstick, foundation, blush

or any other cosmetic product. Manufac-turers and those involved in the produc-tion processes including cosmetic chem-ists and sometimes chemical engineers use a variety of ingredients to create these beauty-enhancing chemicals. Some examples of the kinds of ingredients in makeup include talc, kaolin, magnesium stearate, zinc oxide, titanium oxide and most notably the pigments to produce those eye-catching colors.

Let’s look at one commonly known cosmetic product, the lipstick. Have you ever wondered what lipstick is made of? Well, the answer requires some under-standing of chemistry. The components of lipstick include different waxes, oils, pigments, and emollients. A closer look at one component of lipstick gives us an idea of how chemistry comes into play

to create such products. Wax is used to create the shape and ease of application of lipsticks. One type of wax that may be used in lipstick is carnauba wax, a fluid from the pores of Brazilian wax palm tree leaves, and candelilla wax, derived from the candelilla plant. The wax is created by placing the plants in boiling water mixed with sulfuric acid that skims off the wax which rises to the surface. Although we have just described one, other important chemical processes are involved in producing cosmetics and these processes are enhanced to better fit the industrial scale production. Never-theless, chemistry is undoubtedly the ba-sis of cosmetics and this is one instance when science creates beauty, literally.

- Fatma Al- Tamimi

(Shell’s New Initiative – Global Energy Mix continued)

Interactive videos and iPad Apps have also been launched to encourage consumers to think about the role and

importance of energy in their day-to-day lives. Malena Cutuli de Tur, Global Brand Communications Manager at Shell, quoted “It has allowed us to create content that will appeal to a younger audience, an audience that need to be part of the debate about our energy future.” By allowing further interaction the aim is to encourage users to acquire more information about the energy

debate and learn about Shell’s contribu-tions to broadening the global energy mix to deliver a more sustainable energy future. The activity is part of Shell’s ‘Let’s Go’ corporate brand initiative and builds upon the global above-the-line ‘Energy Mix’ campaign. These interesting videos can be watched and shared on Shell’s website.

-Vandhana Varughese

Photo from www.shell.com

AUS attends Arab Forum for Environment and Development (AFED)

The Arab Forum for Environment and Development recently held its fifth an-nual conference on the Survival Options and Environmental Footprint in the Arab countries. The conference went on for two days in the Phoenicia Intercon-tinental Hotel in Beirut, Lebanon. Five AUS students (Asma Hassan, Hossam Shoman, Maiam Khafagy, Mohamed Al-janahi, and Zaid AlRayes) from different engineering disciplines were sponsored by Crescent-Petroleum to attend AFED. Recommendations of the conference were drafted and presented by The Secretary General of the Forum ,Najib Saab. These recommendations included the approval of the AFED report of the need for regional cooperation and sound management of resources as well as pre-sented options to tackle the region’s high ecological deficit.

The report stressed that the era of globalization and social & economic insecurity calls for the need to monitor

the demand for natural capital in order to meet the basic needs for food and water security, and to ensure competi-tiveness with strengthening the health of the environment. The Conference called on Arab governments to adopt the eco-logical account concept in the economic planning and to reduce the environ-mental footprint through rehabilitation of degraded lands. It also focused on the need to reduce the generation of pollutants and waste, as demanded by investing part of the income of the oil resources in human capacity building and support research and development. Additionally, AFED recommended that green achievement levels in rural and ur-ban development be maintained. Finally, governments need to create sustainable transitions to a green economy based on science and knowledge.

The conference recommended the Arab governments to adopt strategies to improve energy efficiency in the con-

struction, transport, and industry. Also, it was recommended that governments increase the share of renewable energy in the energy mix and adopt incentives and standards to overcome the barriers to energy efficiency. If these steps are taken, harmony between the policies of water, energy, agriculture and climate can be found. Saab called on development funds and banking institutions to adopt eco-logical accounts when providing grants and loans, and asked AFED to techni-cally assist Arab countries to understand the accounts environmental footprint of its operations and incitement to behav-ioral changes in consumption patterns, procurement and investment, especially for young people. The conference also called for non-governmental organiza-tions, academics and the private sector to cooperate fully in the implementation of these recommendations.

- Asma Hassan

Five AUS-Crescent Petroleum Representatives attend the fifth AFED in Beirut.

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Fall 2012| Volume II | Issue I

5

Crossword PuzzleLet’s see how much of a Chemical Engineer you are!

ACROSS2. Product of mass and velocity4. Condition of less than atmospheric pressure7. Transport phenomenon in which the transfer of molecules occur from region of higher concen-tration to lower concen-tration8. Electrically charged particles10. Pertains to second law of thermodynamics. Randomness.13. Software that simpli-fies engineering economic analysis of chemical processes14. Equipment to transfer heat17. Energy transferred from one body to another as a result of temperature difference18. Vessel whose volume = Fao*X/ra19. Hazard and operabil-ity study20. A liquid mixture of two or more substances that retains the same composition in the vapor state as in the liquid state.

DOWN1. A function used as an analog of the partial pres-sure in applying thermo-dynamics to real systems3. Measure of the resist-ance of a fluid which is being deformed by either shear stress or tensile stress5. Diagram to deduce the number of stages of distillation column (omit hyphen) 6. Process of separation based on differing boiling points9. Gas mixture found in deep undergroud rock formation consisting mainly of methane11. Hollow tube filled with material, e.g. Raschig ring, to increase surface area for mass transfer12. Mechanical device that increases the pressure of gas by reducing its volume15. Process of speeding up reactions16. Surname of CHE department head

Did you time yourself?Couldn’t solve - You are probably a freshman. Words of advise: Strive till you succeed!

Solved within an hour - You are probably an ambitious sophomore but still have a long way to go. Embrace yourself for the horrors 300 level CHE courses

Solved within 30 minutes - You are probably a senior but kind of rusty on the fundamentals.

Solved within 15 min-utes - You would be an asset to a multinational. Proudly present the solved puzzle at an interview.

Solved within 10 minutes - You deserve to be a MSc. candidate

Solved under 5 minutes - You deserve to be a PhD candidate

Chuckled at the amateur-ish nature of the puzzle - You are a professor!

(Alumni quotes continued)“I am very grateful for how my university experience helped grow my way of thinking and still continues to shape my future as a person and an intellect. Think big. Talk less. Aim high. Expect less. Determined be; unlike everyone else. And you shall secure; nothing but success.”Hisham AlayanProcess Engineer, Petrofac

“Graduation was the beginning of a new chapter in my life. I have been working as a trainee in Unilever-Lipton Jebel Ali. The experience has been a great one! I’m learning a lot everyday and I’m meeting new people.” Raghad Daher, Manufacturing Intern, Unilever Gulf

“Our major is diverse and we are given the techniques to pursue whatever it is we want. I still use the basics that we take in Principles, Reaction and Fluid in many of my courses and the major electives I chose. My ad-vice is that if there is a different field that you want to pursue after graduation then go ahead, the sky is really the limit! Don’t hesitate to talk to one of our professors because they will give you insightful input”Mehad HabbabMSc. Candidate for Sustainable Engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology, New York “I am currently still searching for a job. I’ve had job interviews with positive feedback from the interviewers but so far the job has not materialized though I was able to do part-time work recently for an oil and gas consul-tancy company doing research on Emergency Pipeline Repair Systems (EPRS). Whatever choices you make, stay true to them and never regret your decisions. Sure you may find yourself in the midst of trials, nevertheless these trials build you to be a stronger person.”Vincent Palapar, Researcher at EPRS

Designed by Saeed NusriThe answers will be posted on the ChEO facebook page

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6

Interview: New Professors in CHE Department

What made you decide that you were going to pursue chemical engineering?

I enjoy discovering new things. Even though I’m in academia, I think it’s really important to keep an active link with industry as they have a lot of questions that need answers!

What is the most interesting topic you are working on right now?

I’m trying to make Environmental Impact Assessments seem exciting to chemical engineering students.

Do you work on deadlines or plan your work ahead of time?

I organize my work beforehand but am trying to learn to be a little more spontaneous!

If you possessed a super power, what would it be?

Spider man? Batman? Oh! I would want to have an eidetic memory!

What has been your latest obses-sion?

Hiking in Scotland, play-ing squash, swimming and photography...I’m yet to capture the perfect photo of a lightning strike!

What would you be if not a profes-sor teaching us?

I’d be frozen in Cambridge

If you were an element in the pe-riodic table, which one would you be?

Hydrogen, because it’s simple

Dr Matthew Kuo is an adventurous engineer. He is a hardworking and or-ganized individual who enthusiastically talks about his area of expertise which includes assessing the environmental impacts of existing and developing projects.

Dr Matthew completed his PhD at Kings College, Cambridge in February 2011. As the Sharjah Fellow in Petro-leum Resources, his current research interests include biological influences

Dr Yasser Dahman is a cheerful and an enthusias-tic visiting professor who takes a keen interest in knowing his students better. Considering chemical engineers to be the chief engineers, he focuses on different ways to make his classes exciting for his students.

Dr. Dahman has research focus on several emerg-ing areas of technology in the fields of Biotech-nology, Nanotechnology, with special interest in Biomedical Engineering. He has commissioned a state-of-the-art research facility at Ryerson to conduct his research projects, which were funded by several agencies including Ryerson University, NSERC and Ministry of Agriculture Canada.

on the behaviour of deep ocean clay sediments; soil-structure interaction, specifically related to hot-oil pipelines and suction caissons; and understanding the micromechanics of shearing rough and smooth structure interfaces on soil.

This semester, the CHE department welcomed three new professors, Dr. Mathew Kuo, Dr. Yasser Dahman, and Dr. Paul Nancarrow. One of our enthusiatic writers, Jawaria Saif, interviewed the three professors to acquaint the students with the new faculty.

Photo credit: Saeed Nusri

Photo credit: Saeed Nusri

THE REACTOR | DEPARTMENT OF CHEMICAL ENGINEERING | Semi Annual Newsletter

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What made you decide that you were going to pursue chemical engineering?

Chemical Engineering is the most interesting discipline of all the engineering majors. It also has a wide industry that fits every-where with highest pay in North America.

Do you work on deadlines or plan your work ahead of time?

I plan ahead of time, but unfortu-nately end up working on dead-lines.

What kind of a student were you? Geeky/nerdy, laid back, socially ac-tive and yet topping your class?

I was a very serious and dedicated student throughout my studying process.

What has been your latest obses-sion?

Electronics (laptops)

What would you be if not a profes-sor teaching us?

Technology Management Con-sultant

Dr Paul Nancarrow- being the best at what-ever he does was interviewed to provide an insight from his latest research area to his lat-est obsessions. Being new to the heat of UAE, he enjoys exploring UAE and is a keen Arabic learner. Paul Nancarrow graduated with a PhD in Chemical Engineering from Queen’s University Belfast, UK. Prior to joining AUS, he worked as a research and development engineer in the UK materials industry and as a faculty member at QUB. His main research interests include ionic liquids technology, reaction engineering, nanomaterials process-ing, pharmaceutical process development and predictive modeling of liquid systems.

What made you decide that you were going to pursue chemical engineering?

I loved math, chemistry, physics and problem solving at school; chemical engineering just brought these together in a practical and creative way. I had never met any chemical engineers and didn’t really know what they do, but my sense of adventure made me want to try something different.

What is the most interesting thing you are working on right now?

Ionic Liquids (salts that are liquid at room temperature). They have very different properties from other liquids; they are non-

volatile unlike organic solvents. They can be used as solvents and additives in many processes, for enhancing separation techniques and for sustainable processing.

Do you work on deadlines or plan your work ahead of time?

Depends on the task, if it’s not too important and manageable, I eas-ily handle it at the last moment. I tend to plan ahead for the more complex tasks.

If you possessed a super power, what would it be?

*Smiles* I always wanted to be a superman, I would always wear my hoodie and try running like

him *points hands like a super-man*. I really want to fly like him so that I can travel the world without having to spend hours at the airport!

What has been your latest obses-sion?

Learning Arabic.

If you were an element in the pe-riodic table, which one would you be?

TITANIUM! As it is light, strong and named after Titans of Greek mythology.

Photo credit: Saeed Nusri

7

Fall 2012| Volume II | Issue I

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8

The New ChEO BoardThis year, the Chemical Engineering Organization is being run by a new group of board members. So just to familiarize our department with the new zealous members, The Reactor has created the following profile.

Nationality: Saudi

Age: 22

Opinion about Chemi-cal Engineers: Chem-ical Engineers work in factories and come up with all products that we use at home even chocolate

Nationality: Egyptian

Age: 20

Inspiration: Great achievements to society, memorable speeches and classical music of Mozart

Nationality: Iraqi

Age: 21

Owned something in the 90s and wished that it would make a comeback: My Bar-bie

Nationality: Jordanian

Age: 21

Inspiration: Sunrise

Nationality: Pales-tinian

Age: 20

Favorite Animal:Bird, ‘coz they can fly!

Nationality: Iraq

Age: 21

Favortie Actor:

Tom Cruise

Nationality: Bangla-deshi

Age:21

First Hotmail: spar-kling_stars@hotmail.

com

Nationality: “Proud” Bahraini

Age: 22

Goal in life: To be-

come a CHE Professor

THE REACTOR | Fall 2012 | Volume II | Issue I

Yusuf Saeed Mr. President

Hashem Al-HarharahThe Right Hand Ula Aboutiman

The Media Spokesperson

Sahar IbrahimVoice of CheO

Islam ShahinExecutive Assistant

Nawshad Chowdhury Head of Finance

Renad TurkiCheO Athletic Scout

Mosab NajimFun Curator

QUOTE OF THE SEMESTER

“Social Media, like Facebook, is like a kitchen knife. You can either kill a person with it or... skin the chicken to prepare your dinner. It’s upto you to decide how you choose to use it.”

-Ameer SiddiqueAUS Chemical Engineer and Chemist