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Leading, ChangingA conversation with AUB’s new president,Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri

Beyond Buffed ArchitectureThe Nasma project delivers innovativearchitecture to create schools for Syrian refugees

American University of Beirut Magazine. Fall 2015, Vol. XIV, No. 1

9 42 48

Pioneering through Resilience Huda Zoghbi, MD (BS ’76) has the passion, grit andintellect that drives groundbreaking discoveries

GreatExpectations

To speak to someone about supporting financial aid, contact us at giving@aub.edu.lb or make a gift at https://give.aub.edu.lb

Coming from a literary family, Karim Maksad (BE, expected ’17) made a bold decision to break withtradition and become a chemical engineer. Both hisparents, now deceased, were journalists. His father was the owner and publisher of Meshwar Magazine,and his mother, an author and poet.

Growing up in Choueifat, Karim knew from the outset thathe would end up at AUB. It was the only place he appliedand he wasn’t interested in going anywhere else. Hissingle-mindedness paid off as th e “Karim KaragullaScholarship” is supporting his chemical engineeringstudies at AUB.

Karim makes the most of his time outside of class as well—going to the gym, swimming, and participating in clubactivities. He is also planning on joining the Red Cross.

Aiducation.

Contents

3Inspiration Student life, the liberal arts, AUB personalities past and present

The Origins and Future of AUB’s Green Campus

Cultivating and curating nature

Leading, Changing

A conversation with AUB’s new president, Dr. Fadlo R. Khuri

Discoveries Research, the arts, and current events

Renovation, Readjustment, Renewal

The Diana Tamari Sabbagh (DTS) building gets

a 21st century makeover

Wellness AUBMC 2020, health, and medicine

Huda Zoghbi, MD (BS ’76)

Empathy, intellect, grit, and passion drive a dedicated doctor

to make new discoveries

AUB Everywhere Alumni profile, class notes, WAAAUB, and chapter news

Impact Regional impact, advocacy, and policy initiatives

In Memoriam

Beyond Buffed Architecture

The Nasma project delivers innovative architecture to

create schools for Syrian refugees

The MainGate Fall 2015 Vol. XIV, No. 1

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InboxGreat Expectations

Dear MainGate readers,

In 2016 we will commemorate the 150th anniversary of AUB’s founding in 1866. AUB’s story is oneof continuous innovation, transformative impact, and institutional resilience. This year will be aunique opportunity to reflect on the distinguished history of the University, to celebrate ourachievements and those of our extended global community, and to articulate our ambitions forthe future.

Join the celebration:

• Tell “My AUB Story”: Go to www.aub.edu.lb/150 and submit a 30-second video about your most treasured memories at AUB.

• Recognize the “History Makers”: Submit nominations of individuals who represent the best of AUB through their lives and work. Request a nomination form from myaubstory@aub.edu.lb.

• Legacy Families: Tell us about families that have multiple generations of AUB graduates.Submit the names of family members, years they attended AUB, a photo and up to 150words about the family to myaubstory@aub.edu.lb

• AUB Love Stories: Submit 150-word stories and a photo of couples who met at AUB tomyaubstory@aub.edu.lb

Collecting dates: November 2015 - July 2016

January 25, 2016, will be a momentous day in our history: the inauguration of Fadlo R. Khuri,AUB’s 16th president, and the launch of the 150th anniversary celebrations. Be on the lookoutfor updates!

Ada H. Porter, Editor

maingate@aub.edu.lb

EditorAda H. Porter

Responsible DirectorNabil Dajani

Art Direction and DesignCommunication Design SALwww.cd-sal.com

ProductionOffice of Communications

PhotographyDina DebbasLea NajjarHasan NisrJean Pierre TarabeyUniversity Libraries, Archives and Special Collections

Staff WritersEric EygesBarbara Rosica

Contributing WritersNicholas BokeLinda K. Jacobs, PhDAshley NaimNisa QaziMaya Wakim

American University of BeirutOffice of CommunicationsPO Box 11–0236Riad El Solh 1107 2020Beirut, LebanonTel: 961-1-353228

New York Office3 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza, 8th Floor New York, NY 10017–2303Tel: 212-583-7600maingate@aub.edu.lbwww.aub.edu.lb/maingate

Printing53 dots (Dar El Kotob)

CoverPresident Fadlo R. Khuri;photo by Dina Debbas

Inbox

www.fsc.org

The pages of the MainGate are printed on 100 percent postconsumer fiber paper and the cover is 30 percent. It is printed using web offset process with attention to clean-air operations. Lane Press gets 98 percent of its electricity from sources other than greenhousegas-producing carbon fuel. Inks are bio-derived and low in volatile organic compounds.

Please recycle this magazine. If you prefer to subscribe to the online version of the MainGate, please email maingate@aub.edu.lb

Commonabbreviationsfound in theMainGate (MG):

Abbr.

ACSAmerican Community School

AUBAmerican University of Beirut

AUBMCAmerican University of Beirut Medical Center

CAMESCenter for Arab and Middle Eastern Studies

CAMSCenter for Advanced Mathematical Sciences

CASARPrince Alwaleed Bin TalalBin Abdulaziz AlsaudCenter for AmericanStudies and Research

CCECSCenter for CivicEngagement andCommunity Service

FAFSFaculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences

FASFaculty of Artsand Sciences

FEAFaculty of Engineeringand Architecture

FHSFaculty of Health Sciences

FMFaculty of Medicine

HSONRafic Hariri School of Nursing

ICInternational College

IFIIssam Fares Institute for Public Policy andInternational Affairs

IOECRay R. Irani-OxyEngineering Complex

KSAKingdom of Saudi Arabia

LAULebanese AmericanUniversity

LDEMLandscape Design and Ecosystem Management

NCCNature ConservationCenter for SustainableFutures

OSBSuliman S. Olayan School of Business

PSPADepartment of PoliticalStudies and PublicAdministration

REPRegional External Programs

SPCSyrian Protestant College

WAAAUBWorldwide Alumni Association of AUB

9AUB’s New President Fadlo R. Khuri

Building on a father’s legacy of resolute leadership

14Tag Tour Looking in on Outlook

15Face to Face Anis Abdallah (BS ’84), keeper of the crown jewels—AUB’s emeraldgreen campus

6Early SPC Graduatesin the United States

Why early SPC Graduates had a leg up in the United States

16Staff News A fond farewell to an AUB original: security guard and campus sage Abou Haytham

Inspiration

4Published & Produced Exhibits:Sursock Museum: “The City in the City”—AUB Art Galleries: Sigmar Polke’s:Music From An Unknown Source; The Arab Nude: The Artist as Awakener.

Written Word:A collection of essays and articles on Middle Eastern politics and history; a newtake on Confucian political thought; the success of early AUB grads in the UnitedStates; personal reflections on an adventurous life.

Student life, the liberal arts, AUB personalities past and present

18Student News Two outstanding MBA students meet global shakers and movers

Published & Produced

Inspiration

THe CiTy in THe CiTy

The work of Mona Fawaz (BAR ’95) andAhmad Gharbieh (BGD ’01) is includedin an exhibit entitled “The City in The

City” at the Sursock Museum (October9, 2015-January 11, 2016). This groupexhibition brings together recent workby artists, designers, and researchersconcerned with mapping and exploringcontemporary Beirut. The Sursockgarnered international press when itre-opened in October after a seven-year renovation.

THe ARAB nUDe: THe ARTiST

AS AwAkeneR

Exhibition and conference at AUB Art Galleries (Opens February 11, runs throughAugust 1, 2016)

International Conference at AUB Art GalleriesMarch 11, 2016

Conference with the participation of:Hala Auji, Saleem Al-Bahloly, NadiaBou Ali, Elka Correa Calleja, SilviaNaef, Nadia Radwan, Kirsten Scheid and others.

Artists in the exhibition: Daoud Corm,Georges D. Corm, Kanaan Dib,Moustapha Farrouk, César Gemayel,Gibran Khalil Gibran, Marie Hadad,Sophie Halabi, Yusuf Huwayyik,Mahmoud Moukhtar, Leon Mouradoff,Abdel Kader Naeb, Omar Onsi, KhalilSaleeby, Habib Serour, Rashid Wehbi, and others.

Project curated and organized by:Octavian Esanu and Kirsten Scheid

MUSiC FROM An UnknOwn SOURCe

AUB Art Galleries and Collections

in collaboration with the Goethe Institute

Sigmar Polke: Music From An

Unknown Source

November 11, 2015 – January 15, 2016

Last August, Mohammad Qayoumi, PhD (BEN ’75) left his job as president of San Jose State University in California tobecome chief adviser to the Afghan PresidentAshraf Ghani.

In September AUB launched the GlobalCompact Network Lebanon as part of theUnited Nations Global Compact initiative, to help create a strategic policy initiative for businesses committed to aligning theiroperations with universally acceptedprinciples in the areas of human rights, labor, environment and anti-corruption.

AUB’s newly renovated Main Gate wasofficially inaugurated with a ceremony and aplaque on October 21. The restoration of thisiconic AUB landmark was made possible by agenerous gift from Karam G. Tannous Doumet(BA ’74, MA ’76), Honorary Consul for Ecuadorto Lebanon. A special exhibition “AUB’sMainGate” was on display in the MalhasCommon Room in West Hall from October 20-23, and will be remounted for AUB’s 150thcelebrations in 2016. Keep a look out!

IN CASE YOU MISSED IT.

Exhibits

3. STRAnGeRS inTHe weST: THe

SyRiAn COLOny OFnew yORk CiTy

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1. DeMOCRACy,CULTURe, AnD

THe GRiP OF ARABHiSTORy: eSSAySHOnORinG THewORk OF iLiyA

HARik

2. CLASSiCALCOnFUCiAn POLiTiCAL

THOUGHT: A newinTeRPReTATiOn

4. weAveRS

5. ROSe-COLOReDGLASSeS

Written Word

Democracy, Culture, and the Grip of Arab History: Essays Honoring the

Work of Iliya Harik (2014, CreateSpace) edited by Elsa Marston Harik andDenis J. Sullivan. This is a collection of essays and articles on Middle Easternpolitics and history. It explores in-depth topics such as the tension betweensectarianism and citizenship, Lebanese electoral law reform, and the “ArabSpring.” It also examines the views of Iliya Harik, PhD (BA ’56, MA ’58) on human rights, liberty, and democracy in culturally diverse societies.Contributors include Charles Butterworth, Emile Maalouf, Sami Ofeish,Robert Bianchi, and Nafhat Nasr.

Classical Confucian Political Thought: A New Interpretation (2015,Princeton University Press) by Loubna El Amine, PhD (BA ’04). The intellectual legacy of Confucianism has loomed large in efforts to understand China’s past, present, and future. While Confucian ethics has been thoroughly explored, the question remains: what exactly isConfucian political thought? Classical Confucian Political Thought returnsto the classical texts of the Confucian tradition to answer this vital question.Showing how Confucian ethics and politics diverge, El Amine argues thatConfucian political thought is not a direct application of Confucian moralphilosophy. Instead, contrary to the conventional view that Confucian ruleaims to instill virtue in all members of society, El Amine demonstrates that its primary aim is to promote political order.

Strangers in the West: The Syrian Colony of New York City 1880-1900

(2015, Kalimah Press) by Linda Jacobs, PhD, a New York-based scholar andauthor who served AUB as a trustee. This is the never-before-told story of the Arab immigrants who settled in New York City, beginning in 1880. They came primarily from what was then known as “Greater Syria”, andsettled in tenements on the lower west side of Manhattan, founding anArabic- speaking enclave just south of the future site of the World TradeCenter. Arriving in the New World with little more than their resourcefulnessand business acumen, these immigrants quickly built a thriving “colony” that was the cultural and economic center of the Syrian diaspora in America.

Katherine (Kay) O'Sullivan (BA ’67) has published two books that express her love for Lebanon. Weavers (2013, Christopher N. O’Sullivan, Houston) is a poetry collection based on her life philosophy: “You are given a loom, the warp are your life values, the weft are your unique experiences, the knots are your decisions.” Rose-colored Glasses is a memoire.O’Sullivan’s poetry, fiction, essays and memoirs have been published in magazines, anthologies, and online. [In the 1950s, she helped foundAUBMC’s Pink Ladies, a volunteer women’s auxiliary that raises funds and spirits! (see MainGate, Summer 2015, Inbox pg. 4).]

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In the late nineteenth century, some thirty graduates fromSyrian Protestant College (as AUB was then called) wereamong the first wave of immigrants to the United States. Notonly were SPC graduates equipped with a formal westerneducation far beyond that of most of their immigrantcompatriots, but they also had a leg up in their ability toadapt to their new home having had intense contact withAmericans and American education. Beyond the educationitself, all the graduates who came were fluent in English,which was a huge advantage. They served their community

Early SPC Graduates in the United States

1 The terms “Syria” and “Syrians” of course refer to the late nineteenth-century “Greater Syria,” not the present-day country of Syria.

2 By 1900, there were Syrian communities in every American state and territory.

3 H.H. Jessup to J.S. Dennis, 21 June 1892.

not just in the professional capacity of doctor, journalist orbusinessman, but also informally as interpreters,spokesmen, and interlocutors.

America’s first and largest Syrian1 colony was located on thelower west side of Manhattan between the Battery and CedarStreet and the Hudson River and Greenwich Street, just southof the future site of the World Trade Center with WashingtonStreet as its main artery. Most of the graduates settled in NewYork. The trickle of immigrants that began in the 1880sbecame a flood in the 1890s, when thousands of MiddleEasterners left home to attend the 1893 ColumbianExposition in Chicago, also known as the World’s Fair. Manyof them stayed. By 1900, there were about 2,000 Syriansliving in New York City (three-quarters in Manhattan andone-quarter in Brooklyn) and thousands of others living allover the United States.2

immigrants from the First Class (1870)

Two of the five members of the Syrian Protestant College’sfirst graduating class of 1870 went to America. Likethousands of other Middle Easterners, they fell under thespell of “gold fever” and joined the stampede to the World’sFair. The Presbyterian missionary H.H. Jessup noted in oneletter that 300 Syrians of his acquaintance had left in a singlemonth, and he particularly mourned the departure of twoSPC graduates: Na’oum Moghabghab, of the first class, andhis younger brother Faddul (BA 1886). Jessup wrote, “Faddul will soon be leaving for America to the Chicagoexposition. It is a sad result of years of training and a periodof service [as a native pastor]. . . .Na’oum will follow later.”3

The two brothers became interpreters and guides at the fair(attesting to their fluency in English), and after the fairclosed in November, Na’oum traveled around the southernstates for several years as a lay preacher, giving talks aboutthe Holy Land to church congregations. Faddul took thenortheast as his territory, traveling from New Jersey to Mainegiving illustrated lectures on the Twenty-third Psalm dressedin shepherd’s garb, and claiming to have been a shepherd inLebanon. He was the subject of a best-selling 1904 book by

As AUB—a uniqueLebanese-Americaneducationalinstitution—approaches itssesquicentennial, itseems appropriate tomark this 150thanniversary byremembering someof its earliestgraduates whoimmigrated to theUnited States andbecame importantmembers of theearliest Lebanesediaspora.

Figure 1: Map of the Syrian colony in Manhattan

Inspiration

William Allen Knight The Song of Our Syrian Guest, and theauthor of his own 1907 exegesis on the Twenty-third PsalmThe Shepherd Song on the Hills of Lebanon. Na’oum returnedto the Middle East, becoming a civil servant in Cairo, butFaddul continued to travel and lecture around the easternUnited States, even after marrying and starting a family inBoston.

Ibrahim G. Kheiralla from Bhamdoun, also a member of thefirst graduating class (he is the handsome man second fromright in Figure 2), took a unique life path.4 Like so many ofhis educated compatriots, he went to Cairo to do business,eventually partnering with another SPC graduate, Anton F.Haddad (BA 1882). Kheiralla clearly had a fertile andscientific turn of mind. He invented a half dozen differentdevices (including a flying machine and a device thatprevented ships from sinking) that the partners had hoped invain to bring to market. Kheiralla began to study with aPersian merchant in Cairo who was a follower of the Baha’ifaith and soon converted to Baha’ism himself. Haddadfollowed suit two years later. Haddad left for the UnitedStates in 1892 to try to sell one of Kheiralla’s inventions, andKheiralla joined him later that year, but neither succeeded.Haddad returned to Syria, but Kheiralla settled down inChicago, becoming a Baha’i preacher and a “mysticalhealer.” He was handsome and charismatic and attracted agroup of American followers who apparently providedsupport. He was the first Baha’i missionary in the UnitedStates, the foundation of a movement that now has 150,000members, but he was also instrumental in causing a schismin the American Baha’i movement (Haddad repudiated him),and his supporters drifted away. He continued to live,preach, and write in Chicago until his death on a visit to hisdaughter in Beirut in 1923.

Doctors

Two members of the “first Syrian immigrant family” to theUnited States—Abraham and Fadlallah Arbeely—earnedmedical degrees at SPC in 1872 and 1876, respectively. Whenthe family arrived in the United States in 1878, Abrahamimmediately began to practice in Austin, Texas, but he was arestless soul and moved his practice and growing family toWashington, DC, Los Angeles, New York, Cairo, and back toWashington, while garnering respect as a doctor wherever hewent. His brother Fadlallah practiced in Tennessee where therest of the family settled. His immediate acceptance by theTennessee public attests to the esteem in which his SPCeducation was held. He married his cousin Jamilie, who hadtraveled with the family from Beirut, and they settled down in Atlanta, Georgia, where he practiced until his untimelydeath in 1890.

Like other poor tenement dwellers, members of the earlySyrian colony in New York suffered disproportionately fromillnesses such as cholera, tuberculosis, and yellow fever andsaw their infants and children die in tragic numbers. Unlikeother such communities, however, they had an unusualnumber of well-trained doctors as well as two pharmacists,all of whom graduated from SPC. Graduates who set upmedical practices in New York in the nineteenth centuryincluded David H. Sleem (BA 1879; MD 1887), Ameen F.Haddad (BA 1884; MD 1888), Nageeb G. Barbour (MD 1887),Abdul-Massih Mussawir (BA 1887; MD 1891), Risq G. Haddad(BA 1890), and Raschid S. Baddour (MD 1893). All were ableto pass their licensing exams and gain acceptance into theNew York medical society immediately upon arrival. Severalearned second or third degrees at American universities,attesting to their excellent training and their fluency in

4 See blogpost on Kheirallah at www.kalimahpress.com/blog/.

Figure 3 & 4: Faddul Moghabghabas a shepherd & as a citizen, ca. 1906

Figure 5 & 6:Ibrahim Kheirallaca. 1896 & Anton F.Haddad

Figure 2: First Graduating Class

Figure 7: The Arbeely Family, ca. 1886

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English. With the exception of Sleem, who moved to Alaskain 1904, all had decades-long medical practices in New York.

Journalists

There were many journalists and would-be journalists in the early colony and not all were college graduates. Anyonewho was literate in Arabic and had dreams of writing couldpublish a newspaper. Only a few newspapers lasted morethan a year, but Abraham Arbeely and his brother Nageebfounded a truly groundbreaking newspaper, KawkabAmerica. Launched in 1892, it was not only the first Arabicnewspaper in the United States, but it included a page ofEnglish articles written by Nageeb or Abraham. No otherSyrian published anything in English until the seconddecade of the twentieth century. For sixteen years, through a constant exchange between readers and editors, thenewspaper helped guide members of the Syrian diasporathrough the thorny issues of assimilation and acculturation,while promoting their business success. The Arbeelys alsoran the Oriental Press, which published the first Arabicbooks in the United States, including an Arabic-Englishprimer written by Abraham Arbeely in 1896.

Businessmen

Most Syrians in the United States were in trade. They began as peddlers of notions, Holy Land goods, or textilesand then set up businesses as wholesalers, importers ormanufacturers of these goods, either as sole proprietors or in partnership with other Syrians. Several SPC graduatesfollowed this path, including the Kisbany brothers fromKafra Shima—Selim (BA 1886) and Amin (BA 1891)—whoemigrated together in 1892, probably to attend the Chicagofair. Back in New York, they peddled for a few years andthen, joined by their brother Najeeb, set up as importers oforiental goods. They eventually went their separate ways,Amin to return to the Middle East and Najeeb and Selim tocontinue in business together. They entered a short-livedpartnership with David Fuleihan and his brother Naoum,importing and wholesaling laces. Finally Selim went intopartnership with Anthony Asha to manufacture yarn, whileNajeeb became the sole owner of an importing business,which he moved from New York to Florida in the 1920s.

David A. Fuleihan, another SPC graduate (BA 1885), came to the United States to attend the Chicago fair. He firstpartnered with his classmate Joseph Aftimus, who hadearned a second degree in civil engineering from UnionCollege in Schenectady, New York, in 1891. They set up aconcession at the fair selling oriental goods, moved theirbooth to the New York Exposition after Chicago, and finallywent to Antwerp world’s fair together in 1894. After that,

Aftimus returned to the Middle East, while Fuleihan wentinto partnership with several of his Moghabghab cousinsselling oriental goods in Philadelphia and Washington, DC,until his brother Naoum arrived in New York in 1905.“Fuleihan Brothers” was founded that year. The two brotherssold oriental goods together and then went into a short-livedpartnership with the two Kisbany Brothers as noted above.Fuleihan Brothers, however, persisted until 1922, whenNaoum went off on his own, and David went to work for F.M.Jabara and Bros., linen manufacturers and importers, withfactories in Portugal, Italy, and China. At his death, David setup a scholarship at AUB for descendants of the Fuleihan family.

Najib A. Moghabghab, a member of the same family ofMoghabghabs as Na’oum and Faddoul, graduated from SPCin 1898, and immigrated to the United States to join hiscousin Salim and Salim’s wife Nabiha in managing a chain of high-fashion women’s clothing stores, called “Madam S.Moghabghab.” They had stores in posh hotels in Miami,Atlantic City, and Bretton Woods, New Hampshire, storeswhich survived well into the 1930s.

The legacy of SPC graduates in America is a neglected aspectof its early history. Their presence reminds us that not all ofthe early Syrian immigrants were peasants or paupers,despite the almost universal perception by the Americanpress to the contrary. Although they were a relatively smallminority in the Syrian diaspora, their impact was greaterthan their numbers would suggest. The Presbyterianmissionaries who founded SPC hoped that a westerneducational institution would change the Middle East—which it certainly did—but the graduates who immigratedundoubtedly influenced the character of the Syrian diaspora,which ultimately changed the face of New York and America.

-Linda K. Jacobs, PhD, is the author of Strangers in the West(Kalimah Press, 2015), the story of the first Arab immigrantsto settle in New York City.

Although they [SPCgraduates] were a relativelysmall minority in the Syriandiaspora, their impact wasgreater than their numbers

would suggest.

Figure 9 & 10:David A. Fuleihan

Inspiration

Leading, Changing

First things first: who is your

favorite Lebanese musician?

Fairouz is my favorite singer, and herson Ziad Rahbani, is my favoritemusical genius. Of the new bands, Ilike the very creative Mashrou’ Leila.

You studied at AUB for a year

in the early 1980s. Who stands

out as a mentor during your time

here; someone who influenced

your outlook, your career path,

your research?

I had many excellent teachers during my time at AUB, and aparticular favorite was Marius Deeb in Civilization Sequence, whoencouraged me to look deeper intoclassic texts. However, my greatestmentor was always my late father,whose influence on me endures tothis day. He was a rare individual of surpassing talent and character,whose work and accomplishmentsgrow more admirable by the day. My focus on scientific discovery toimprove the health of individualsderives to a significant degree from Raja Khuri’s mentorship and inspiration. My desire to impact the lives and health of themost disadvantaged elements ofsociety springs from the idealism and activism I absorbed on the AUB campus.

What’s keeping you up at night?

What keeps me up at night is mybelief that AUB is the most

regionally impactful university inthe world. There’s no institutionof higher education anywherethat influences its region theway AUB does. But we facesome challenges. Tuition is ahot button topic. We need to

be affordable for the bestand brightest of Lebanonand the region. We need a fair and equitablesettlement of theagreement with the Workers and StaffSyndicate of AUB to

support our outstanding faculty. Weneed to build a collegial culturethat’s been missing a little bit at AUB,without losing any of the palpablesense of excitement on campus.

What needs to be done to

accomplish this?

There are a number of steps we cantake. We need to decelerate the rise of tuition by increasing AUB’sendowment and revenue streamsbeyond tuition and by continuing tobuild our financial aid program. Weare towards the end of a five-to-six-year plan that raised tuition but more than doubled financial aid.

It’s also vital that we champion thereturn of tenure to AUB for the firsttime in 30 years. Tenure will helpattract the very best scholars andposition AUB as a world-classresearch institution, laying theframework for the design of a two-track faculty system for teachers andresearchers where both are equallyvalued and rewarded.

We also have to reach beyond thiscountry for our students, faculty, and staff in order to be a truly globaluniversity. This involves more thanrecruitment and philanthropy; itrequires strategic alliances with greatuniversities and great corporationsthat can offer some things we don’thave. I don’t mean we’re going tomake AUB more corporate, but if astart-up or a large company can helpus provide solutions and influence,we’re open to all strategic alliances. I want to build relationships withpublic and private high schools inLebanon and the region in a strategicand mission-oriented manner. Weshould be leading and changing thediscourse about education, research,and service in the Arab world.

And, of course, we need to take theopportunity provided by AUB’s 150th anniversary to reflect on andcelebrate the tremendous history

and achievements of this great andunique university.

98

On President Fadlo R. Khuri’s agenda: dialogue,

collegiality, focus and debate.

Continuing our conversation, let me

ask you about your vision for AUB in

terms of shaping events in the region.

When I left here in 1982, there werethree great universities in Lebanon, ofwhich two, AUB and Université SaintJoseph, contributed disproportionatelyto the creation of knowledge in the NearEast. It would be arrogant to say thatthings are the same today as they werethen. Lebanese University has become aserious research university, and LAU isvery significant, as are Notre Dame,USEK (Holy Spirit University of Kaslik),Beirut Arab University, and Universityof Balamand, which I am reallyimpressed by. These are all majorplayers and allies in the best sense,more than they are competitors.

Still, 45% of new knowledge in theacademic vein in Lebanon is producedby AUB. So we are enormouslyinfluential in Lebanon, the Arab world,and beyond. Our engineers have builtmany of the major cities in the Arabworld. Our physicians have healed andcared for many of the sick patients inthe region. Our schools of agricultureand health sciences are thoughtleaders. Our business school, which isour youngest faculty at 15 years old, hastaken an innovative approach in manythings, including the intersectionbetween business and ethics. And, ofcourse, our oldest college, the Facultyof Arts and Sciences, is the beatingheart of liberal thought in the NearEast. It’s hard to think of a majorscholar in the last three-quarters of acentury who hasn’t had an associationwith AUB. Same for some of the moreprogressive political leaders, even someradical political thinkers on the right

and the left. So we have enormousimpact that continues today.

We cannot isolate ourselves from theunpleasant features of our society andonly cherry pick the best of Lebanonand the Arab world. We need to pushforward solutions for the greater goodof the country and the region: enduringand sustainable environmental,economic, educational, and societal solutions.

How do you define collegiality?

To me, collegiality means not justlistening to your colleagues when youdon’t agree with them, but supportingand thinking through their point ofview. That’s a challenge in this part of the world where people feel sopassionately about one side of thedebate because of the immediacy ofthat debate: it can impact yourelectricity, your education, your life.And I understand that.

But true collegiality is a very powerfulenabler of real discourse. People wantto get up and give their opinion freelywithout fear of being constrained orrebuked or embarrassed. I would like to see us do a lot more talking andconsiderably less shouting. If we don’tdo it, we and the great alliance ofremarkable over-achieving Lebaneseresearch institutions, then who will?

You have asked the faculty to provide

a “safety net” for AUB students. What

kind of safety net will you provide?

What values do you aspire to model

for the faculty and staff of AUB?

I’d like to model accountability, workethic, transparency, and commitment;

qualities that are abundantly presenton campus. But I’d also like to model aculture of forgiveness. People shouldn’tbe afraid of making mistakes. Thegreatest discoveries have been counter-intuitive. We can foster this fearlessnesshere as an example to society. We have an opportunity to be gentle andsupportive of one another—to demandrigor, of course, but also to be forgiving.

I am determined to help buildconfidence, resources, and trust on this campus so that our exceptionallytalented students, faculty, staff, andalumni can come up with more high-risk, high-reward discoveries withoutbeing undermined by fear of failure.

How does being an oncologist prepare

you to lead a university?

The framework of an oncologist is to try and make things better inchallenging situations and not only be compassionate but create a lastingbond with patients. This is why I enjoymy work: the science and the healing,the transformation of science into better healing and care.

The same qualities apply as a universityleader. I love the interactions withstudents, faculty, and staff, even thecontentious interactions. When you’vedealt with issues of life and death andyou’ve made peace with the fact thatyou’re doing your best with eachindividual patient, you sleep better at night. You know you’ve done whatyou can.

I used to criticize my father, half-jokingly, because every day during theLebanese Civil War, he saw the end of

Inspiration

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the war just around the corner. But I’veinherited that eternal thoughtfuloptimism from him and from the workI’ve done as an oncologist. The fact thatyou can help extend life or make anending more merciful and the remainingtime more valuable for an individualand their family, it empowers you toalways believe there is a solution.

How important is AUBMC to the

region today?

Former AUB President John Waterburyonce joked with me that he had apicture of the presidents of Harvard,Princeton, and Yale, and the only one smiling was the president ofPrinceton, because he didn’t have amedical school to worry about. Havinga medical school commits you to theideal of caring for even the mostunfortunate people in society whenthey show up at your door. But it alsoempowers you to innovate and discoverthrough science. And, in my view, itreally tunnels into the grand vision of auniversity making a social, economic,and societal impact. So a great medicalcenter is fundamental if you’re going to be a great university.

AUBMC was once a truly great medicalcenter, and it is becoming great onceagain. That’s been the hard work ofseveral generations of leaders. Ourphysical infrastructure had become very difficult to update, so the Board of Trustees made a brave decision andput tremendous resources towardphysical infrastructure and recruitingfaculty, alongside very generoussupport from donors, and those aspects are going well.

The remaining part, which is the mostdifficult, is the transformation ofculture. We have superb physicians and nurses here. But the culture inLebanon and the post-war culture at AUB had become more of a solo,limited-partnership style of practice.And now the very difficult task is toblend that into a true unified faculty.That hasn’t really been fullyaccomplished anywhere in the world.What we need to do to really serve the region is develop an efficient globalgroup practice that’s very focused on addressing and solving the healthcrises of the region. Lebanon alone does not need a 600-bed hospital; the Arab world does.

What do you say to student protests

over tuition? How will your

administration address them?

I am inspired by the idealism and theintellectual and political activism thatthe students have always shown on thiscampus, now as ever before. I haverepeatedly reached out to the studentsto indicate that I agree with them thatwe need to become affordable for mostLebanese and other aspirants who wantto obtain the best liberal education inthe Arab world. We must aspire to bemore intellectually elite than we areeconomically elite, in order to remainfaithful to our goal of being highlyeffective change agents in a society thatis crying out for just such leadership.I would like to see the studentrepresentatives committed to realdialogue and encourage them to avoid unrealistic solutions, even if that means bringing up some optionsthat are tougher in the short term, such as increasing utilization of the very favorable student loan programAUB has secured in collaboration withmany Lebanese banks. This wouldrelieve some of the pressure on their

parents and would show that they arewilling to bear some of the burden fortheir own education. I did this when Iwas their age so I am not asking them to do something that I didn’t do myself.I urge the students at AUB to be wellrepresented by serious colleagues whose goals are to make the institution better and more inclusive, and I am genuinelyencouraged by what I see with so manybright, committed, and transparentyoung people on campus whosemotives are unimpeachably good.

Where do you and your wife like to go

on holiday?

We just came back from Cyprus. I love itbecause it fulfills our two requirements:I like quiet, and my wife likes the sea.

When you’re looking back in ten or

fifteen years, what do you hope to see?

I don’t look back very often—maybethat’s a fatal flaw. But I’d like to see AUB be much healthier economically,socially, environmentally, in a morestable region. I would like to see us notlose any of the vibrant campus debatethat has always characterized theUniversity, but also see it become morefocused, so people can take risks andhave vigorous debates about the topicsof the day while being more inclusive.So, for example, I’d like see real seriousdiscussion addressing all of thestudents’ needs, not just tuition: mental health, physical health, jobopportunities. I want real dialogueabout the stress that our undergraduateand graduate students, and indeed ourfaculty and staff, are under. Universitiestend to be pressure cookers, and wetend to shy away from addressing this.Young people are under pressurebecause they feel only as good as theirnext exam or their next paper. We needto help develop a healthier culture ofachievement.

I’d also like to see our faculty, students,and staff come up with short, mediumand long-term economic solutions toproblems that seem to plague this partof the world. I don’t want to shy awayfrom doing risky, cutting-edge scienceand liberal arts. We’re really poised tomake a huge difference. Where we’ll bein ten or fifteen years? Hard to tell. Butit won’t be for lack of trying. Onwardand upward!

-N.Q.

Inspiration

Dr. Thomas Q. Morris andFM Dean Raja N. Khuri

in Byblos (1982)

­­­

1312

An AUB Education? Priceless!All hail AUB donors! Since 2007-08, AUB has more than doubled its financial aid support per student. Read more about it in the latestContributors Report.

The figures above include only funding administered by AUB’s Financial Aid Office (FAID). AUB administers funding from several othersources, including work study programs, USAID, MEPI/OSP and other federal grants, etc. When those dollars are added, total financialassistance was $45,335,931 in 2015.

Financial Aid administered by FAID

Financial Aid, other activities (USAID, MEPI, FM, HSON, AUBMC)

Financial Aid by departments (stipends, GAs)

Financial Assistance by departments (grants and donations)

Financial Assistance: employee benefits and student loans

In total, it breaks down like this in 2015:

ACADeMiC yeAR

2007-082010-112012-132014-15

TOTAL APPLiCAnTS

3,3003,3703,7964,118

TOTAL ReCiPienTS

2,6682,9102,9453,147

AveRAGe SUPPORT/STUDenT

$3,986$4,848$7,456$8,803

By the Books

SyLLABUS

Political ecology concerns the roots ofsocial conflicts over use of environmentalresources. It seeks to develop acomprehensive understanding of thewinners and losers when it comes todistributing these resources. Students inthis graduate level seminar will examinesome of the Arab region’s most criticalenvironmental issues, as well as the ways inwhich civil society organizes around them.This course supports the Asfari Institute ofCivil Society and Citizenship’s mission topromote a strong Arab civil society through education.

CLASS evALUATiOn

Because of the seminar nature of the class,students will have ample opportunity tointeract and discuss issues together. Each student is responsible for presentingat least two readings, in addition to thosealready assigned, on a topic inspired by the course materials, and for leading a classdiscussion. Student discussions have thusfar covered: irrigation and neoliberalism inMorocco, water resources conflict in Jordan,fracking in Algeria, and climate changeinfluences in the uprisings in Egypt andLibya. Students also read a text of theirchoosing and write a paper exploring a political ecology issue.

inSTRUCTOR’S BiO

Dr. Rania Masri is the associate director of the Asfari Institute of Civil Society andCitizenship at AUB. She holds a PhD inforestry from North Carolina State University and a master’s in environmentalmanagement from Duke University.Throughout her career, she has worked tobring a holistic, interdisciplinary lens to the environmental sciences. Her academicresearch and publications focus onecological sustainability, environmentalpolitics, and social movements.

By the Nu bers

Course:MEST 317S: Political Ecology and Social Change Focus on the Arab Region

$27,706,884

$7,352,284

$8,236,053

$2,040,710

$9,317,244

Tag Tour

Inspiration

01 Outlook’s to-do list, updated during theweekly board meeting. All senior andjunior editors pitch ideas and create ato-do list.

02 Dana Kambris, associate editor, and

03 Tala Ladki, editor for the life section, are polishing articles on a Friday afternoon, when most of the editing is done.

04 Two iMacs and three PCs are mostly usedfor Photoshop and Adobe InDesign.

05 These are previous issues. Whenever anissue comes out, it goes up on the board.

06 The workspace: meeting or no meeting,this is where the editors gather to discussand exchange ideas, make decisions, anddesign the layout.

07 Dana Abed, editor-in-chief;

08 Razan Mneimneh and

09 Mohammad Chammah, Outlook’sdetail-oriented copy editors.

10 Laudy Issa, the news editor, who is awareof every little happening on campus.

11 Zine El Abidine Ghebouli, an Algerian,jokingly referred to as the internationalrepresentative on the board. He's slowlylearning to understand the Lebaneseaccent . . .

01

02

03

04

05

06

07

11

08

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“The Outlook newsroom is always as busy asit looks in the photo. We are constantlymeeting to share our crazy ideas andobservations. We don’t just talk aboutOutlook in the newsroom; we also shareobservations about campus and our personallives, or just chill, chat, and laugh.”-Dana Abed Outlook Editor-in-Chief

Face to FaceThe Campus keeper

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When Anis Abdallah (BS ’84), AUB’s groundsmanager, arrived on campus 25 years ago, AUB wasphysically fragile, its most hallowed structures inmortal danger. The campus grounds—palms,cedars, pines, and shrubs—were left to grow wildand fend for themselves.

“Things were a mess,” says Abdallah. “The warwas just ending. And we had to patch up, prune,and redesign everything.” For the first few years of his tenure, Abdallah reigned in the sprawl offoliage and brought a sense of order to neglectedspaces.

These days, threats to campus greenery are more environmental, specifically irrigational.“Unfortunately, the wells we irrigate with havebecome more saline,” says Abdallah, “and forsome plants that’s unhealthy.” Walk aroundcampus and you might notice leaves covered with black spots, a side-effect of a hypersaline water supply.

As a remedy, Abdallah has begun adding waterfrom public reservoirs to the irrigation system.“Adding domestic water from government sourceslowers salinity,” he notes. “We also plan to usereverse osmosis on the system and add rainwater.”

Equally important to his strategy is the move awayfrom exotic trees and plants to native ones, whichare more adapted to the local climate. “Native trees live better here and they reflect the culture of the area.”

Abdallah, like the trees he plants, is a local. “I grew up in Hamra and was a student atInternational College.” After graduating from AUB with a bachelor’s of science in agriculture, he went on to work in landscaping in MountLebanon, but soon heard of an opening at theUniversity. “I heard they needed a landscapearchitect, so I applied.”

Today, he oversees roughly 60 personnel as thekeeper of AUB’s cherished campus grounds, and,not surprisingly, he is still happy to go to workevery morning. “I like my job. I work with natureand I’m out in the sun.”

Interviewing Suleiman Ali Salman,a.k.a. Abou Haytham, is difficult, if done on campus. Every two or threequestions I ask, a passerby interruptsme, so they can greet him. I can’tfinish a sentence before a professor, a student, a groundskeeper, orcampus policeman walks by offeringa handshake and a hearty smile.Clearly, Abou Haytham, a campusfixture and keeper of the peace atAUB since 1988, is beloved.

When, after 27 years of service to AUB, professor and chairperson of the Department of LandscapeDesign and Ecosystem ManagementSalma Talhouk announced AbouHaytham’s retirement in a letter to faculty, she sparked an outpouringof appreciation of far more breadthand depth than I could capture in afew paragraphs. Renowned chemistand former acting president of AUBMakhlouf Haddadin told of the timeAbou Haytham protected him when a student skirmish turned violentback in 1993. Former President JohnWaterbury spoke of his gentlenessand perennial good humor. Andmany others spoke of him with equal warmth and affection.

For me, Abou Haytham radiatesdignity. When we sit down to speak, I can’t help but sit up straight andadjust my collar. Had he not goneinto security, he would no doubt have been a successful diplomat.

Over the course of our conversation,he speaks to me about his approachto work, life, and people. “The mostimportant thing is having goodrelationships. Good relationshipscreate a good atmosphere,” he says. “No matter who you’re with, a professor, a visitor, or an employee,you respect that person.”

Good security is more diplomacythan force, he advises. “We deal with people diplomatically, notaggressively, and that’s why we’rerespected.” His presence, thoughphysically imposing, inspiresadmiration, not fear. “We, thesecurity, are at the heart of theUniversity, and must provide security along with integrity.”

Abou Haytham, in his own singularfashion, manages to make everyonehe comes into contact with, includingmyself, feel ten feet tall. As ourconversation winds down, I wish he would stay so I could bask in the glow of his charm. In this man, AUB has truly lost someone special.

-E.E

Abou Haytham,Campus Diplomat,Takes a Final Bow

Inspiration

1716

For five days this past Junesummer students fromdifferent backgrounds fromall over the Middle Eastdescended on AUB to learnabout game theory, naturallanguage processing (NPL),and deep learning, amongother subjects. They came to AUB for the first annualArtificial Intelligence Summer School.

AUB FEA Professor MarietteAwad organized the event toraise awareness among theregion’s students about theexciting developments indifferent areas of artificialintelligence. “The goal is to disseminate, to makestudents aware of it andexcited about it,” Awadcommented.

To fund the event, Awadturned to the IEEE, theworld’s largest professionalassociation for technologyadvancement, and the

Artificial Intelligence Journal,a premier publication in thefield of AI.

During their five day stay atAUB, students listened tolectures from six speakersfrom around the region,including Awad herself, on a variety of AI-related topics.Dr. Yelena Mejova, a scientistin the Social ComputingGroup at Qatar ComputingResearch Institute, discussedthe “Language of Politics onTwitter,” explaining how onecan apply NPL tools tomassive amounts of Twitterdata to capture trendingpolitical sentiments.

All of this year’s speakerscame from the Middle Eastregion, something Awadhopes to change whenorganizing the event for next year. “If the funds areavailable, I want to make theAI Summer Program moreinternational in 2016.”

This fall, AUB, along with theLebanese American University(LAU) and the AmericanUniversity of Cairo (AUC), began offering an online degreefor postgraduate students andmid-career professionals lookingto break into the field of greentechnology. The programteaches students how to analyzethe efficiency of solar systemsusing software tools, estimatethe effect of building design on energy use, and developedirrigation schedules, amongother skills. The ultimate focus of the course depends on students’ chosenspecializations: buildings,water, or energy.

Several years in the making, the idea for a Pro-Green diplomawas born in 2011 when Dr. EhabAbdel-Rahman, vice provost for research at AUB, came to Dr. Nesreen Ghaddar, endowedQatar chair in energy studiesprofessor and director of theMunib and Angela MasriInstitute of Energy and NaturalResources, with the idea for ajoint degree in green technology.Ghaddar, Abdel-Rahman, andDr. George E. Nasr, dean ofLAU’s School of Engineering,put together a proposal for theEuropean Union’s (EU) TempusProgramme.1 The proposalinitially called for in-person

program, but logisticalchallenges pushed the partnerinstitutions to move the programonline.

Students complete the programon Moodle, an open-source e-learning platform. “Studentscan draw from the expertise of 40 plus faculty membersoffering courses in theirspecialties,” says Ghaddar.Faculty upload their lectures to the platform for students towatch at their convenience, and students can scheduleSkype meetings with professors.According to the program’swebsite, enrollees can completethe 18-credit program at theirown pace, as long as they do so in three years.

The program’s launch comes attime when demand for greentechnology skills is high andgrowing. “The region needprofessionals in the area,” saysDr. Ghaddar. The entire region,but especially the Gulf, ismoving towards sustainableinfrastructure, and countrieslike Saudi Arabia and the UAEare investing heavily in thatspace. Therefore graduates, with skills in LEED certifiedconstruction, solar energysystems, and sustainable watertreatment will likely be in highdemand as well.

Summer AIProgram

AUB Launches Pro-GreenDiploma

1 The Tempus Programme supports modernization and cooperation among

higher education institutions in the EU’s surrounding area.

Student NewsSenior OSB MBA students Faten Abdel Ahad and Shireen

Makarem (expected degrees, 2016) enjoyed a whirlwind tripto New York City October 12-16. Winners of the DarwazahCenter for Innovation Management and Entrepreneurshipsponsored 2015 MBA Finance Competition, they attendedthe prestigious ABANA (Arab Bankers Association of NorthAmerica) conference on women in finance chaired by the co-chair of AUB’s Board of Trustees Hutham S. Olayan who is the president and CEO of Olayan America. These twopromising students and potential business world leaders also met with executives from Bloomberg, BlackRock,Morgan Stanley and Olayan America.

What was it like to mingle with the elite of the

international business community?

“It was an experience that was eye-opening and intense in its core. We had the chance to participate in compellingconversations with senior executives at leading globalfinancial institutions. Through candid conversations andpanel discussions with diverse groups of female investors,asset managers and entrepreneurs, we are now moreconfident regarding advances in building new, moreinclusive partnerships and sustained initiatives that will better support female leaders in the business arena in the Middle East, North Africa and the United States.”

Inspiration 18

R + D Mostafa Hammoud: A PhD student is cracking the code ofmagnetic reconnection25

22The Truth About the Tell A young grad gives us the real scoop on an archaeological dig

26Pursuits FAFS Assistant Professor Lamis Jouma on childhood obesity; OSBProfessor Yusuf Sidani’s MOOC on the value of a strong work ethic

30AUB Spaces Parsing the particulates in Dr. Alain Shihadeh’s lab

20The Origins and Future ofAUB's Green Campus

The path to a full-fledged arboretum and botanic garden

24Discovery/Rediscovery The Saul Rosenberg Collection at Jafet Library

Discoveries

Under Discussion Professor Najat Saliba, head of AUB's Task Force on Solid WasteManagement, speaks out

28

Quiz Presidential match-up27

Research, the arts, and current events

The Origins and Future of AUB’s Green Campus

1 American Universityof Beirut, 1902-03Annual Report,p. 27

2 Charles I. AbouChar, "Thoughts onthe Campus and itsTrees." AUB BulletinVol. 34, 1991, p. 1.

The Past

When Daniel Bliss founded AUB in 1866, one of the firstthings he did was plant the trees that would define thecampus’s boundaries. “Not far from twenty pounds sterling...were expended last spring in planting trees upon theproperty at Ras Beirut and building temporary walls for the purpose of defining boundaries...,” wrote Bliss.

By 1903, administrators had woven campus greening into the University’s broader mission statement. “We cannotafford to postpone the systematic and intelligentdevelopment of our magnificent campus in the direction of gardens, tree planting, botanical gardens…”1

Though there was some vegetation on campus, like the largeprickly-leaved oak near the Lee Observatory and several largecarob trees, the area was mostly a sparse, rocky outcrop.

Transitioning to a green campus was difficult. The groundwas harsh, “holes had to be chiseled out of solid rock for thetrees to be planted,” wrote one Outlook reporter in 1953.A leading figure in that transition was AUB Professor of

Chemistry W. A. West. West collected acorns and plantedthem in various parts of campus. He also introduced theArizona cypress trees in 1923. “Anywhere you see a Judas treeor a Viburnum shrub you can be sure that it came from aseedling which I dug with my own hands in the mountains,and brought back to Beirut in my knapsack,” said West.

West not only spread campus greenery, but curated it: “It isnot generally known that I am responsible for cutting downabout as many trees as I planted. Had this not been done, the sea would now be invisible from many parts of campus.”Campus’s landmark trees arrived at different times bydifferent means. In 1911, alumnus H. Glockler brought thelarge eucalyptus tree located north of Assembly Hall fromJerusalem in a biscuit tin. Former AUB Treasurer G. Stewartbrought seeds from California and Australia in the early1900s. And someone planted the large fig tree outsideMedical Gate in 1931.

In the early 1930s, an abundance of water supplied from the campus well facilitated tree planting. This allowed thegrounds committee to diversify. To the drought resistantevergreens, they added a collection of flowering, water-loving trees. Former AUB Grounds Committee ChairmanDimitrios Serlis brought several hundred young pine andcypress trees from Palestine and imported seeds and treesfrom Italy.

In the 1960s, Grace Kirkwood, landscape architect and wifeof former AUB President Samuel Kirkwood, designed manyareas on campus. She, along with George Battikha, a formermunicipal director of parks and gardens, made the campusgrounds more cosmopolitan, planting trees and shrubsimported from China and South Africa. We lack writtenrecords of campus management during the civil war. Mr. Rubeiz managed the campus until the late 1980s, untilAnis Abdallah, the current grounds manager, took over.

Discoveries

Decades later, in 1991, late AUB Professor Charles Abou-Chaar would capture the international “nature” of thecampus in an AUB Bulletin: “Of the big and beautiful trees on campus one may mention the stately Australian Grevilleaand Queenslands’s Brachychiton with its smooth greenstems. Not forgetting of course the beautiful Jacaranda ofBrazil, or the Tipu tree of Bolivia, the Coral tree of SouthAfrica, or the Lebbeck tree of tropical Asia.

There are the Acacias and Eucalyptus of Australia, Dombeyaand Poinciana from Madagascar, Bombax, Purging Cassia,Bauhinia and several species of Ficus including the Banyantree, the Bo tree, the Rubber Tree and the Benjamin Tree allfrom India. The Apple Blossom Cassia comes from Indonesia,the Redbud from West Asia and South Europe. And of courseLebanon’s Cedar and the numerous Oaks, Cypresses, Palmsand Pines are all represented.”2

The Future

In the early 2000s, AUB President John Waterburycommissioned the development of a campus master plan,calling for the protection of campus vegetation, particularlyin middle campus. AUB Professor of Landscape ArchitectureJala Makhzoumi prepared the AUB Middle CampusLandscape (AMICAL) report, hoping to “set a vision and acall for action in planning and managing the campuslandscape.”

Today the campus provides a haven for both the AUBcommunity and residents of Beirut. Undergraduates guidenearby school children, along with students at AUB’sUniversity for Seniors, on campus tours. And professors, like me, use the campus grounds as a teaching tool.

The transformation of AUB’s campus into a full-fledgedarboretum and botanic garden is long overdue. In 2013, theAUB Arboretum and Botanic Garden Committee (AUBotanic)came into being, with committee members coming fromvarious academic and administrative units. The committeehas embarked on the challenging task of locating every tree and shrub, preparing labels and narratives for them, organizing plant tours, and developing a design,management, and fundraising strategy that ensures thecontinued maintenance and development of AUB’s campus.

AUBotanic will officially launch the AUB Arboretum andBotanic Garden during the University’s 150th celebrations,with special events to be held the third week of April, 2016. Ifyou are interested in playing a part in the launch or supportthe development of AUB’s green campus in anyway, pleasecontact Professor Salma Talhouk at ntsalma@aub.edu.lb.

-Salma Talhouk, professor, Department of Landscape Designand Ecosystem Management.

2120

Discoveries

An excavation like Tell Burak is lesslike Lara Croft and more like Holes. It’shot, it’s dirty, and it’s somewhatdesperate. But, it’s also blissful. This ismy third season with the Tell Burakexcavation, which is an archaeologicaltell (or mound) located south of Saidaon the coast. So far, I’ve witnessedmystical curses, trowel injuries, andPhoenician pottery.

AUB, Tubingen University, the GermanArchaeological Institute (DAI) and theUniversity of Mainz have been diggingat Tell Burak since 2001. Dr. HeleneSader, Dr. Jens Kamlah and Dr. Aaron

Schmitt direct the site; Iron, Bronze,and Ottoman age civilizations all tilledthe land here.

For the last three years, I’ve beeninvolved in digging up Iron Ageinfrastructure, including houses and acity wall. We are trying to understandhow the site was built and its purpose.

Our Schedule

We’re on site for four weeks at a time.We stay at a hotel in Tyre and commuteby car to the site daily. If you’re from thearea, you can go home on theweekends.

An interesting Piece of information While you’re digging, it’s difficultto understand what exactly isgoing on. Interpretationscontinuously fly left and right. Real clarity comes after the dig isdone when you can sit down, lookat all the documentation and comeup with plausible conclusions.

The Truth About the Tell

Want To Know WhatAn Archaeological

Excavation Is Really Like?

2322

Here’s an insight to our day (with somebehind-the-scenes notes!):

5:15 am – Wake up.5:45 am – Drive to site. (It takes about 25minutes–we drive quite fast.)6:15–9:30 am – Excavate.9:30–10:00 am – Breakfast Break. (Wealmost always eat Mankoushe.)10:00 am–1:00 pm – Excavate.1:00–2:00 pm – Lunch Break. (We usuallyjust make sandwiches, but sometimes thestaff surprises us with falafel or pizza.)2:00–5:30/6:30 pm – Documentation.(Here is where we write down everythingwe did, and do what needs to be done withfinds, like washing/counting/marking.)6:30 pm – Drive back to hotel.7:30 pm – Dinner. (Our cook likes to experiment. . .)

After dinner, we’re free to do as we please,but mostly we’re too tired to do anything.

The People

On these kinds of projects, where we all live together, you’re inevitably stuckwith each other. Mental and physicalexhaustion strip away people’s socialmasks. Personality clashes and culturalmisunderstandings are unavoidable. But we work around such issues. You can make great friends, but you can also get a sense of the kind of peopleyou might not get along with. I think thisis one of the most interesting parts of theentire experience.

Syrian workers help us dig. We learn fromthem too. We’re exposed to lots of differentkinds of people.

Things That Make you Question your SanityYou very frequently clean dirt off of dirt. Instead of saying “I forgothow to speak English”, you saysomething like, “I forgot how to sandwich.”

There have been instances of hysterical laughter for no reason whatsoever.

Main gossip topics include who may or may not have stolen the brownie.

Discoveries

Born in Brooklyn in 1912, Saul

Rosenberg (MD ’39) was determined tobecome a doctor despite the virulentanti-semitism that prevented him fromstudying in the United States or Europe.AUB gave him a superior education,lifelong friends, and allowed him totravel throughout the Middle East. Histhree children, Hallie, Deborah andHiram, all raised in Connecticut, andfed a rich diet of colorful stories,decided to donate their father’scarefully preserved mementos from his AUB years to Jafet Library.

The Saul Rosenberg Collection

includes:

• 5 oil paintings• 2 letters from Rosenberg (to his

family)• Rosenberg’s passport• Almost 1,500 photographs• Photo albums containing nearly 1,500

photographs taken between 1932-38

How We Do What We Do

The season begins with a goal, liketracing the extension of a house. Wework in teams in different areas of thesite. Teams sometimes compete witheach other. We all have our “dig-houses” where we eat and work. We digaccording to contexts, a specific featurethat can be anything from a wall to alayer of dirt.

We make sure to document everythingwe’ve done and found; this includesmarking important pieces and storingthem for later study. Every context isinterpreted separately and then inrelation to other contexts. Our ultimategoal is to finish excavating the site andgain insight into the civilizations thatonce stood there; Phoenician, in thecase of this dig.

The dig changes you on a personallevel. You learn a lot and you alwayswant to do better. The more experienceyou have, the more responsibility youearn on site. It’s terrifying, but alsoamazing. I learned to think more

critically. I faced a completely new setof circumstances. With every scrape ofyour trowel, every hit with your hand-pick, you work towards somethinggreater. Keeping this in mind makes iteasier to work, while the sun burns upthe back of your neck. Everyone has acommon goal, everyone is goingthrough the exact same thing.

You leave the dig wiser. You deal withpeople you wouldn’t normally dealwith. You meet people with amazingminds and stories. You get to createyour own stories. And who wouldn’tfind trowel flipping to be a great partytrick? I’d recommend this to anyoneand everyone willing to do it. I’ve donesix digs so far and I’m looking forwardto the next.

-Ashley Naim BA ’15

How A Dig is Like A Spa TreatmentA dig can be very luxurious, if you’ve got the right attitude:

In need of exfoliation? The mix of dirt and sunscreen on your skin provides the perfect base!

We’re lucky enough to walk through an avocadoplantation to reach the site. Those trees are quite lowand the avocados often hit you in the face. BOOM:instant facial!

Sometimes you get stuck with having to work in an areathat’s very closed off and doesn’t allow for any wind (or air for that matter) to come through. Did somebody say “sauna”?

Fun Stories: The Curse of The SkullThis season was a fruitful one. One of the teams found a fragmented human skull (cool, right?). But here’s thecatch: it was found in the “dump”, that is to say, theancient people’s trash. Not one bone from the rest of its body was found in the entire context and it was a child’s head. (What?!) And for the rest of the week, both team members experienced a series of injuries like burns, major cuts and knee sprains. Coincidence?

Discovery/Rediscovery

Do you have treasured AUB memorabilia,photos or books you would like to entrust

to Archives and Special Collections? E-mail asc@aub.edu.lb

Research focus: My focus is magneticreconnection: the breaking andreconnecting of oppositely directedmagnetic field lines in a plasma, which is a state of matter that exists at very high temperatures. Magneticreconnection happens in the solarcorona: the atmosphere of the sun. This phenomenon gives rise to solarflares, coronal mass ejections (CMEs),and magnetic storms, like the kind that upset satellites and electro-communications by destabilizingearth’s magnetic field. Thesereconnections happen during intervals of 10 minutes to one hour.

In March 2015, NASA launched theMagnetospheric Multiscale Mission(MMS), a spacecraft dedicated tostudying this process by orbiting Earth, passing directly through nearbymagnetic reconnection regions, andobserving events up-close.

In the solar corona, the dynamics aregoverned by plasma, electrons andions. Plasma can be treated as two fluid equations, as if we had a fluid of ions and electrons. Thus I am usingOpenFOAM, open source software for computational fluid dynamics, todevelop code that simulates the kind of magnetic reconnection phenomenaobserved by MMS in the solar corona.

Biggest discovery to date: I am still in the process of building the code. Thecode that I’ve developed so far gives mereconnection results at a time scale ofabout 88 days, I need to get that downto between 10 minutes to one hour. Iwant my code to generate data thatresembles that gathered by MMS.

Implications for research: If I couldget my code to match MMS data fortime, I could use it to generate data.And if we could do that, we wouldn’thave to spend tons of money to collectsuch data via spacecraft like MMS.

As far as the significance of magneticreconnection, it is responsible fortriggering solar storms which disruptGPS signals and radio communications,and even force planes to fly at lowaltitudes to avoid excessive radiation.

How I got here: I’ve been at AUB since 2010. I finished my bachelor’s at Lebanese University. Then I became a graduate assistant so I could afford to study at AUB. My current adviser, Dr. Mounib Eid, was on my master’sthesis committee. I told him I wanted to continue my PhD at AUB. He told me about the magnetic reconnectiontopic. He said he didn’t have a ton ofinformation on it and suggested I try to build a code to simulate it.

What I’ll remember most about AUB:

Once you enter campus, you relax. Bliss Street has lots of traffic, but notinside AUB. I also have the key to theDepartment of Physics, so I can go there at 3 am and do research.

Best moment of the day: In themorning, because I’m alone and I canrelax. There’s no pressure, like in theafternoon when I’m in the lab and teaching.

R+DMostafa Hammoud

PhD, Physics,Magnetic

Reconnection

2524

Yusuf Sidani

Professor Management, Marketing, and

Entrepreneurship

Teaching Success

PursuitsObesity is a serious public health problem thataffects children and youth worldwide. Studieshave shown that obese youth are three to fourtimes more likely to grow into obese adultscompared to non-obese youth, as well as morelikely to suffer from cardiovascular disease,diabetes, and other chronic diet-related diseases.

In Lebanon, obesity among children andadolescents has increased significantly over thepast decade; however, only limited studies haveexplored their dietary intake, including water and beverage consumption, in relation to theincreasing obesity trends.

A group of researchers, at the Department ofNutrition and Food Sciences at AUB, including Dr. Nahla Hwalla, Dr. Farah Naja, Dr. LaraNasreddine, and myself, Lamis Joumaa, arecurrently conducting a nationally representativecross-sectional study to explore thesocio-demographic, dietary, and lifestylecorrelates of obesity and to provideevidence-based intervention strategies andrecommendations that could curb the escalatingprevalence of obesity among Lebanese youth.This national study has been ongoing sinceDecember 2014, and is expected to be completedby the end of 2015.

I just wrapped up a Massive Open Online Course(MOOC) on success skills. The course focused ongiving students the skills they need to reach theircareer goals and emphasized the importance ofwork ethic. The idea for the course came fromEdraak, an initiative of the Queen RaniaFoundation. Edraak finds, as I do, that the regionsuffers from a lack of work ethic; many believesuccess can only be achieved through personalconnections (wasta in Arabic). The reality,however, is that the most people achieve successthrough hard work.

The director of Edraak, Nafez Dakkak, sent a filmcrew to AUB. In total, they filmed about 28

sessions, including my own lectures, as well asinterviews with businesspeople. I lectured inmodern standard Arabic, fusha, but theinterviews are in different dialects. Students canaccess the materials via the EdX platform.

This first run was a great success. We had around39,000 students register for the course, andunsurprisingly, given MOOC completion rates,around 3,000 finishers. I reached more studentsin four weeks, than I had in the past 15 years, andam now in talks with Edraak to do another MOOCon leadership.

Lamis Joumaa

Assistant Professor Department of Nutrition

and Dietetics

Nahla Hwalla

Professor and Dean Faculty of Agricultureand Food Sciences

Tracking Childhoodand Adolescent Obesity

Chair of AUB's Department of Sociology SariHanafi was recently recognized for his workwith the Abdul Hameed Shoman Award forArab Researchers. The award was founded in1982 to recognize research that leads to anincreased awareness of cultural and scientificresearch in the region.

In a statement, the National Council forScientific Research (CNRS) said a team ofresearchers led by Professor Najat Salibameasured the rate of microscopic airborneparticles and found that the sandstorm that hit Beirut in September greatly increased airpollution.

IN CASE YOUMISSED IT.

Discoveries

2726

Quiz

Presidential TriviaMatch ’em up!

A B C D

E F G H

I J K L

1 Born in Walla Walla,Washington

2 An avid bird watcher andamateur photographer

3 Also served as president of SanFrancisco State University

4 The longest serving president of AUB

5 Born in Souk el-Gharb, Lebanon

6 Married to Daniel Bliss’sgranddaughter, Mary William Bliss

7 Served as president of three universities

8 The son of a former US Secretary of State

9 An amateur lyric tenor

10 His mentor and father served as dean of the AUB FM

11 His son became a famousbasketball star/coach

12 Founded the Daniel BlissSociety

For more on AUBpresidents visit:

http://www.aub.edu.lb/president/Pages

/history.aspx

Calvin H. Plimpton Frederic Herter David S. Dodge J. Paul Leonard

Malcolm Kerr Bayard Dodge Howard S. Bliss Peter F. Dorman

Fadlo R. Khuri Stephen B.L. Penrose, Jr. Daniel Bliss John Waterbury

key: 1. J -Stephen B.L. Penrose, Jr. (1948–54)

2. L -John waterbury (1997-2008)

3. D -J. Paul Leonard (1957-61)

4. k -Daniel Bliss (1866-1902)

5. G -Howard S. Bliss (1902-20)

6. F -Bayard Dodge (1923-48)

7. A -Calvin H. Plimpton (1984-87) AUB,

Amherst College, SUny Downstate

Medical Center

8. B -Frederic Herter (1987–93)

9. H -Peter F. Dorman (2008–15)

10. i -Fadlo R. khuri (2015-present)

11. e -Malcolm kerr (1982–84)

12. C -David S. Dodge (1996–97)

Discoveries

Under Discussion: AUB Tackles Lebanon’s Trash CrisisProfessor Najat Saliba, Head of AUB’s Task Force on Solid Waste Management, speaks out:

The trash crisis of late has primarily affected Beirut andMount Lebanon, areas serviced by the waste managementcompany, Sukleen. Saida and other municipalitiesemploying local companies have so far managed to sidestepthe problem, but, in reality, it’s a national issue.

As background, Sukleen was taking unsorted trash at thesource and dumping it in a landfill in Na’ameh, south ofBeirut. Though the Na’ameh site satisfied internationalrequirements for a landfill, it was only supposed to be atemporary dumping ground. Unfortunately, political gridlockforestalled a permanent solution.

Eventually, 12 years after it was initially set to close in 2003,the residents of Na’ameh and its surrounding villagesbecame fed up and started blocking Sukleen’s trucks from dumping this past summer. Though the Ministry of Environment is ultimately responsible for solving this issue, we believe we can help.

Thus, we’ve created the AUB Task Force on Solid WasteManagement aimed at addressing Lebanon’s trash crisis. The task force includes individuals with a wide range ofexpertise across the spectrum of disciplines associated withwaste management, such as air, soil and water pollution,solid waste management, chemistry, public health andinflammatory diseases. We have been meeting periodically to assess the trash crisis and possible solutions. We affirmthat any solution must incorporate the 3R’s (reduce, reuse,and recycle), and include organic composting, as well asdumping in sanitary landfills. Controlled incineration should be a last resort. Solutions should present a balance of environmentally beneficial, feasible, cost-effective, andsocially sensitive practices.

For a more detailed look at its plan,MainGate spoke to other members of the Task Force. They've sketched out apreliminary assessment of available wastedisposal, weighing the pros and cons of each.They are looking at how different disposalmethods affect the environment in terms ofair, water, and soil quality.

First, among the methods they assess, isopen dumping, whereby trash is discarded inan open waste disposal site. This causes toxicemissions, contamination of water suppliesvia leachate (when water leeches trashparticles as it passes through them andcarries them into wells and streams), andcontamination of soils via similar dynamics. Then, there are landfills. These are the same

as open dumps, but buried, and come withthe same set of unwanted side effects;however, they can be made more attractive if lined with plastic and clay to prevent toxicseepage into the surrounding environment.

Finally, there are incinerators, which burnwaste at high temperatures and can pollutein multiple directions, if unregulated.

The task force believes recycling should playan integral role in any waste managementsolution. They have prepared a roadmap for how solids, organics, and other types of materials should be sorted and processedat different levels of jurisdiction, from themunicipality to the district.

Yet there is one key question that needs to beanswered before the details of a final planare worked out: How willing are Beirutis tosort their garbage? If meaningful sorting canbe accomplished at the household level, thatwould reduce costs and open up a differentset of options. Saliba and her colleaguesdon’t have a definitive answer yet, but Dr. Sawsan Abdurahim, associate professorand chair of the Department of HealthPromotion and Community Health at AUB, is conducting surveys and focus groups tofind out.

Saliba, Rami Ollaik, another task forcemember and professor of beekeeping at AUB, and others have been meeting withAgriculture Minister Akram Chehayeb todiscuss his own plan and the task force’swork. Ollaik describes these meetings as“very productive,” citing the task force’swork as “a backup of Chehayeb’s plan byAUB from a scientific perspective.” Accordingto Ollaik, Chehayeb and the task forceenvision a multi-phase solution to the trashcrisis, involving the use of landfills.

Ollaik hopes to run through a few trashcollection test routes prior to the passage ofany legislation addressing the issue. If thetask force can help execute a few test cases,than its recommendations will hold moreweight. However, to prepare such test cases,he explains, “government funds must bereleased to municipalities,” so that they canpay workers.

Ultimately, Ollaik sees the task force’s role as that of government advisor and mediatorbetween Minister Chehayeb’s team and those protesting government inaction. “AUBhas a reputation as an independent body,”says Ollaik. It appears that both sides agreewith Ollaik, as a roundtable featuringrepresentatives from the protest movement,the government, and AUB is in the works.

2928

Planning for a Resolution: A Progress Report

Discoveries 30

AUB mechanical engineering Professor AlanShihadeh’s lab is split between the ScienceResearch and the Irani Oxy Engineering buildings(IOEC) on lower campus. Several importantdiscoveries were made here, including that in thecourse of a single smoking session, waterpipetobacco smokers inhale large doses of toxicants,including many cancer causing ones. Shihadehand his colleagues demonstrated that thesetoxicants penetrate into the blood stream, impairthe function of the central nervous system, anddamage lung and aortic cells. These findings andothers led to advisory warnings from the WorldHealth Organization and the Center for DiseaseControl and Prevention in the United States.

Such discoveries don’t happen every day, but thechurn of research in the lab is constant. “We’redoing policy-driven research on the science ofairborne particles,” says Shihadeh. “We trace thebirth, atmospheric transformation, inhalation,and, finally, the health effects of these particles.”Shihadeh’s team draws on engineering methodsto develop and build scientific instruments thatenable much of this work.

One of Shihadeh’s favorite pieces of equipment in the lab is a home-built oxidation flow reactor,

which looks like a stainless steel box with tubesand wires. He and his team use it to recreate thekind of chemistry in the atmosphere that createsthe haze enveloping the city of Beirut on sunnydays. “It allows us to generate in a few secondsthe equivalent of a day's worth of photochemistry,so we can study the nature of that haze undercontrolled conditions,” he explains. “What welearn will help us predict how well different airpollution control strategies can work.”

The Aerosol Lab Vaping Instrument (ALVIN),which generates electronic-cigarette (E-cigs)aerosols, is another lab favorite. “E-cigs are anincreasingly popular, and rapidly evolvingmethod for inhaling nicotine, and ALVIN allowsus to re-produce human puffing patterns in finedetail. Using it we can study what is in e-cigaerosols, and understand how the e-cig may beregulated effectively to protect public health.”

Unlike Shihadeh’s earlier labs, the space at IEOCwas specially-designed for his team. “We endedup with a really nice space. There’s a quiet spacefor work that doesn't have noisy instruments,and, well, a space for everything else.”

AUB Spaces

Parsing the

Particulates

Discoveries

Fighting Thalassemia Dr. Ali Taher takes on thalassemia, a debilitating blood disorderendemic to Lebanon

35

36Renovation, Readjustment, Renewal Designing DTS for the Future

32Check Up Improving Outcomes among Premature Babies: Dr. Khalid Yunis on thebest care for medically fragile newborns.

WellnessAUBMC 2020, health, and medicine

34AUBMC NewsAUB doctors eliminate the downtime following lap band removal; AUBMClaunches the Dr. Agnes Varis Healing Program for Substance Use Disorders(SUD); doctors perform a less invasive surgery for aortic valve replacement.

38Sahtein Mtabbag Simach: A fish dish to savor

Check Up: Improving Outcomes Among Premature Babies

Q. what is your role and the role ofyour division here at AUBMC?

A. I’m the head of the neonatologydivision. We care for newborninfants, whether they are prematureor full-term babies born withcongenital abnormalities that needsurgical correction. We take care ofnewborn babies with conditions likeheart disease, and we assume thecare of these babies pre and post-surgery. We care for babies aspremature as 24 weeks. Our survivalrate is good for 24-week-old babiesand we are working towards havingrates similar to those of developedcountries in the West.

Q. what are some of the obstacles toachieving better outcomes?

A. We have come a long way over the last 15 to 20 years. Training isimportant. Unfortunately, we have ahigh turnover of nurses. Our nursesare good and they get recruited byhospitals in the Gulf. Expertise iscritical. To have a majority of seniornurses is very important for a highlyspecialized unit. If the patient is verysick, we provide one-to-one care; thenurse is assigned to one single baby.You can’t find that elsewhere. Ourresults are impressive. I have nodoubt that we have the best unit inthe country.

Q. How expensive is neonatalintensive care? Can poorer familiesafford such care?Intensive care is expensive due to the high level of technology andexpertise involved. In addition,many governmental and privateinsurers don’t cover the cost ofneonatal intensive care, and very few provide good coverage.

To offset these costs for poorfamilies, five mothers who hadpremature babies in our NICUdecided to launch the Neonate Fundin December of 2011. So far the Fundhas provided 247 families withfinancial support. The Neonate Fundspent $3 million so far on helpingbabies. It is an important programsupporting the mission of theinstitution in improving patientoutcome and satisfaction.

Q. How can pregnant women avoidgiving birth prematurely?

A. The causes for 40% of prematurebirths are unknown. You can findfamilies with a history of pretermbirth. Researchers are actively tryingto figure out what triggersspontaneous preterm labor anddelivery. It is important to note that75% of admissions to the NICU arelate preterm, between 34 weeks and36 weeks plus six days of gestation.Many are delivered by cesareansection, which can be prevented inmany situations.

Q. what are some of the riskspremature babies face?

A. Being preterm puts the baby atmultiple risks, involving differentorgans and the baby as a whole. The complications are different,depending on the gestational age of the baby. At less than 32 weeks,complications increase, and at lessthan 29 weeks, the risk of brain bleed(intraventricular hemorrhage)increases significantly. The retina is also underdeveloped in the very premature and may developabnormally, potentially leading toretinal detachment and blindness.That’s why we have a pediatricophthalmologist examining ourbabies during their stay in the NICUand on follow up.

Q. what about the families? How do they usually handle such a situation?

A. Prematurity is quite a stressfulsituation for the family, not onlyfinancially, but emotionally. Familiesgo through an emotional roller-coaster, which is why we havepsychologists and social workers onstaff. We are a multidisciplinary unit.

If the baby is not doing well, we holda multidisciplinary meeting with thefamily, explaining their baby’scondition and what we’re planning. I think this is the only hospital thathas an open unit policy, so parentscan be with their babies 24/7, whichis very comforting for them. They areonly asked to step out during nurses’shift changes. The parents know theyare part of the team. We are verytransparent with them when itcomes to making decisions.

Q. Do you attend these meetings also?

A. Yes. We are three neonatologists. Weare there with the nurse manager,the baby’s nurse, and the fellow. It’sa stressful environment. Our job is toadvise parents on the best course ofaction for a sick newborn. It’s a veryrewarding job, especially knowingthat you helped a family throughtough times and seeing how satisfiedfamilies are to have healthy babies.

Q. what are some new programs atthe niCU?

A. We are launching our hypothermiaprogram whereby we cool babiesbelow their body temperature. Totalbody cooling may help preventneurodevelopmental issues in babieswho were moderately to severelydeprived of oxygen during birth. Weacquired a machine for this purpose;a team from the United States is

Dr. Khalid Yunis,professor of

pediatrics, Headdivision of

neonatology anddirector of the

Neonatal IntensiveCare Unit-NICU,

is finding new waysto improve the lives

of prematurebabies.

Wellness

3332

coming to train our NICU nurses anddoctors on it. So beginning January2016, the inaugural baby will receive this treatment. This will be a firstfor Lebanon.

Dr. Lama Charafeddine, a member of the division, started the earlyintervention program in 2014 in theNICU for high-risk babies, especiallypremature ones. We encouragemothers to make skin-to-skin contactwith their babies as this has provedhelpful. We encourage breast milk.It’s the best by far. We follow theNIDCAP system (NeonatalIndividualized Developmental Careand Assessment Program). NICUnurses train on this program,learning to assess babies’ needs. This is individualized care for everyhigh-risk baby.

The graduates of the NICU will soonhave the Developmental Care andFollow-up Clinic under Dr.Charafeddine’s directorship. It willallow us to follow babies leaving theNICU in a multidisciplinary way,

offering them a range of services inthe same location, and thuspromoting optimal development.

Q. what about registries. i’ve heard

you are working with the Ministryof Health on establishing thenational Birth Defect Registry. is that right?

A. Yes. We work closely with theMinistry of Health. We have justestablished the National Birth Defect Surveillance System. Birthdefects are a major cause of neonatalmortality. Many of these arepreventable. Health educationregarding this subject is veryimportant. We got a grant from theCenter for Disease Control andPrevention in the United States toestablish this registry. We trainedpersonnel in 120 hospitals inLebanon on identifying anddiagnosing birth defects and createda birth defects manual in Arabic,English, and French that is alsoavailable online.

- E.E.

The prestigious annual InternationalEmergency Medicine Leadership Award of the American Academy of EmergencyMedicine honored Amin Antoine NabihKazzi, MD (BS ’83), AUB FM professor ofclinical emergency medicine, by renamingthe award the Amin Kazzi InternationalEmergency Medicine Leadership Award in recognition of Dr. Kazzi’s exceptionalcontribution to the internationaldevelopment of emergency medicine.

Hiba El Hajj, MD, AUB FM assistant professorof medicine in the Departments of InternalMedicine/Experimental Pathology,Immunology and Microbiology has been

awarded the L’Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Levant and Egypt FellowshipProgram Award. Dr. El Hajj has had a uniquecareer path combining her scientific talentsin two fields, parasitology and oncology.

Congratulations to the following AUB alumniwho were named “Top Doctors 2015” byBaltimore Magazine: Raja Ayash (BS ’69, MD ’73), Salim Rizk (BS ’83, MD ’87), ZiadMirza (BS ’83, MD ’87), Victor Khouzami (BS’70, MD ’74), Elias Ghandour (BS ’81, MD ’85),Elias Shaya (MD ’84), Maen Farha (MD ’82),David Nasrallah (BS ’76, MD ’82), AlanShikani (BS ’76, MD ’81), Sarkis Aghazarian(BS ’77, MD ’81).

IN CASE YOUMISSED IT.

Wellness

AUBMC’s Department of Psychiatry has launched the Dr. Agnes VarisHealing Program for Substance UseDisorders (SUD) to treat all forms ofaddiction. The program, establishedwith a generous gift from Dr. AgnesVaris’ trust, is designed to address the country’s growing substance abuse crisis. “The growing crisis we are directly observing as medicalprofessionals among all age groups andsocial/economic classes and regions inLebanon motivated us to initiate such a program in the department,” said Dr. Farid Talih, assistant professor ofpsychiatry and director of the InpatientPsychiatry Unit at AUBMC.

Substance use disorders describe aproblematic pathological overuse ofone or more substances (legal orillegal), leading to clinically significant

impairment or distress. Substancesinvolved can range from nicotine andalcohol to cannabis or otherrecreational drugs, as well asprescription medications (sedatives,sleeping pills, pain medications).Behavioral addictions such as gamblingor internet/video game overuse mightalso become problematic and requiretreatment.

The SUD program provides intensiveoutpatient care for individuals andgroups, extending over a four weekperiod. Case officers conduct an initialassessment before offering a treatmentplan. “The program aims at raisingawareness, promoting prevention, andreducing stigma toward SUD, and willprovide any needed drug or alcoholtesting on premises,” added Dr. Talih. Learn more: sud@aub.edu.lb.

Reigning in Substance Abuse

AUBMC News

This past August, a multidisciplinaryteam at AUBMC performed a Trans-catheter Aortic Valve implantation(TAVI) through the trans-apicalapproach on a 90-year-old patient who is doing well. This was the firsttime the procedure was performed inLebanon. TAVI is an advanced, newprocedure, involving the insertion of abioprosthetic via catheter into a native,diseased aortic valve. A less invasiveand feasible alternative to traditionalheart surgery, TAVI is performed on abeating heart and does not require afull opening of the chest wall and thediversion of blood through a heart-lungmachine to achieve artificial cardiacarrest.

Candidates are usually high riskpatients with aortic stenosis who can’t

undergo conventional open-heartsurgery. In most patients, goingthrough the artery of the groin to theheart is feasible. But in patients whereleg arteries leading to the heart areseverely narrowed, the medical teamchooses an alternate route.

Deputy VP/Dean and InterventionalCardiologist Dr. Ziyad Ghazzal said,“AUBMC pioneers in healthcare byproviding patients with cutting edgeprocedures that could improve theirchances for a better outcome. Dr.Mounir Obeid, cardiothoracic surgeonwho was also on the team said, “WithTAVI, patients who cannot tolerate theclassic surgery for aortic valvereplacement are opting to obtain reliefof their symptoms with a less invasiveprocedure.”

Another First in the Country

There are many beautiful things endemic to Lebanon, likeCedar trees, Phoenician ruins, and the Mediterranean.Unfortunately, there is also thalassemia, a genetic diseasecarried by 3 to 4% of Lebanese. Sufferers produce low levelsof hemoglobin—the oxygen-carrying protein in red bloodcells—leading to anemia. Scientists distinguish betweenthree variations of the disease based on the severity ofanemia: thalassemia minor, thalassemia intermedia, andthalassemia major.

Without treatment, the disease can be fatal. Patients withmoderate to severe forms of thalassemia require repeatedblood transfusions, which, in turn, cause a buildup of iron in the blood that is damaging to organs like the heart andliver. Even patients with mild to moderate forms who do not require transfusions can develop life threateningcomplications, such as blood clots.

Fortunately, Professor of Medicine, Hematology and Oncologyand Associate Chair for Research at the Department ofMedicine at AUBMC Ali Taher, MD (BS ’82, MD ’86) has madesignificant strides in combatting the disease by working withregional and international experts to pioneer diagnostic andtreatment options and develop awareness campaigns. In 2012,Taher, supported by clinical investigators from Europe, Asia,and the United States, published a randomized, double-blindtrial confirming the power of the drug, deferasirox, to treatiron overload in the liver among thalassemia intermediapatients. The trial has since led the United States’ Food andDrug Administration to approve deferasirox as a means ofreducing iron among this patient population.

Back in Lebanon, Taher treats patients with iron chelationand blood transfusions at the Chronic Care Center (CCC), a

treatment center he helped found along with formerLebanese first lady Mona Harawi, that tackles chronicconditions like thalassemia and diabetes in children. Thecost of treating a thalassemic patient ranges from $4,000 to$37,000 yearly, averaging about $10,000, roughly Lebanon’sper capita GDP; however, the CCC is able to provide 700patients with free transfusion and chelation care annually,according to Taher’s estimate.

Equally important have been Taher’s efforts to raiseawareness among carriers of the disease. Thalassemia isinheritable; only the offspring of two carriers can develop the disease. Thus, Taher has worked hard to push for greaterscreening and awareness among Lebanese. The CCC registersall new cases, forming a database against which at riskcouples can check themselves. The CCC’s efforts, along with a World Health Organization-backed awarenesscampaign Taher helped launch in 1994, have helped pushdown thalassemic births rates dramatically in Lebanon, from 40 annually to between 2 and 3, with none recorded so far in 2015.

Yet, according to Taher, the wave of migration from war-tornparts of the Middle East to Europe and the United Statespresents a new challenge to stemming the spread of thedisease. Policymakers and medical practitioners in countrieslike Italy and Spain where migrants are arriving have notmade thalassemia awareness a priority. Still, Taher,recognized within the medical community for hisoutstanding contributions to the study and treatment ofthalassemia, remains hopeful as he continues to work withpublic health officials and scientists from those and otherEuropean and Middle Eastern countries.

Fighting Thalassemia

3534

The Diana Tamari Sabbagh (DTS) building, an L-shaped structure hugging John KennedyStreet, is in the throes of a massive, top-to-bottom renovation. Since its inauguration in 1975, DTS has served a dually importantpurpose as the teaching grounds for first andsecond year medical students and the heart ofAUBMC’s biomedical research efforts. For a long time, it remained the region’s largestresearch facility.

The renovation plan comes as part of AUBMC2020, an ambitious initiative that will push theMedical Center forward on various fronts,including education, research, facilities,partnerships, and, of course, patient care. “Weembark on renovation to bring a modern state-of-the-art feel to our medical center and maintain aleading role in driving the latest technologycombined with the fast-growing advances,” saysExecutive Vice President for Medicine and GlobalStrategy Mohamed Sayegh, MD.

For DTS and its residents, this means the creationof “centers of excellence”—collaborative state-of-the-art laboratories—focused on stem cells andcancer. It also means the reorganization of lab,office, and lecture space. Two new lecture hallsare being built from the ground up in the

basement—they will host an incoming medicalclass of 120 students by 2017—and anothersmaller graduate students’ lecture hall is beingbuilt on the fourth floor. Meanwhile, acompletely refurbished anatomy dissection labopened for students this fall.

Taking a key role in managing the renovationis Dr. Samira Kaissi, director of biomedicalresearch development at the Faculty ofMedicine She has served alternativelyas organizer, manager, and go-between among the variousconstituencies affected by theoverhaul, which includestudents, faculty, and thesurrounding community.

Wellness

Renovation, Readjustment, Renewal

In political terms, she falls somewherebetween party whip and speaker, marshallingconsensus, enforcing discipline, and acting asspokesperson for the building's occupants.

She keeps them informed with emails that aresometimes encouraging, sometimescommanding, and sometimes cheeky.Warning of the impending chaos of a movefrom the fourth to the third floor she writes:“Do not let my cheerful attitude fool you. Thiswill not be smooth; it will be crazy. And Iguarantee you that friendships will be lostand new enemies forged before we are done.We will hate and yell at each other (I know Istarted awhile back). It is normal in stressfulsituations. I recommend yoga, prayer,meditation, or ‘soft’ drinks until the move is done.”

Kaissi is just one of a small army marshallingthe 12,400 square meter renovation. Beirut-based design firm Bawader Architects, whoseprincipals are all AUB graduates, was broughton to render the blueprints for each of thebuilding’s four floors; Trust Contracting isdoing the actual construction. And finally, Mr. Hisham Ramadan, senior project managerwith the Facilities Planning and Design Unit,makes sure the trains run on time, keeping thearchitects and contractors on schedule.

The renovation introduces custom designedspaces for specific hi-tech equipment, like thecell sorter, technically known as FACS-SORP(fluorescent assisted cell sorting—specialorder research product): a product that cansort individual cells based on their surfacemarkers. It can be used for cancer, viral, andautoimmune disease research.

New technology and labs help with recruiting,which is key to the 2020 Vision. “It’s helpingus with the reverse brain drain efforts,” saysKaissi. Total faculty at DTS has increased bymore than 50% since 2009, and more thandoubled in the areas of microbiology,immunology, human morphology, andphysiology; many are hyper-specialized insought-after areas such as induced pluripotentstem cells, proteomics and genomics.

Other great successes include the expansionand upgrade of DTS’s Animal Care Facility(ACF) and a first in the region central store for reagents, like enzymes, antibodies, kits,tissue culture. The ACF, used to houseresearch animal models like mice and rats,now has 52% more holding rooms, ventilatedcaging systems, X-ray irradiator, small animal

ultrasound, and blood pressure monitors.Meanwhile, researchers can acquire reagentsfrom the in-house storage center at lower coststhan before.

Open workspaces, which began in 1950sGermany and are currently trendingworldwide among all types of organizations,but especially those placing a premium oncreativity, are also an important feature of thenew DTS. “We decided to move toward sharedspace not just because it’s more operationallyefficient, but because we also hope it’s goingto make the culture more collaborative,” says Kaissi.

According to the design blueprints for therenovation, Kaissi is spot on. Since 2009, deadspace in the building has been reduced bymore than half from 38 modules to 16, and is set to reach zero by the end of therenovation in 2017. Meanwhile, the number of labs, offices, and animal care facilities has increased dramatically.

Some doctors, such as Hiba El Hajj, anassistant professor at the Faculty of Medicine,sing the praises of the new design. El Hajjmoved from a fourth floor lab she shared withOncology Professor Ali Bazarbachi to the stemcell center of excellence on the third floorwhere she studies acute myeloid and adult t-cell leukemia. “It’s better equipped. There aremore culture facilities and the instruments aremore conveniently located,” says El Hajj, who,by her own estimation, spends between 12 to14 hours at DTS most days.

Others, especially those who’ve been workingat DTS the longest, are more critical of therenovation process, and Kaissi is the first toacknowledge this. “We’re going against

people’s resistance to change,” she explains,adding, “people have become verycomfortable with their spaces and it’s difficultto prove the value of dramatic change.”

There is also the worry that shared equipmentwill be less well cared for. “Some don’t want toshare labs and don’t like the idea of newpeople coming in and changing everything. Ican empathize. If someone new came and didanother renovation ten years down the line, Imight feel the same way.” And everyone,Kaissi included, acknowledges the challengesof working through the constantly churningdin of construction.

In spite of these challenges, Kaissi remainsoptimistic and keenly excited about the newresearch frontiers the renovation will enable.“The Genetics Center of Excellence, which isstill just concrete now, is very promising. Thefield is growing logarithmically,” she says,stressing the potential for research on geneticdiseases endemic to Lebanon and the MiddleEast. She is particularly interested insearching for a genetic explanation for highrates of breast cancer among Lebanesewomen.

Beyond the hopes and frustrations, therenovation has inspired nostalgia and areckoning with the building’s history. Thebuilding, whose construction was fundedprimarily by Palestinian businessman HasibSabbagh (BA ’41, DHL ’03) and named afterhis wife Diana, will no longer house relics.Kaissi, for her part, tends to wax sentimentalabout this topic: “The new floors arebeautiful, brand new, clean. But now it feelslike we just arrived.” She wonders out loud:“Will students know of our history?”

She is not sure of the answer to that question,but she is doing everything she can to make ita “yes.” Looking ahead to the end of therenovation in 2017, she hopes to gather whatremains of the old equipment it housed for amuseum, the “Museum of History of Medicineand Research in the Middle East.” “We have atentative location and a plan for it, but we’relooking for donors.”

But for now the museum remains on thebackburner, as the renovation, which beganas an infrastructure upgrade and has sincegrown organically, is ongoing, moving floor-by-floor, transforming, reorganizing, anddriving AUBMC biomedical research towardsthe future.

We decided to movetoward shared space notjust because it’s moreoperationally efficient,but because we also hopeit’s going to make the

culture morecollaborative

3736

38

Send your recipesubmissions tomaingate@aub.edu.lb

SahteinMtabbag Simach—Fish layered with rice and raisins

Wellness

nawal nasrallah is a cookbook author and noted authority on Middle Eastern cuisine. For the historyof this dish, visit: http://nawalcooking.blogspot.com/2015/07/aromatic-spicy-fish-dish-with-yellow.html

inGReDienTS:

RiCe

• 3 tbsp oil (such as canola)• ½ tsp turmeric • 2 cups rice, (If aged variety, such as

basmati, wash and soak for at least 30 minutes before cooking

• 3½ cups water• 1½ tsp salt• 4 cardamoms pods, kept whole• 1-inch cinnamon stick

RAiSin Mix:

• 1 medium onion, chopped• 1½ tsp curry powder• 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced• ¾ cup raisins• 1 tsp crushed noomi Basra (dried lime)• 1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed• ¾ tsp salt• ¼ tsp black pepper• ½ cup chopped parsley• 2 tbsp hot water

FiSH:

• 2 pounds salmon, skinless boneless fillet, cut into 6 strips

• 1 tbsp honey• 1 tbsp yellow mustard

PRePARATiOn:

Rice: In a medium heavy pot (preferablynon-stick), put all the rice ingredients, cover and boil for 7-10 minutes on high heat, until allvisible moisture evaporates. Reduce heat and letit simmer for 20 minutes. Fold rice gently 2 to 3times while simmering to allow it to fluff. Raisin

mix: In a medium skillet, sauté onion in oil untiltranslucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in turmeric andcurry powder in the last 30 seconds. Add the restof the raisin-mix ingredients, and stir and cookfor about five minutes. Keep warm. Fish:

Preheat the broiler. Line a shallow baking panwith aluminum foil, and drizzle it with half atablespoon of oil. Arrange the fish pieces on thepan leaving space between pieces. Brush themwith half the mustard and half the honey, drizzlewith the remaining oil, and sprinkle with salt.

Broil the fish for 5 minutes, then turn over thepieces, brush them with the remaining mustardand honey, and let them cook until surface iscrisp and golden, about 5 minutes, or until fleshis flaky when poked with a fork. Immediately,spread the rice on a big platter, arrange the fishpieces on the rice, and spread the raisin-mixbetween and around the fish pieces.

Makes 6 servings.

GOOD FOR yOU? An expert weighs in...

Marie Claire Chamieh, PhD, LD – Lecturer andPracticum Coordinator, FAFS

Mtabbag Simach, is very similar to the popular Middle Eastern dish “Siyyadiyeh.” The main ingredients of salmon and rice makethis dish a good source of Omega-3 fatty acids,vitamins, and minerals. The recipe is low incholesterol and saturated fat, and rich in vitaminA, folate, and potassium. Vitamin A is crucial for a strong immune system and for good vision,and folate is an important vitamin, particularlybefore and during pregnancy. Potassium isessential to heart function and plays a key role in muscular contraction. Mtabbag Simach is a meal rich in many nutrients, all of which arenecessary for optimal health and diseaseprevention. A serving of one cup of rice and a90-gram piece of salmon (palm size) provides 525calories of which 23% comes from proteins, 42%from carbohydrates, and 35% from healthy fatssuch as monounsaturated and polyunsaturatedfatty acids. This dish contains turmeric and currywhich have antioxidant and anti-inflammatoryproperties. Parsley contains flavonoids, whichact as anti-cancers that can protect cells fromdamage. Furthermore, honey is believed to haveantibacterial properties, as well as antioxidantproperties that protect brain cells and help inmemory boosting. Enjoy!

Taking Research out of the Lab:Lasers, Proteins, Biofuels, and Fraud

Alternatives to infrared lasers, new hope for leukemia patients, microalgaefor super foods and fuels; bad news for counterfeiters

ImpactRegional impact, advocacy, and policy initiatives

Beyond Buffed Architecture Karim Najjar applies innovative design to schools for Syrian refugees

46Greetings to the New President of WAAAUB

A conversation with Wafa Saab, the new president of WAAAUB

42

45A Ball of Energy Sajed Medlej is a University Scholarship Program scholar with intellectualcuriosity, compassion, and determination to spare

40

Taking Research Out of the Lab:Lasers, Proteins, Biofuels, and Fraud

From cone shaped lasers to systemsthat out-smart devilish counterfeiters,AUB faculty take their research out ofthe lab and into our lives.

At this year’s Kamal A. Shair CentralResearch Science LaboratoryConference, the focus was onresearch with “real world”applications. Projects spanned thefields of physics, biology, chemistry,and engineering, and impacted theworlds of forensics, cancer, energy,and laser technology.

Professors Michael Kazan and MadiCharbel from the Department ofPhysics are developing a technologywith the potential to dramaticallyreduce the cost of producing infraredlasers used for medical applications,like examining tumors.

Conventional lasers are currently madefrom expensive crystal.But Kazan andCharbel have found a way to emit laserlight using cheaper amorphousmaterials, like glass, that don’t havethe same rigid atomic structure ascrystals. They’ve achieved this using cones.

“When a wave of light reaches theapex of a cone, it diffracts and leavesthe surface as coherent light” [lightthat doesn’t spread out, but focuseslike a laser],” says Kazan, adding “thematerial doesn’t matter, only the[cone-like] structure.

On the medical side, Dr. Hiba El Hajjand her team at AUB’s Faculty ofMedicine have figured out a way tosignificantly prolong the lives ofpatients with two types of Leukemia,acute myeloid leukemia (AML) andadult t-cell leukemia (ATL). “leukemiais a poor prognosis disease,” says El

Impact

IN CASE YOUMISSED IT.

Hajj. Once the disease appears, it isoften too late. But El Hajj has found away to significantly prolong the lives ofpatients of both diseases by treatingthem with a combination of arsenicand another agent: interferon in thecase of ATL and retinoic acid in thecase of AML.

“This treatment works to degrade thespecific onco-protein in both types ofleukemia that is responsible for thetransformation of normal cells intomalignant ones,” explains El Hajj. Thetreatment protocol, already adopted byIranian doctors and set to be adoptedby others where leukemia is endemic,extends the lives of patientssignificantly. “There are patients stillalive after five years, something notpossible with any of the previoustreatments,” El Hajj notes.

Meanwhile, in the green energy space,Professor Abou Jawdeh has identifiedseveral species of microalgae—unicellular organisms that can make oil from sunlight and CO2—native toLebanon that show potential as superfoods and fuel sources. The oilmicroalgae produces can be burned as a biodiesel fuel.

Though his research centers on turningmicroalgae into a biofuel, Abou Jawdehis quick to highlight its other potentialuses, including as a proteinsupplement, medicinal agent, andcosmetic tool. Marketing microalgaeoutside the energy industry is essentialto offsetting its high cultivation costs,since it does not yet break even as abiofuel. If cost and productionefficiency barriers can be overcome, the algae could have an enormouspotential impact on Lebanon’s energysector (see MainGate, Winter 2015).

Finally, in the murky world of forensics,Professor Antoine Gauch in theDepartment of Chemistry has developeda patented Smart Counterfeiting OpticalSystem (SACOS), a device that canconsistently and accurately distinguisheven the most sophisticated fraudulentcurrency from the real thing. Currentcommon practice involves bank tellersand customs agents shining UV light onsensitive documents or money to checkfor florescence. If it glows under thelight, then they assume it’s the realthing. But sophisticated fraudsters cannow create documents using UV dyessimilar enough to those used by

currency and passport printers,meaning they can fool a customs agent holding a UV flashlight.

SACOS avoids florescence, lookinginstead at phosphorescence emissions,which are then analyzed by a computerand are absolutely unique to specifi cprinters. “Valuable papers, likepassports and money, are usually madeof cotton and cellulose, which is anideal medium for visualizingphosphorescence at room temperature,”notes Gauch. His machine can tell in five milliseconds whether notes arecounterfeit. Guach is currently in talkswith a European forensics lab interestedin adopting the device.

Former AUB President Peter Dormangave a talk on the challenges of the UShigher education model in the MiddleEast at The Charles W. Hostler Institute on World Affairs at San Diego StateUniversity on October 27.

Sadiq Al-Azm’s (BA ’57) a leadingscholar and public intellectual has beenawarded the 2015 Goethe Medal, whichhonors luminaries who have performedoutstanding service for internationalcultural relations.

AUB ranked second (following KingAbdulaziz University) among Arabuniversities in the 2015-16 Times HigherEducation World University Rankings’ listof the 800 best universities around theworld.

“When a waveof light reachesthe apex of a

cone, itdiffracts andleaves thesurface as

coherent light.”

“Valuable papers,like passportsand money, areusually made ofcotton and

cellulose, whichis an idealmedium forvisualizing

phosphorescenceat room

temperature.”

4140

Given the type of projects that AssistantProfessor of Architecture and DesignKarim Najjar is usually involved in, youwould not have expected him to dreamup something as prosaic as the Nasma(gentle breeze in Arabic) project. Najjar-Najjar Architects, a firm run by Najjarand his brother Rames, usually bids oncompetitive projects for cutting-edgedevelopers, like a research and designcenter in Austria, a high-end ski resortin Lebanon, or a corporateheadquarters in the Jordanian desert.

But they’ve put such work aside forNasma. No broad sweeps of buffedsteel. No walls of glass overlookingpicturesque valleys. It’s not what Najjarrefers to as “architecture as a luxuryproduct.” These are single-storybuildings made mostly of localmaterials, relying on the sun forwarmth and the earth for coolness.These are schools for Syrian refugeechildren.

The first jolt to Najjar’s sensibilitiescame a few years ago when he saw agroup of AUB students running aclothing drive for Syrian refugees.Seeing this, he recalls, “I felt humbled.”He admits that he had never really beenmuch involved in humanitarian or civicactivities, but he began to wonder howhe, as an architect, might lend a hand

to the mounting problems facingSyrians in Lebanon.

He began to think of ways he could helpchildren like the boy his teenagedaughter met in Hamra: “She said theboy was looking at a sign. One of herfriends asked what he was doing. ‘I’mreading the sign so I won’t forget how toread,’ the boy said. That wasn’t whatprompted me to create Nasma, but itcertainly pushed the work forward.”

Once he got the idea to build student-friendly, inexpensive schools more thana year ago, he invited some of hisstudents to intern with him over thesummer to study relief structure designusing low-cost materials. “It was like aseminar that was held in our office. Thestudents were very motivated and cameup with fantastic ideas,” he says. Withthese in hand, Najjar arranged forSawa4Syria, a local NGO working withSyrian refugee youth, to take thestudents to visit refugee schools in theBeqa’a. The teachers there spoke ofthree major problems: poor air quality,noise from other classrooms, and poorlighting. These issues were in addition

to the problems posed by the climate ofthe Beqa’a—very hot summers and verycold winters. “Creating adequatelearning conditions,” Najjar realized,“is far more challenging than creating housing units. School structures requirelarger areas than simple shelters, andalso a high level of good environmentalconditions.”

As the group continued working on thestructures, Najjar became immersed inother complications; the challenges ofdealing with municipal governmentsand other Syrian-focused NGOs, andthe safe storage of equipment andsupplies. “We were a little frustratedwhen we faced the reality and soondiscovered that relief work is one toughbusiness with a lot of competition andmoney involved,” he recalls.

Najjar realized they needed to build aprototype to garner support. That’swhere his former student AhmadNouraldeen (BAR ’13) came in.Nouraldeen was working in Stuttgart ona year-long fellowship with TranssolarKlima Engineering’s Academy. Heproposed using Nasma as his personalproject at the Academy. Transsolarloved the idea, so he got to work.

Nouraldeen and Transsolar broughtsomething new to the project. WhileNajjar focused on using inexpensive

Beyond BuffedArchitecture

“[We] soon discoveredthat relief work is onetough business with alot of competition andmoney involved.”

The combination of an award-winningarchitect, studentinterns and out ofthe box conceptsequals comfortable,environmentallyfriendly schools built by refugees in the Beqa'a

Impact

local materials, Transsolar wanted toincrease the emphasis on building“climatically responsive structures.”

Nouraldeen collaborated on the projectfrom Germany for a year. ThenTranssolar agreed that he should returnto Lebanon—it was time to take theproject off the drawing boards. By thispoint, Nasma had evolved significantly.The Nasma school classroom wascomplex, but not expensive, and didn’trequire great engineering skill to build.

It was more than just a comfortable,affordable, environmentally-friendlybuilding made from local materials.Thick, breathable walls stuffed withnatural insulation kept the heat induring the winter and out during thesummer. Underground tubing broughtcool air into the classroom, and the sixwindows and a skylight provided lightand warmed the room.

Natural light, warmth from the sun,coolness and fresh air channeledthrough the earth, the school was readyto go. But where to build the prototype?Nouraldeen had the answer. His fatherowned a farm in the south. Syrianrefugees worked the land.

He began to wonderhow he, as an architect,might lend a hand to

the mountingproblems facing

Syrians in Lebanon.

4342

“The studies, the simulations, thedesign. We had to transform it intoaction on the ground,” saysNouraldeen. “First I had to convince myfather. Then get the refugees to helpbuild it. But after the first stone waslaid, the rest was easy.” Enthusiasm forconstruction never waned, even in theface of superstorm Zina.

“The participation of the refugees wascrucial,” Najjar says. “They gaveinvaluable input during theconstruction phase. There was a senseof ownership and they were verymotivated.”

With a finished prototype, Najjar beganshowing off the facility, looking forcollaborators and funders. Arepresentative from the QatarFoundation toured the site over thesummer. “It was a really hot day, so wewent into the building,” Najjar says. “It was like there was an AC on, it wasso cool—the cooling function was really working.”

Following his success with Nasma,Najjar began working with AUB’sCommunity Development and Projectsunit of the Center for Civic Engagementand Community Service (CCECS),which, according to Director RabihShibli, has been engaged in Syrian-refugee relief efforts for several years.CCECS developed the Ghata project, aninexpensive structure made fromportable, local materials for housing,schooling, and other uses.

They also employ AUB students on avolunteer basis who work directly withSyrians living in informal settlements.These students built a structure next toWest Hall on AUB’s campus to callattention to their efforts, as well asseveral schools and a women’svocational center alongside the KayanyFoundation, which helps educaterefugees. (The Kayany Foundation,directed by Nora Joumblatt, operates

with support from the MalalaFoundation. Read more in the spring2014 MainGate.) “Karim [Najjar] came tous with his project,” Shibli says, “andwe’re seeing how to make it fit in withour environment. My job is to reach outto people with brilliant ideas at AUBand help them. We are upgrading oursystem with solar heating and aircooling that are based on Karim’sprinciples.”

If all goes according to plan, Najjar’scollaboration with CCECS and Kayanywill pay off soon. “Currently we aregiving consultancy services to AUB-CCECS for improving learningconditions at a school that is now underconstruction. The school will beoperated by Kayany. So far Rabih Shibliand I have agreed to apply the conceptfor the next school. We are expecting toimplement it next year,” says Najjar.

Reflecting on Nasma’s current status,Najjar summarizes his vision. “Childrenare the key issue,” he says. “If theydon’t learn to read and write, then theyare lost and cannot build their future.”Regarding Nasma’s contribution toalleviating the Syrian refugee crisis, hesays, “I believe that architecture isabout mastering challenging tasks.”

-N.B.

“If [children] don'tlearn to read and write,then they are lost andcannot build their

future.”

Impact

Sajed Medlej (BE, expected ’18) has a lot of energy. He is a UniversityScholarship Program (USP) scholarstudying mechanical engineering atAUB. One of 200 promising studentsfrom financially disadvantagedbackgrounds offered full scholarshipsto study at AUB through the UnitedStates Agency for InternationalDevelopment's USP program, Medlej is also a sciences tutor, mentor, organdonor advocate, future drug awarenesscampaigner, and aspiring physicist.Since arriving at AUB in the fall of 2014,he has thrown himself wholeheartedly,not only into his studies, but also intothe community service and volunteerwork that USAID encourages in its scholars.

Every Wednesday afternoon during his freshman year, Medlejwalked southwest from campus to the Nasma Learning Center on SadatStreet where he tutored 8th and 9thgraders for three hours in chemistry,math, biology, and physics. “I builtclose friendships with the studentsthere. Lots of students don’t get proper attention from schools. I gave them attention and helped them appreciate learning for its ownsake.” Plus, according to his ownaccount, he achieved results: “three of the five failing students I taughtstarted passing.”

Medlej also participated in anawareness campaign for the NationalOrganization for Organ and TissueDonation and Transplantation (NOD), a Ministry of Health-affiliated non-profit promoting organ donation, andlobbying parliament. He and his fellowvolunteers set up a stand in the Forumde Beirut exhibition center, flaggingdown passersby and registering themas donors in NOD’s database. “We gotabout 15 people over two and a halfhours,” says Medlej.

Back on campus, Medlej focuses ondeveloping his engineering skills andbuilding a strong foundation in his truelove, physics. He and his classmatesbuilt a Lego robot to compete in a robotsumo competition, which his team won.He also built a microcar, but describesits performance as “average.”

For Medlej, a mechanical engineering degree is merely, in his words, “a passport to physics,” a subject he became interested in as ajunior at Abbasiya High School in TyreDistrict. Ironically, he was motivated byhis teacher’s incompetence. “I had abad experience learning physics in 11thgrade. Either the teacher didn’t graspthe subject well, or didn’t know how to communicate it to us.”

So Medlej turned to the Internet,specifically YouTube, learning physicsfrom instructors all over the world. “I didn’t stick to the program of my high school. I learned about quantumphysics and other topics taught incollege-level physics courses,” he says. “I had this idea that you had tounderstand physics to understand howeverything works. If you understand it,you understand chemistry, biology.”

His career goals remain fuzzy for now.He is contemplating a PhD in physics,but he is not sure where and or how to pay for it. He is also interested inother subjects, like psychology andsociology. “I’m going to do aninternship abroad, if I cope well, I will study physics abroad.”

Meanwhile, another volunteer activityis on the horizon at the drug awarenessNGO non-profit Skoun, which raisesawareness of drug addiction andrehabilitates addicts. Skoun is on thecusp of finalizing its next campaign,and Medlej, though busy, plans on being involved.

A Ball ofEnergy

4544

Q. How would you explain to current

students what wAAAUB is?

A. WAAAUB, the Worldwide AlumniAssociation of the American University ofBeirut, represents AUB alumni aroundthe world and strengthens ties betweenthem. Our aim is to engage alumni inadvancing and supporting ouruniversity’s goals and educational,research, and service mission, whilefostering the educational, career, andsocio-cultural interests of our alumni. Wealso work to preserve and promote therich heritage and values of our almamater.

Q. How does wAAAUB plan on doing that?

A. WAAAUB is growing its global network of 60,000 living alumni and 62 alumnichapters through alumni volunteerselected to its leadership bodies. WAAAUBprovides alumni with opportunities toconnect through social, cultural andartistic events, outdoor recreation,reunions, career networking, andcontinuing education programs. Goingforward, we have plans to develop andpromote the chapter base to eventuallyinclude all 102 countries that our alumnipresence spans, to reach out to all ouralumni with innovative communicationsstrategies, and to unite all AUB alumniunder the same umbrella.

Q. what can you tell us about your

objectives as president?

A. We have just started to implement our strategic plan for 2015-17, and our objectives are in line with what I mentioned earlier: to strengthen alumniengagement in WAAAUB and AUBthrough better benefits and services, and to improve outreach and strategiccommunications in ways that will lead tosupporting the alumni and AUB within asolid, well-considered governance model.

Q. Many fresh graduates are leaving the

country, how do you think wAAAUB

can influence or contribute to that

situation?

A. Over forty percent of our alumni body iscomposed of young graduates. Last Juneour alumni base grew by more than 1,700young people. We all know that an AUBeducation is a gateway to the future andour alumni do stand out in everydiscipline. Nevertheless, Lebanon isfacing a difficult economic situation andwe are aware that job opportunities aresadly lacking. WAAAUB provides alumniwith networking opportunities, togetherwith career, mentorship and coachingprograms that we hold in partnershipwith AUB and various stakeholders.

Q. why did you run for president?

A. I have always been involved in WAAAUB; I formerly served as the president of theEMBA chapter. Belonging to WAAAUB isthe best way to give back to AUB, to ourcommunity and to our region. I am a firm believer in the value of AUB as aninstitution that has marked the history ofLebanon and beyond. My decision to runfor the presidency is the result of wantingto be actively engaged in ensuring thesolidarity and sustainability of aninstitution that will continue to serve my children, their children, and futuregenerations.

Q. How do you manage to balance the

presidency and all your other jobs?

A. It’s very simple . . . I create time. I’m a true believer in the saying “If you wantsomething done, ask a busy person.” It’s all about time management, andprioritizing, but most importantly, it’sabout being passionate, and I have apassion for all the “work” that I do. Tinolis my family's business and the AUBalumni are my close friends. You alwayscreate time for family and friends!

-Maya Wakim is the Beirut editor forOutlook, and in her third year as a media and c ommunication student.

Greetings to the New President of WAAAUB Wafa Saab

Impact46

52StandingOUTstanding Mohamed Watfa (BEN ’02) is a technology innovator with a serious social welfare agenda

51WAAAUB Events andAnnouncements Newly elected chapter presidents; legacy ceremony; WAAAUB networking

53The Reveal Nidaa Aboulhosn (BS ’94) creates images that illuminate society’sfault lines

AUB EverywhereAlumni lives in action, wAAAUB and chapter news, every day and extraordinary

class notes, and unexpected revelations

WAAAUB Aroundthe Globe

Alumni mix and mingle54

Pioneering through ResilienceHuda Zoghbi, MD (BS ’76): a pioneering medical researcher who gets it right48

56Class NotesIntroducing Class Correspondent (CC) Dina Daher Al Challe (BA ’98);Updates from CCs Samir Traboulsi (BEN ’73) and Rihab Ouri (BBA ’80)

Pioneering through Resilience

Alumni Profile

AUB Everywhere

Ashley, dark-eyed and cherub-faced,stares from her place atop HudaZoghbi’s, MD (BS ’76), bookshelf. She is 35 five years old, but looks 16, anenviable side effect of an otherwisedevastating neurological disorderknown as Rett Syndrome. Ashley may not know it, but her existencehelped spur the discovery of the RettSyndrome gene. She was a patient of Huda Zoghbi’s, who, inspired by her story, dedicated 16 years of herprofessional life to finding the geneticcause of Ashley’s suffering. Thejourney ultimately led Zoghbi toMECP2, a protein she describes as “anorchestral conductor” for many criticalneuropsychiatric functions.

Rett Syndrome is deceptively painful,especially for sufferers’ families. Unlikemany other developmental disorders,patients may not show signs of delayuntil they are two or three years old.Then, as the condition takes hold,seemingly healthy girls retardcognitively and physically. “I wasfascinated that they're born normaland they can do all the normal things a normal two-year-old girl would do.But they would lose all that.”

Zoghbi sheared her path to discovery at a time when gene mapping requireddaring and grit. There were no genomesequencers. Instead, Zoghbi had tonavigate her way through the genomeusing only her wits and her will. Sheoffers an analogy: “Imagine you cameto Houston and you want to find HudaZoghbi, but there's no map. There arefour million people here, manybuildings. You don't even know I'm inthe medical center. You just know Iexist and that I’m in Houston and youhave to find me.”

One the reasons Zoghbi had to startwith such a wide area is because RettSyndrome strikes sporadically; itdoesn’t travel down any traceable line.

Armed with the tools of molecularbiology, Zoghbi had to go gene-by-gene, covering about one fully distinctregion of DNA every six months. Today,her entire sixteen-year quest could becompleted in a week.

“Would I do it again? Yes, because Ilove working on Rett Syndrome. But it’s insane. After 16 years, your careercould be killed if you have no results.”

Today, her career is no longer underthreat. In fact, you could safely say she is a star, having received countlessaccolades large and small for her work.

She heads the Jan and DuncanNeurological Research Institute located in the northwest corner of thesprawling Texas Medical Center, atowering postmodern building shapedon one side like a double helix. Inside,on the top floor, Zoghbi plus 19carefully chosen investigators work to solve the mystery of cripplingneurological disorders that strike at the heart of identity, diseases likeAlzheimer's, autism, bipolar, andepilepsy.

“After Rett Syndrome, the leadership atTexas Children’s Hospital wanted me todo the same thing for other pediatric

neurological diseases. So, I articulateda vision for tackling neurologicaldiseases better.” That initial visionwould call for a new building and 20specialized faculty at a cost of $300million.

Funding for research at the Institutenow pours in from a variety of sources,including the National Institute ofHealth, charitable foundations, anddrug companies. “There've been manynew disease gene discoveries here,some quite surprising. We foundtreatment for a terrible form of epilepsythat can cause 300 seizures a day,bringing the number of seizures downdramatically.” Just this past October,researchers at the institute publishedan article in the journal Nature on thepotential power of deep brainstimulation to improve learning andmemory in mice afflicted with RettSyndrome.

Despite her awesome success, Zoghbibetrays no signs of arrogance. Intracing her life’s path, she is quick toacknowledge the roles of fate andchance. She recalls fondly her teenageyears in Lebanon. She loved literature,especially Jane Austen and hercharacter Elizabeth from Pride andPrejudice: “She was real, emotionallystrong, thoughtful, even assertive in away, but not aggressively so.”

Her journey to America came after atumultuous first year of medical schoolat AUB at the start of the civil war. “Iwas a commuting student so I slept in a tiny room in the ladies room of theBasic Sciences Building. It was almosta closet, but you had to sleep wherethere were double walls.”

It was around this time that she met her husband, the renownedcardiologist William Zoghbi. "Williamand I were walking on campus, holdinghands, when a bullet flew between the

“I was fascinated that they're born

normal and they cando all the normalthings a normaltwo-year-old girlwould do. But theywould lose all that.”

4948

AUB Everywhere

two of us. We were both sure that theother was hurt, but found we were bothfine. So we ran back indoors. But I wasstill happy in spite of events like that. Iwas living in a bubble with otherstudents and amazing professors.”

The bubble burst when her youngerbrother was hit by shrapnel and herfamily sent her to stay with family inAmerica, a journey she had believedand hoped would last months, butended up lasting decades. Shegrudgingly left Beirut and arrived in theUnited States on its bicentennial, July4, 1976. “I started hearing explosions,and started crying again thinking I wasback in a war.”

She slowly came to grips with thepermanence of her stay, as the monthswore on and the situation in Lebanoncontinued to decline. In October of1976, she enrolled as a late entry at thehistorically African-American MeharryMedical School, later spending sub-internships at Stanford and Emory,before ultimately settling at BaylorCollege of Medicine.

“Build relationships,” she advises onthe keys to her success and ability toovercome the odds, “first, with thosewho know more than you. Once you'vedone that, appreciate them. You can'tpayback but can pay forward by takingon the mentoring role yourself.”

Both her mentors and mentees attest toher qualities as both a clinician and afriend. Marvin Fishman, MD, professoremeritus section chief at Baylor, andone of Zoghbi’s mentors remembers heras a standout colleague. “I’ve neverheard anyone have a negative commentabout her. She’s not looked upon as acompetitor, but a collaborator. She’snot holding back from her advisees toprotect herself,” says Fishman.

Wei-Hsiang Huang, a postdoctoralresearch fellow at Stanford, remembersher accessibility, which struck him,given her stature. “I was waiting at thebus station when a car pulls next tome. It was Huda. She passed by andpicked me up and we talked aboutscience in the car,” recalled Huang.

Zoghbi, an AUB trustee, sees greatpromise in the University and its newleader, Dr. Fadlo Khuri. “We have allthe pieces in place, wonderful faculty,great students, and great leadership.Fadlo is a scientist, a scholar, a greatUniversity manager.”

Ultimately, she hopes the Universitywill return to its prewar diversity, asshe believes “diversity fostersintellectual growth.” She counselsAUBites to find their passion, so thatwork doesn’t feel like such, and shestresses resilience in the face of life’smany hurdles.

As she bids your MainGatecorrespondent farewell, she requests a mention of all of her titles, but not so she can trumpet them. She simplydoesn’t want to offend any of theinstitutions she works with andadmires. And so on that note, herethey are: Investigator, Howard HughesMedical Institute; Director, Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological ResearchInstitute at Texas Children's Hospital;Professor, Baylor College of Medicine.Add two she would modestly reject,role model and superstar.

-E.E.

“Buildrelationships . . .You can’t payback,

but can payforward by takingon the mentoringrole yourself.”

5150

WAAAUB Events and Announcements

Indiana ChapterSamar Rahhal (BS ’97,

MD ’01)

WAAAUB RecentlyElected Chapter

Presidents

Abu Dhabi ChapterElias Assaf (BEN ’88)

Spain ChapterMaher El Sayed (BEN ’04)

Cyprus Chapter Athanasia Kythreotou Zavou

(BA ’72)

Economics ChapterJoseph Helou (BA ’08)

Legacy CeremonyRania Dibbs (BS ’87, MD ’91), EstephanRustum (Computer Science, FAS), JurjiRustum (BS ’82, MD ’86)

At the Legacy Ceremony in WestHall’s Bathish Auditorium onSeptember 1, AUBites welcomedthe newest members of the AUB family.

Career NetworkingOn October 8, a speed careernetworking event for businessstudents and alumni took placein the OSB lounge.

WAAAUB Quiz NightQuizzards (wizards!): Rola ElRassi (BS ’04, MS ’08), KhaledMehanna (former student) andPatrick Saab. 10/20/15

Q. when and why did you first

become interested in digital

technologies?

A. When I was around seven years old my older brother was given a PC (Tandy 2000) as a birthday gift. It didn’t take me long to realize thatthis invention was the beginning of a whole new era that would reinventthe way businesses are run and howwe live our daily lives.

Q. Tell us about your innovative work

on environmental and educational

issues: wireless energy transfer for

electric cars, ‘shared’ computers to

provide technology to underserved

schools, and the founding of the

international School of innovation.

A. Everyone knows that air pollutionfrom auto emissions would be greatlyreduced by the widespread use ofhybrid electric cars. The success ofthe electric car will depend on howeasy it is to recharge its battery. If you are running out of energywhile driving on the highway, thereneeds to be a nearby wireless energyaccess point that your car can detectin the same way that your laptopdetects WiFi. My innovation will use communications technologies to connect and start the energytransfer, charging your car as youdrive, while also charging your debitcard. When parked, your batteries’stored excess energy will be returnedto the power grid, while creditingyour bank account.

Concerning my invention of ‘shared’technology and the founding ofInternational School of Innovation(ISI), both were inspired by thereality that too many students do not

have the right resources to realizetheir potential. Shared offers everystudent their own virtual desktopcomputer for the cost of one-tenth of a normal PC, with additionalinteractive features. The technologyis fully patented and I am workingwith NGOs to make it available for free in developing countries.Establishing the International School of Innovation (ISI) is mygreatest and most challengingachievement. I feel that now is the time to create a technologicalinfrastructure that will enableLebanon’s future generations toinnovate, and I think ISI is a babystep towards that end.

Q. in 2012, you were chosen out

of 7,000 inventors as the second

place runner up on the MBC reality

show “Stars of Science” for Shared

technology. How did that show

impact your life?

A. It gave me credibility as aninnovator, but more importantly,being part of “Stars of Science” mademe aware of the tremendous talentwe have in the Arab world and thepromising future we can achieve ifwe all work together. In the next 10years, I think ubiquitous computingwill touch the life of nearly everyperson on the planet. The potentialbenefits are mind boggling and brainenhancing. But like many of thegreat advancements in humanhistory, it is not without risks!

Read Mohamed’s entire interview

online…

A Tech Innovator’s Mission to “Share” Technology for the Greater Good

StandingOUTstanding

AUB Everywhere

Mohamed watfa (Ben ’02, AUB; MS ’03, University of Toledo; PhD ’05,University of Oklahoma) is an award-winning tech innovator, professor, andresearcher at the University of wollongong in Dubai.

Nidaa Aboulhosn (BS ’94) is an artist working withphotography, video and animation. Her work ranges from metaphor–driven image sequences to explicitinvestigations of sociocultural matters. She is interestedin cultural and natural traces and is drawn to the elusivetransformation of the mundane into the ineffable.Extracting fragments from everyday life, Aboulhosn filters the “real” through the lens of the absurd and thehumorous in an attempt to reconstruct a tangential mode

of perception through pattern and association.

Aboulhosn’s current videoproject, Deluge is a lament

inspired by seeing her homecountry “desecrated byblatant materialism andcorruption.” The imagesrepresent the barrage of construction sites,

machinery and laborers,mostly refugees who have

lost their own homes. In hervisual poem “To Build Itself

Ruin or Wonder,” the photographscontemplate the significance of our endeavors amid ourphysical artifacts. The images portray human presenceand cultural vestiges, centering on the fractured, theincomplete and the obscured. In 2008, Aboulhosncreated a series of images entitled Conatus, a Latin termthat refers to the will to live. The artist has always beeninspired by the Lebanese people’s ambition andstrength regardless of adverse circumstances. This body of work reflects upon that resilience.

Aboulhosn grew up in Lebanon and moved to theUnited States twenty-some years ago. She now divides her time between Phoenix, Arizona and Beirut,Lebanon. She holds a BS in environmental health fromAUB, and an MFA in fine art photography from theUniversity of Arizona. Her work has been exhibited in galleries and museums worldwide, including thePhoenix Art Museum, the UNESCO in Beirut, PraguePhoto Festival in the Czech Republic, and the CityCultural Center Gallery in Belgrade, Serbia.

Learn more: www.nidaaaboulhosn.com

The Reveal

5352

DinneR DAnCe

Country Club of MarylandTowson, MD10/17/15

Baltimore

Mix & MinGLe

Mary’z LebaneseCuisineHouston, TX 9/13/15

Houston

WAAAUB Around the Globe Visit the WAAAUB website at www.aub.edu.lb/alumni to find a chapter near you and to learn aboutupcoming events.

United States

BLACk, ORAnGeAnD GReenTHeMe niGHT

Café ByblosHouston, TX10/23/15

Houston

PiCniC

Eagle Creek ParkIndianapolis, IN9/7/15

Indiana

SCHOLARSHiPLAUnCH DinneR

ScholarshipLaunch DinnerArab AmericanNational MuseumDearborn, MI10/10/15

Michigan

TALk

The Lebanese on the Titanic,Dr. JosyannAbisaab (BS ’84)Debs Center, New York9/30/15

New York

OUTDOOR FUn

Halloween PicnicFarmer GanyardCary, NC10/31/15

North Carolina

OUTDOOR FUn

Apple-picking Les VergersLaFranceSt. Joseph-du-Lac, QC9/27/15

MontrealCanada

WAAAUB Around the Globe Visit the WAAAUB website at www.aub.edu.lb/alumni to find a chapter near you and to learn aboutupcoming events.

AUB Everywhere

www.flickr.com/groups/aub

Mix & MinGLe

Joey Eaton Center -Dundas SquareToronto, Canada10/29/15

Toronto

Mix & MinGLe

Jak’s BarLondon9/29/15

UK Chapter

ReCePTiOn

Club of Jordan9/19/15

Jordan

neTwORkinGevenT

WAAAUBClubhouse10/29/15

Health SciencesProfessional Chapters

Europe

Middle East

www.flickr.com/groups/aub

5554

150th Anniversary Celebrations

Reunion 2016July 8-10, 2016

A historic all-class reunion to

celebrate AUB’s 150th

Anniversary

REUNION

2016

Save the Date!

AUB Everywhere 40s to 60s

Raouf Sa’d Abujaber (BBA ’46) Last May, Raouf traveled from his homein Jordan to accept a doctor of humaneletters degree from Washington Collegewhere his sons Ziad and Marwan earnedtheir degrees in economics. A leadingfigure in the Christian Arab community,Raouf is known as a pioneeringbusiness leader, a distinguishedhistorian of Jordan and the Middle East,and an advocate of interfaith dialogue.The 90-year-old Abujaber urged theClass of 2015 to work hard andpersevere. He further advised them to“make honesty a golden rule of yourlife, keep an open mind, and never stoplearning.

elias (Lee) Husni (BA ’47, MD ’51)writes: “I am grateful to AUB for mycareer and accomplishments in the fieldof vascular surgery—over a hundredpublications in journals, books, twofilms, and over 20 scientific exhibits andlectures all over the world, including atmy dear AUB. It was, and probably stillis, one of the best medical centers in theworld, if not the very best. I am alsograteful to have established ascholarship fund for needy students.May God bless AUB and everyonedevoted to it.” [lee.husni@gmail.com]

karim wade nasser, (BA ’48, BS ’49)has established scholarships for needyand deserving students at AUB, LehighUniversity in Pennsylvania, KansasUniversity in Kansas, and the Universityof California, Berkeley. Karim is marriedto Dora nicolas Dagher (BA ’48).Together, they have five children andnine grandchildren. Their children, all graduates of the University ofSaskatchewan, have degrees inmedicine, law, business and nutrition.Karim recently received a citation from the Canadian Society for SeniorEngineers. The following is an excerpt:“Dr. Karim (Kay) Nasser is anexceptional engineer. He is a professor

emeritus recognized by his students andhis peers as an outstanding teacher inthe Department of Civil and GeologicalEngineering at the University ofSaskatchewan. Kay has received manyaccolades for his contributions to theprofession for his work in concretetechnology and his exemplarygenerosity in helping to assist deservingand needy students at the University. He has received the EngineeringAchievement Award of the Associationof Professional Engineers andGeoscientists of Saskatchewan (APEGS),a Fellowship Award of the CanadianSociety for Civil Engineering, the RotaryGolden Wheel of Excellence Award forcommerce and industry, the APEGSBrian Eckel Distinguished ServiceAward, the Saskatchewan Order ofMerit, and the Queen Elizabeth IIDiamond Jubilee Medal.”

In September, the FamilialHypercholesterolemia (FH) Foundationrecognized Avedis khachadurian (BA’49, MD ’53) at their 2015 global summitin Pasadena, California. A pioneer in thefield of FH, Khachadurian continues toinfluence students, educators, andclinicians from his post as professoremeritus at Rutgers University.

Class Notes

1940s

It’s easy to submit a class note and share yournews! Email: maingate@aub.edu.lb or submita class note AND update your informationwith AUB by logging on to the onlinecommunity at alumniconnections.com/aub/

5756

Rima nasir Tarazi (BA ’54) writes, “Icongratulate our alma mater on its newpresident. I wish him all success duringthese difficult moments in our region.The state of affairs in the world callsupon our educators to reflect on how to bring up a new generation of leaderscommitted to the welfare of humanityand not the lure of power. After I retiredfrom volunteering, I continued to serveon the Board of Trustees of BirzeitUniversity and on the Supervisory Board of the Edward Said NationalConservatory of Music, a landmarkorganization in the cultural landscapeof Palestine. Three years ago, Icompleted editing and publishing mymusic compositions under the title,"Songs of Freedom and Hope” (now inthe Jafet library). I continue to performsome of my songs with my sister-in-law,soprano Tania Tamari Nasir, and agroup of friends. I am blessed withseven grandchildren—five girls and twoboys. Sama, the eldest, just started atToronto University. She and Sari aremembers of the Palestine YouthOrchestra. I would certainly love to hear from friends and colleagues.”[rima_tarazi@hotmail.com]

Lois Snavely (BA ’56) Born in India in1924, Lois already had a large family—three daughters and an infant son—bythe time she graduated from AUB. Ahigh school teacher for many years, shetaught at the American SchoolFoundation in Monterrey, Mexico and atLoris High School in South Carolina,United States. She taught history,archaeology, psychology, and art. Loisalso loved to travel and visit historicalsites and art museums. Now 91, she livesin Pennsylvania near one of herdaughters, two grandchildren—she hasfive—and her one great-grandson. Forover 60 years, Lois was married to

Ernest Snavely (1921-2008), who waspart of AUB’s Department ofAgricultural Engineering faculty from1953-56.

victor H. nassar (BA ’60, MD ’64)writes, “I am thoroughly enjoying myretirement and sharing my life with mywife Jane. I divide my time betweenwatercolor painting, gardening, readingand music. Our two grandchildren,Melanie and Haytham, are our prideand joy and add spice to our life. TheAtlanta Chapter is vibrant and keeps theAUB community active and connected.We’ll miss Fadlo and Lamia Khuri, andwe wish them all the success as theyembark on their journey at the helm ofAUB.” [vnassar@yahoo.com]

Hikmat nasr (BS ’61, MS ’65) and Julia Saad (BBA ’64) write, “My wifeand I met at AUB. We planned ourwedding for December 3, 1966, whichturned out to be the date of AUB’scentennial celebration. Because most of our guests were tied up with thefestivities, we had to postpone ourwedding date until December 10. We left Lebanon for the United States. Istudied for my PhD at the University of Wisconsin, while Julia worked in the Registrar's Office there. We thenreturned to AUB, where I was assistantprofessor until 1976. After a four years in Mexico, followed by 20 years at theWorld Bank in Washington, DC, we arehappily retired in the DC area. Duringour tenure at the World Bank, we servedin Bangladesh and Pakistan for aboutseven years. We hope that all ourclassmates and friends are in goodhealth. Thanks, AUB for everything you have done for us.”

yusuf Abul-Hajj, PhD (BS ’62, MS ’64)was recently named a fellow of theAmerican Chemical Society, anacknowledgement of a career dedicatedto advancing chemistry. He wasrecognized for his groundbreakingresearch in steroid carcinogenesis; heidentified aromatase as a breast cancerinhibitor and disseminated his researchas senior editor of The Journal ofMedicinal Chemistry. Yusuf is aprofessor of medicinal chemistry atUniversity of Minnesota, having earnedhis doctorate at the University of Wisconsin.

Mu’taz Habal (MD ’64) was recentlyhonored by the American Society ofCraniofacial Surgery after 25 years ofservice as editor-in-chief of The Journalof Craniofacial Surgery, the specialty’spremier journal. Craniofacial surgeryhas since grown to include severalspecializations. Dr. Habal is the directorof the Tampa Bay Craniofacial Center, inTampa, Florida. [mbhabal@gmail.com]

Saleem S. kiblawi (BS ’65, MD ’69)After completing a pulmonaryfellowship at Indiana University, Saleemjoined that university’s Faculty ofMedicine, staying on for eight years. He then moved with his wife, Balkis,and son, Shafeek, to ARAMCO, where he worked as a pulmonary specialist,and later, as chief of internal medicine.During this period, he and his wife hada second son, Ramzi. After retiring fromARAMCO in 2003, Saleem returned toAUBMC as deputy chief of staff,becoming chief of staff. He reorganizedAUBMC’s Quality and AccreditationOffice, successfully leading their effort

1960s“I

congratulateour alma

mater on itsnew president...The state ofaffairs in theworld callsupon our

educators toreflect on howto bring up a

newgeneration of

leaderscommitted tothe welfare ofhumanity andnot the lure of

power.”

Rima Nasir Tarazi (BA ’54)

1950s

AUB Everywhere 60s to 70s

to regain Joint CommissionInternational (JCI) accreditation in 2007.Saleem retired from AUBMC in 2012.Currently an independent JCIconsultant, he lives with his wife inBeirut. [sskiblawi@gmail.com]

Janice J. Terry, PhD (MA ’66) has a newbook out: William Yale: Witness toPartition in the Middle East, WWI-WWII,(Rimalbooks). She is professor emeritusat Eastern Michigan University and anadjunct professor at Marietta College, Ohio.

nabil Zok (BA ’66) writes, “In June1966, I was probably the onlygraduating student who was already ahusband and a father. I now have a sonwho is a 50-year-old father of two boys.In the interim, the most fascinatingachievement has been for my wifeSamya and I to become the parents ofthree sons: Rassem, Sarmad, and NabilJr., and subsequently, the very happy“Teta” and “Jeddo” of sevengrandchildren; four boys and three girls.So, we thank God for his blessings.[nabilzok@yahoo.co.uk]

Paul R. wineman (MA ’67) was born inHollywood, California, and graduatedwith a bachelor’s in communicationsfrom the University of Washington in1958. Paul worked in Beirut until 1983,when he returned to Southern Californiato run his own company. In recognitionof the positive impact AUB had on hislife, he paid for three graduatestudents—members of his collegefraternity, Phi Kappa Psi—to study atCAMES. All three students work in theMiddle East and Africa. Paul believesthat “one makes a living by what onegets, but makes a life by what onegives.” He lives in Marina del Rey,California. [PWin903611@aol.com]

Saifuddin kassir (BA ’68, MA ’71)writes: “Thanks for your keen interest in

trying to keep the AUB alumni together.I am a retired secondary school teacher.I am also a translator, translating booksfrom English into Arabic. I havepublished more than 15 titles since 1992.I collaborate with the Institute of IsmailiStudies in London, translating many oftheir publications. I have been avolunteer board member with theInternational Arbitration andConciliation Board since 2009. I havealso belonged to the Arab Writers’ Unionbased in Damascus since 2011.”[saifuddin.kassir@gmail.com]

Ameen Mahdi Al Husseini (BEN ’71)writes: “Can you imagine that 44 yearsago we were handed our diplomas! Toobad the graduates of ’71 never had acommencement ceremony! That yearAUBites had a strike for 13 days andSquad 16 was threatening to occupycampus! We had to stay on campus tilldawn! We thought that year would bethe most turbulent in AUB’s history. Butwe were wrong. The civil war wasdefinitely more turbulent!!! Hoping wecan all to wake up to the realities of theMiddle East and try to build nationsinstead of multimillion dollarcompanies!!!” [ameenale@hotmail.com]

Mohammed S. Dajani Daoudi

(BA ’72) is an educator, author, andpeace activist. He has a master’s degreein economics and politics from Eastern

Michigan, and two doctorates from theUniversity of South Carolina and theUniversity of Texas respectively.Mohammed is the inaugural WestonFellow at the Washington Institute forNear East Policy and the founder of theWasatia movement of moderate Islam.Tufts University recently honored himwith the Dr. Jean Mayer GlobalCitizenship Award in recognition of hispioneering work to encourage dialogueand find alternatives to extremism.

Samir collected the following news fromhis class.

Bassam Mohyeddine Barghouth

(BEN ’73) has extensive experiencemanaging and partnering in severalcontracting, investment, and tradingcompanies in Lebanon and Oman. Hehas many cultural, philanthropic,educational and business concerns,mainly in Lebanon and Oman. Bassamserved as the Honorary Consulate of theSultanate of Oman for five years and assecretary of the Construction andFinance Committee of the Al AwqafCouncil. He is currently the elected chairof the Administrative and FinanceCommittee of the Higher Islamic Councilof Dar al-Fatwa in Lebanon, a memberof the Board of Trustees of the AlMakassed Al Islamiah Organization, aboard member of the Lebanese SpanishFriendship Association, and chairmanof the board of Social Halls at theKhashoukji Mosque in Beirut. Bassamand his wife Iman Khalil Hibri have four children.

Adib Bassatne (BEN ’73) With hisdegree in civil engineering, Adib gainedextensive experience in constructionbefore moving to the oil sector in theMiddle East, Europe and the Far East.He is currently a board member of thefollowing international companies: BB

1970s

1973, ClassCorrespondentSamir Traboulsi (BEN ’73,MEN ’75, MBA ’80)

5958

Energy Holding, s.a.l.; 3B Trading, Ltd,Reem Real Estate, s.a.l., HYPCO;Mediterranean Petroleum Co., s.a.l.COGICO and Tar Trading. Formerly hewas the chairman and general managerof Bogest Engineering and Construction,s.a.l.; general manager of ModernBuilding and Maintenance., Ltd, AbuDhabi; partner and operations managerof Bogest Engineering, Muscat, Oman;and chairman and general manager ofthe oil distribution company HYPCO &3B Holding, Ltd., Hong Kong. Inaddition, Adib serves on severalphilanthropic boards, includingSandouk Al Zakat and Dr. MohammedKhaled Social Foundation. Adib and hiswife Alia Mardam Bek (BA ’84) havethree children: Omar who has a BS inbusiness management; Ali who has aBBA and a master’s of science in energy,trade and finance from City University ofLondon; and Aya (BS ’14) who is acurrent FM MD student).

John Guevherian (BAR ’73) lives andworks in Cyprus. After earning hisarchitecture degree with honors, he wonseveral Pan-Cyprian architecturalcompetitions and designed theheadquarters of the Cyprus SportsOrganization (KOA) in Nicosia, the“Kition” covered athletics centre inLarnaca including the Olympicswimming pool, and a housing projectfor the Cyprus Land DevelopmentOrganization in the Nicosia suburb ofKaimakli. His other prize-winning workincludes the Ministry of Foreign Affairsand the Sports Centre in Agros andLimassol. He maintains a serious andsteady presence in the art world with hissolo exhibitions as well as participation

in various group exhibitions. Activelyinvolved in Armenian community life inCyprus, John designed and supervisedthe construction of the ArmenianGenocide victim’s monument erected atthe Armenian churchyard in Nicosia in1990. In 2003, John donated hispainting, “Through Nature,’’ to thenewly established AUB Art Collection.He is married and has two daughters.[www.guevherian.com]

Hamid najm (BEN ’73) is chairman and CEO of Cedar’s Premium Food &Beverage, s.a.l., a company he foundedin 2006 in Zakroun, North Lebanon.Cedar is Lebanon’s largest juiceproducer and has distribution in Iraqand other Arab countries. In the mid-1970s, Hamid was MENA regionalmanager for RC Cola International inColumbus, Georgia, United States. Hereturned to Lebanon and created thePampa juice brand in 1982, whichbecame a market leader by 2002. Hamid was a shareholder in Coca-ColaLebanon until 2005.

Joseph Daher (BEN ’79) writes: “I hopeAUB continues to be a melting pot for allof Lebanon’s and the Arab World’scultures and affiliations. AUB hashelped hundreds of thousands ofstudents succeed and prosper, leadmajor institutions, and influencepolitics, economics, and society in amajor way. I wish AUB’s new presidentmuch success in his mission to lead thisgreat university to new heights. Asalumni, we remain proud of ourheritage. AUB’s legacy is to promotefreedom of expression, tolerance,diversity, and different schools ofthought. It exemplifies an image ofLebanon that we all aspire to see.”[JKDaher@almabani.co]

Celia kurdab Hamadeh (BA ’79) is apoet, author, political commentator, andbusinesswoman. She has published twobooks of Arabic poetry, Imraat kulAlousour and Rasael ila Adam, and wasthe recipient of the Dar al Sayad SaedFaiha prize for her poem “Ma SerrukiBeirut.” Since the mid 1990s, Celia haswritten a number of articles on socio-political issues. She started herprofessional life at the British Embassyin Riyadh, before moving intoadvertising and marketing. Celiamanaged Eve, Saudi Arabia’s firstfemale-run, female-focused advertisingagency. She then moved to Saatchi andSaatchi, becoming that agency’s firstfemale employee in Saudi Arabia. Celia and her husband Suleiman n.

Hamadeh (BBA ’78) have three lovingand successful children: Samer (BA’03), an entrepreneur; Bassem, a captainat Emirates Airlines; and Samantha, amarketing manager. The couple recentlymoved to Dubai to be near them.[celia.hamadeh@gmail.com][www.facebook.com/CeliaHamadehPoetry]

Lina naoura Alkotob (BBA ’79) workedfor 11 years with the Syrian LebaneseCommercial Bank, rising to becomehead of its internal audit department. In1991, she married Dr. Suhail Alkotob, aneurosurgeon. They have two children,both students at AUB: their daughterShifaa who at age 22 is a second yearmedical student, and their sonEzzuddine, age 21, and in his last year incomputer and communicationsengineering. Lina taught in Al HadaInternational School, in Ta’if for four

Share your news with the Class of 1973. Email:traboulsi.samir@gmail.comor maingate@aub.edu.lb

“I wish AUB’snew presidentmuch successin his mission

to lead thisgreat

university tonew heights.”

Joseph Daher(BEN ’79)

AUB Everywhere 70s to 80s

years. She has mostly lived with herfamily in Saudi Arabia. “Having both my kids at AUB, enabled them to sharemy dreams, and this continuity has led to the realization of those dreams.Memories of AUB never fade. I am very fond of my university and myeducation.”[lina.naoura.alkotob@gmail.com]

Aziz Stephan (BEN ’79) is chairman and CEO of Stephan Contracting, ageneral contracting company based inBeirut. He is also CEO of Green TopInternational in Doha, Qatar, a generalcontracting company specialized in theconstruction of power substations. Azizcurrently resides in Lebanon with hiswife viviane Tarabay (BSN ’85) and histhree children kristina (BEN ’12), Carla

(BS ’13, MD expected ’17) and Caline.[a.stephan@stephancontracting.com]

Rihab collected the following news fromthe Class of 1980.

Rami Al khal (BBA ’80) Aftergraduating, Rami decided to buy a 51%share of his father’s printing company,

and soon transformed it into one of thetop printers in Beirut. In 1995, hebecame sole proprietor. His successallowed him to semi-retire in 1998 at theage of 45. Free to pursue his dreams, hewent from teaching scuba diving toclimbing mountains in Nepal, Tibet,and, Tanzania. He climbed all 6,000meters of Mt. Kilimanjaro. He’s visitedKenya, Tanzania, Senegal, South Africa,Japan, China, Thailand, Indonesia,Maldives, India, Europe, and the UnitedStates. He currently helps teachadvanced diving at the NationalInstitute for Scuba Diving at ZaitunayBay. He is very involved in yoga andmeditation. Rami says he is still youngat heart. He feels more like 26 than 62. Adevoted supporter of AUB, he donated astudy carrel for the handicapped at Jafetlibrary. He is also a strong supporter ofthe Lebanese Philharmonic Orchestra.

Maggie Damaa Baroud (BBA ’80) ismarried to nadim Baroud (BEN ’79), amechanical engineer. The couple live inJeita, Lebanon. For the past 18 yearsMaggie has been a jewelry accessoriesdesigner exhibiting in Europe, theUnited States, and the Middle East. Herdaughter and son are also AUBgraduates.

Baraah Moiffak Saadi (BBA ’80)writes: “Hello everyone. I miss you all. I am presently working at Al BayaderSchool in Beirut as a teacher/librarian. I am also responsible for the RecyclingClub. Our school won the GreenestSchool Award as part of an intramuralcompetition sponsored by Bank Med.What I miss most about AUB is thebeautiful campus!”

Samira Osseiran watson (BBA’ 80) In1983, Samira got married and moved tothe United States. She lived in differentstates, including Hawaii where herdaughter Monica was born. Monica isnow a manager at a Washington, DCmarketing firm. Samira currently livesin Virginia and works in Washington,DC. A regional Middle East Programmanager in Customs and BorderProtection at the US Department ofHomeland Security, Samira has almost30 years of experience in the publicsector. Her job has taken her to severalcountries in the Middle East, includingLebanon where she works with localcustoms authorities on borderenforcement issues. After retirement,Samira plans to move to Florida andspend more time in Lebanon visitingfriends and family. “AUB, and the manyfriends I made there, will always be a

Share your news with theClass of 1980. Email:rouri46@gmail.com ormaingate@aub.edu.lb

1980, Class CorrespondentRihab Ouri (BBA ’80)

1980s

“Having bothmy kids at

AUB, enabledthem to sharemy dreams,

and thiscontinuity has

led to therealization ofthose dreams.Memories ofAUB never

fade. I am veryfond of my

university andmy education.”

Lina Naoura Alkotob(BBA ’79)

60 61

special part of my life.”

Josyann Abisaab (BS ’84) is anemergency physician at the New YorkPresbyterian Hospital and facultymember of the Global EmergencyMedicine Division at Weill CornellMedical College, where she led theDivision’s medical training andcapacity building effort in the MiddleEast. She is a fellow at the Francois-Xavier Bagnoud (FXB) Center forHealth and Human Rights at HarvardUniversity, and has conducted humanrights research and advocacy in theMiddle East with a focus on the Syrianrefugee crisis. Josyann organizesinternational conferences onemergency medicine and the refugeecrisis in the Middle East. She alsoserves on the International LebaneseTitanic Society’s steering committeeand frequently lectures and blogsabout Lebanese passengers on theTitanic. She credits AUB for her strongfoundation in academic freedom andintegrity, critical thinking, and socialresponsibility. “Some of my favoriteclasses at AUB were CS 202 where Ilearned about the monotheistictraditions of Judaism, Christianity andIslam. Also, in Ecology 202, I got tocreate a human protective chain withmy classmates around a millenary olivetree to save it from being uprooted”.She lives with her husband Michel inNew York City. They have twodaughters, Allegra (17) and Tess (14).

Josiane Fahed-Sreih, PhD, (BBA ’84) is associate professor of managementin the Department of ManagementStudies at Lebanese AmericanUniversity’s (LAU’s) School ofBusiness. She is the founder and thedirector of the Institute of Family andEntrepreneurial Business at LAU andchairperson of the Department ofHospitality Management andMarketing. [jsreih@lau.edu.lb]

Bassam Hammud (BBA ’84) wasrecently promoted from servicemanager to department manager infinancial accounting at Saudi Oger inRiyadh, KSA.

nicolas e. Chammas (BEN ’85) wasappointed president of MIT’s AlumniAssociation. He is the Association’s first non-American president. Nicolasearned a master’s degree in civil andenvironmental engineering at MIT, andan MBA from Harvard Business School.He is chairman of Elie D. Chammas &Company Holdings, vice chairman ofCedrus Bank, and president of theBeirut Traders Association. At MIT, hefounded the Club of Lebanon and aneducational council for Middle EastArab countries. Nicolas brought manybusiness opportunities to the region by helping to launch a pan-Arab MITEnterprise Forum chapter. He has beenrecognized for his dedicated service tothe MIT Alumni Association with theGeorge B. Moran ’20 Award and theHarold E. Lobell ’17 DistinguishedService Award.

Soha Hmaidan (BBA ’88, MBA ’07)completed the leadership developmentprogram at the Center for CreativeLeadership in Greensboro, NorthCarolina last summer. She has beenworking at AUB for the past 16 yearsand is now senior director ofadvancement services. In 2007, Sohaearned a master’s degree in businessadministration, specializing in humanresources and organizational behaviorat AUB. She is also a CertifiedProfessional in Human Resources andCompensation (CPHRC). She advocatesfor gender equality and women’s rightsthrough her Facebook page “LadiesFirst.” Soha and her spouse, GhassanChehayeb have two children, Rayanand Tala. They live in Beirut.[shmaidan@aub.edu.lb]

nader el-Bizri, PhD (BAR ’89) is chair and a full professor in AUB’sCivilization Studies Program via a jointappointment with the PhilosophyDepartment. He is also director of theAnis Makdisi Program in Literature,and coordinator of the graduateprogram in Islamic Studies at theCenter for Arab and Middle EasternStudies (CAMES). El-Bizri previouslytaught at the universities of Lincoln,Cambridge, Nottingham, the LondonConsortium, and Harvard, in additionto being a researcher at The Institute of Ismaili Studies in London, and at the Centre National de la RechercheScientifique in Paris.

AUB Everywhere 80s to 00s

1990s

Hanan el Chemali Tcheroyan (BA ’89)writes: “This year was very special for me. My son entered AUB as amechanical engineering student. I am so proud of him, and so proud that AUB still holds the highestaccreditations, making it appealing to the best students of Lebanon andabroad! In a word, I'm still very proudto call myself an AUB alumna :)”[tcheroyanh@icloud.com]

Adel Mamhikoff (BS ’89) has joinedNovantas Inc., a leading financialservices advisory and technologysolutions firm as managing director. Heis based in Toronto, Canada.

Bassem nasri, PhD (BS ’89) presenteda paper co-authored by Dr. PabloCollazzo Yelpo from Vienna Universityat the 29th Annual InternationalSociety of Franchising Conference(ISOF 2015) held last June at theUniversity of Oviedo, Spain. The paperis titled “Franchising in the MiddleEast-Focus on Saudi Arabia & UAE.”Bassem obtained an MBA from CityUniversity London, and a doctorate inbusiness administration from GrenobleEcole de Management. He currentlyruns a private franchise developmentand consulting business based inLebanon and Saudi Arabia. He leads a regional Certificate in FranchiseManagement executive educationprogram.[bassem.nasri@gmail.com]

Rami Debouk (BEN ’91, MEN ’93)received the 2014 Society of AutomotiveEngineers (SAE) InterRegs Standards &Regulations Award in recognition of hisresearch, analysis, and development ofsystem safety processes and standards.He was honored as the 2015 “AmericanArab Professional of the Year” for hisoutstanding accomplishments in thetechnology field by the American ArabProfessional Network. A staffresearcher at General Motors GlobalResearch and Development Center inWarren, Michigan since 2000, Ramireceived his PhD in electricalengineering and computer sciencefrom the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

nawar Tayyan (BS ’92, MD ’96) hasbeen in Houston, Texas for the past 19years. He runs a private cardiologypractice. Married with four children,his oldest child is now 16. He sendsbest wishes to all.[ntayyan@hotmail.com]

Dany Mansour (BEN ’94) Aftergraduating from AUB, Dany embarkedon a career in electrical engineering,specializing in power generation andtaking a special interest inenvironmental issues. Dany’sprofessional life takes him back andforth between the GCC and Lebanon.He is happily married to his wife Mary.They are the proud parents of two boys.

After living in New York for 13 years,Maha Jaber younes (BGD ’96) movedto Abu Dhabi in 2011. She is now theart director of the UAE NationalSymphony Orchestra, and serves asthe chair of the PTA at Gems AmericanAcademy, the school her two childrenattend. [maha.j.younes@gmail.com]

62 63

Dina Daher Al Challe (BA ’98)graduated with a degree in politicalstudies. She taught French for eightyears in Lebanon before moving withher family to Montreal, Canada in 2008.She and her husband Walid Al Challehave two daughters: 11-year-old Zoya,nine-year-old Layane, and a son,Khaled-Noah, born in 2012. Dina hasbeen working in provincial governmentsince passing Quebec’s civil serviceexam. Longing for a career with moreflexibility, she enrolled in a graduatedegree program in communicationsand public relations at McGillUniversity. She writes: “It wasn’t easyto start a new life away from Lebanonand our big extended family, to leavebehind all of our memories. But nowwe are fully integrated into our adoptedcountry. We feel at home away fromhome. The immigration experiencetaught us to live with a heart dividedbetween two worlds and adapt ourtraditions to a new reality. Weembraced the best of both cultures andwe are teaching our kids to be proud ofboth of them. The ongoing process oflearning and taking up daily challengesis something we appreciate deeply.”[daher_challe@hotmail.com]

Hagop Jatalian (BEN ’02) and Aline

Baghdassarian (BS ’02, MD ’06) weremarried on July 4 in Bethesda,Maryland. They currently reside inRichmond, Virginia. They were happyto share their big day with manyfriends and AUB alumni, including:Mohamad el- Fakhani (BS ’01, MD ’06)and his spouse Maha Mrayati (BS ’04,MS ’07), elie Abu Jawdeh (BS ’02, MD’06), Razmig kratlian (BS ’99, MD ’10),karim Farah (BS ’02, MD ’06), Antoine

wadih (BS ’02, MD ’06), Maya Barake

(BS ’02, MD ’06), Ara Baghdassarian

(BBA ’71, MBA ’83), and varouj

Mavlian (BBA ’67).

Reem el-Garhy (BA ’04) writes, “I cameto AUB as a transfer student from theAmerican University of Cairo. Leavingall my friends behind, I was devastatedat first. But, I have to admit that myexperience at AUB one of the best I'veever had. The campus is so memorable,with its beautiful natural setting—suchremarkable scenery to greet me everymorning! Thank you for giving me anunforgettable college experience.”[rgarhy@hotmail.com]

william n. watfa (BS ’06) earned his MD in 2011 at the University ofBalamand in Lebanon. Following aone-year residency in general surgery,he joined the plastic surgery residencyprogram at St. George’s UniversityMedical Center in Beirut. At present,William is completing a two-yearfellowship program in breastoncoplastic and transgender surgery at the Lausanne Hospital UniversityCenter in Switzerland.[williamwatfa@gmail.com] and [william.watfa@chuv.ch]

Rasha Fakhreddine (BA ’09) Aftergraduating from AUB with her degreein education, Rasha taught for six yearsat IC, before fulfilling a lifelong dreamby launching her own “edutainment”center for kids. In the heart of theBeirut, Clemenceau area, Super Me is amultipurpose educational centerdesigned to empower kids in a fun,safe, discovery-filled, and eco-friendlysetting. [rasha@supermebeirut.com]

Stephanie Feghali (BAR ’09) receiveda master’s degree in ArchitectureManagement and Design from IESchool of Architecture and Design inMarch 2014. She writes, "Check out ourwebsite www.lab-square.com andfollow us on FB, Twitter, Instagram,Pinterest and LinkedIn."

2000s

Share your news with the Class of 1998. Email: daher_challe@hotmail.com ormaingate@aub.edu.lb

1998, ClassCorrespondentDina Daher Al Challe (BA ’98)

Ghina Mahmoud-Halabi (MS ’09, PhD ’15) The first person to receive aPhD in astrophysics from a Lebaneseuniversity, Mahmoud-Halabi is now aresearch associate at the prestigiousInstitute of Astronomy at the Universityof Cambridge. Her research intheoretical astrophysics and stellarevolution has gained internationalattention. She credits the mentorship of Professor Mounib el Eid, the supportof the Lebanese National Council ofScientific Research, and the vision ofAUB’s Physics Department and the FAS Dean’s office, which promotedcollaborations with universities in theUnited States and Europe, and enabledher to participate in numerousconferences around the globe.

Manal Abdel Samad najd, PhD (MBA’09) With her MBA in finance, Manalwas elected as a lifetime member ofBeta Gama Sigma, the InternationalHonor Society for Collegiate Schools ofBusiness, in 2010. In 2014, she receiveda doctorate in law from Paris I-Pantheon, Sorbonne with veryhonorable distinction and unanimouscongratulations from the jury. Manalstill heads the VAT Legislation and TaxPolicies Department at the LebaneseMinistry of Finance. Since fall 2009,she has been a part-time instructor atSaint-Joseph University in Beirut,teaching courses in leadership,management, public finance andtaxation. Dr. Najd continues to

organize, lead, and participate innumerous conferences and seminarsrelated to taxation, public governanceand female leadership andempowerment. She writes, “The wideexperience I acquired at AUB helpedme to keep up in today’s competitiveenvironment.” [manalasn@yahoo.com]

Hisham Chreih (MA ’10) has held theposition of project manager at TarjamatTranslations, an online translationagency located in New York, sinceOctober 2014.

Farah Saad (BS ’11) writes, “Icompleted my master’s degree incellular and molecular biology, and am now a second year PhD student atMcGill University doing research incellular epithelial cancer at the Institutde Recherche Clinique de Montréal. Ideeply miss the AUB campus and hopeto visit soon. I made my best memoriesand friends there.”

Bilal Al najjar (BA ’14) writes, “Igraduated with a degree in publicadministration. My courses weremainly in public policy and publicmanagement, with a focus on thelatter. I’m currently working at the Erbilbranch of oil field services companyBaker Hughes as an account manager. I concentrate on sales, marketing anddaily operations.”

Mohamad Melhem (BEN ’14) iscurrently pursuing a career in themusic industry. He has completed acourse at Berklee College of Music and is planning on enhancing hisproduction skills at at dBs Music,Berlin. Mohamad has released twosingles on iTunes.[www.facebook.com/mqubeofficial][msm30@mail.aub.edu]

Firas Mourad (BEN ’14) writes, “Igraduated from AUB in electrical andcomputer engineering and have beenworking for a bit more than a year inAbu Dhabi. I am in my second year of a master’s program in systems andcontrol engineering at UniversitéJoseph Fourier in Grenoble, France.Hopefully, I will be able to go on for aPhD when I finish. AUB was a greatpart of my life, and hopefully will stayas such. One common thing to all AUBgraduates is that they never get overAUB, and reminiscing about our timethere is a recurrent activity.”[mourad.firas@gmail.com]

Ziad yamut (BA ’14) Though Ziadenrolled in AUB in 1986, it wasn’t untillast year that he earned a degree inpublic administration. Forced toabandon his AUB studies to help hisfamily during the civil war years, thehardships he encountered did nothingto dampen his spirits. Working as anFEA library assistant is only thebeginning for Ziad, who devotes asmuch time as he can to his passion forthe arts. “The fine arts and performingarts refine your being . . . when yousing, draw, sculpt, and photograph,you find yourself connected withcreative ideas that take you away fromthe physical, materialistic world.” Hismotto is, “Be yourself no matter whatthey say.” [zy02@aub.edu.lb]

AUB Everywhere 00s

“The wideexperience Iacquired atAUB helped

me to keep upin today’s

competitiveenvironment.”

Manal Abdel SamadNajd, PhD(MBA ’09)

In MemoriamFuad Sami Haddad (BA ’44, MD ’48) passedaway on October 9 in Beirut, where he wasborn in 1924. Trained in neurosurgery underleading neurosurgeon Dr. Wilder Penfield atthe Montreal Neurological Institute (McGillUniversity), Haddad returned to Beirut in1954 as the first fully trained neurosurgeon in the entire Arab world. He was a regionalpioneer in this new specialty. Haddad taughtat the FM for nearly six decades, was chair ofthe department of surgery for many years,

and finished his distinguished career asemeritus professor of neurosurgery. Duringthe difficult years of the Lebanese civil war,he tirelessly and selflessly cared for the floodof patients pouring into AUBMC. He issurvived by his wife Aida Nasir (RN DIPLM’56), his six children: Georges (MD ’85),Suhayl (MD ’86), Fadi (MD ’88), Nabih, Labib (BS ’88) and Janane (BS ’94), and 14 grandchildren.

Alumni

Notices forIn Memoriammay be sent tomaingate@aub.edu.lb

Mamdouha el-Sayed Bobst (BA ’47) passedaway on September 10. Born in Tripoli,Lebanon in 1925, she earned a post-graduatediploma from the University of Birmingham,UK, and a master’s degree in public healtheducation from University of California,Berkeley. A true visionary, Bobst dedicatedher life to healthcare and education advocacyin the Middle East and North America(MENA). Following her graduate studies, she went to Libya with the World HealthOrganization (WHO), advising the newlyindependent government on public healthissues, and championing the need forhospitals and nursing programs. This led to a post with UNICEF, and then to the UnitedNations, where she became one of theyoungest serving delegates to the UN GeneralAssembly. In 1961, Mamdouha marriedpharmaceutical executive Elmer HolmesBobst who shared her passion for publichealth, education, and social justice. TheElmer and Mamdouha Bobst Foundation is

one the most significant benefactors in AUB’shistory. Their transformative donations haveenhanced all areas of concern to theUniversity, most notably medical care,research, and facilities. A member of AUB’sBoard of Trustees and International AdvisoryCouncil, Bobst was also a benefactor of NewYork University, NYU Langone MedicalCenter, Princeton University, the AnimalMedical Center, Memorial Sloan KetteringCancer Center, and the American CancerSociety, among other institutions andorganizations. She is survived by her brotherFarouk; her sisters May, Nada and Salma;nephews and nieces Mazen Kamel, MD (BS’79), Rima Kamel Al Abbas (BS ’80, MS ’82),Douha El-Sayed Ead, Haitham Kamel (BEN’84), Toufic El-Sayed, Sana Jadir, Lina Jadir,PhD; Nadine Farah Soulier, and RandaEl-Sayed Haffer (BA ’90) who is a trustee ofAUB and serves as director of the BobstFoundation.

Fuad Sami Haddad(BA ’44, MD ’48)

Mamdouha el-Sayed Bobst(BA ’47)

Anis Srouji (BA ’49, BSCE ’50) passed awayon May 11 at the age of 87. Born in Nazareth,Palestine, Srouji attended a Catholic ParishSchool before moving to Lebanon with hisbrothers to join the Quaker Society of Friendshigh school in Brumanna. He worked for abrief time in Syria before returning toNazareth, where he enjoyed a long,successful career as a civil engineer. Hislegacy includes projects at significant

landmarks throughout Palestine. He workedextensively on residential housing, schools,and churches, including the St. Joseph GreekCatholic Church, the convent of the Sisters of St. Mary in Nazareth, the Church of theAnnunciation in Nazareth, the church of St. Peters in Kfar Nahoum (near Tiberias), thePilgrims House attached to the Church of theNativity in Bethlehem, the Peace Mosque inNazareth, and on renovations at the Church

Anis Srouji(BA ’49, BSCe ’50)

6564

Alumni

Abdulaziz Al Bahar (BA ’53) passed away onSeptember 23 at the age of 84. He was a Goldmember of the AUB 1866 Society, adistinguished group of regular donors toAUB, and a co-founder of the AUB AlumniClub in Kuwait in 1954. After earning aneconomics degree, Al Bahar returned to hishome country of Kuwait and worked invarious government departments, includingpublic works, housing, and planning. He wasthe first director of the Kuwait Fund for ArabEconomic Development (KFAED) and thecofounder the Commercial Bank of Kuwait,where he oversaw a vast expansion as head of

its administrative board from 1963 to 1977.The Emir of Kuwait entrusted him with theestablishment of the Kuwaiti Company forTrading, Contracting and Foreign Investment.He cofounded the Kuwait Insurance Companyand led the Administrative Board of theNational Industries Company in Kuwait. Anerudite, broadly cultured man, Al Baharstrove to engage Kuwaiti youth in the bankingsector. His example will continue to inspirefuture generations throughout the MiddleEast. He is survived by his children: Adnan,Iman, Ebtesam, Ahmed, and Maha.

Ahmad Shafiq Al-khatib (BS ’56, MA ’58)Born in Palestine in 1926, Al-Khatib passedaway on June 13. He was an Arab linguist, alexicographer, an educator, and ahumanitarian. A promising medical studentwhose studies were interrupted by the 1948Nakba, Al-Khatib turned to teaching, whichbecame a lifelong passion. In 1964, he joinedLibrairie du Liban Publishers as a technicaladviser and soon became head of theirdictionaries department. It was in thatcapacity that his works in lexicography,translation and scientific writing becameknown throughout the Arab World andinternationally. His English-Arabic

dictionaries for science, engineering,medicine, and agriculture remain standardreferences. A sought-after authority on thehistory and principles of Arabic translationand technical writing, Al-Khatib enjoyedguiding the process of coining new Arabicscientific terms. He received many honorsthroughout his life, including the JosephZaarour medal for excellence in scientificresearch, and recognition from UNESCO andSaint-Joseph University. Al-Khatib is survivedby his wife Shirine Irani (BA ’58), and threesons: Hani (BEN ’83), Ziad (BS ’83, MD ’86),and Ramzi (BEN ’85). The family named anAUB bench in his honor.

Abdulaziz Al Bahar(BA ’53)

Ahmad Shafiq Al-khatib(BS ’56, MA ’58)

of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. Sroujiwas a member of the first elected City Councilof Nazareth in 1954, a charter member of theNazareth Rotary Club, a member of the YMCAcommittee and a founding member of the

Cultural Center of Nazareth. In 1961, hemarried Siham Tannous who predeceaseshim. He is survived by four children: Wafa,Issam, Mona and Waseem.

wafa George Assaf (BBP ’58) passed away atthe age of 77 on August 2, 2014 at his home inLa Jolla, California. He was born at theAmerican University of Beirut Hospital andattended International College. Growing upon the shores of the Mediterranean, Assafwas an accomplished track and field athlete,swimmer, and lifeguard. He served asassistant director of athletics at AUB from1958 through 1960 when he started hisbanking career, joining Bank of Beirut and-Arab Countries. In 1973, he joined ChemicalBank of New York when it acquired RabiyaBank and entered Lebanon. Assaf met hiswife Nancy Corbin when she joined the AUBlibrary staff as an assistant university

librarian in 1968. They were married thefollowing year, and their sons Kamal andWilliam were born in Beirut. The familyrelocated to La Jolla, California in 1975 whereAssaf worked for Bank of America, first in itsInternational Banking Office, and latermoving to the California Division as a branchmanager assigned to several differentbranches. He retired in 1992. He was a greatadvocate for Lebanese culture and cuisine,making annual trips to Lebanon to see hisfamily and friends in Monsef and Beirut. Heis survived by his wife Nancy, his sons Kamaland William, a sister Amal Assaf Madany, abrother Talal Assaf, and a granddaughter.

wafa George Assaf (BBP ’58)

In Memoriam

Anis Srouji(cont’d)

Alumni

Mona Takieddine Amyuni (MA ’70)

Mona Takieddine Amyuni, PhD (MA ’70)passed away on September 23 in Beirut at theage of 82. Amyuni received a PhD in literaturefrom the Sorbonne, and was a long servingfaculty member at AUB, and a senior lecturer

in the Civilization Studies Program (CVSP) atthe time of her death. She was an influentialteacher whose love for literature, mythologyand history inspired generations of students.

He elias Skaff (BS ’75) passed away onOctober 10 after a long illness. Hewas elected to the Lebanese parliament ashead of the Popular Bloc in the easternBeqa’a Valley in 1992 following the death ofhis father HE Joseph Skaff. HE Elias Skaff wasreelected for Zahle's Catholic seat in 2001 and2005. He was a participant in the NationalDialogue in 2006 and served as a minister inseveral governments until 2009, includingminister of industry in 2003 in thegovernment of Rafic Hariri, minister ofagriculture in 2004 and 2005 in the OmarKarmai government, and agriculture ministerin the cabinet of PM Fouad Siniora. Born inCyprus on October 11, 1948, Skaff spent his

childhood in New Zealand with his mother.He returned to Lebanon at the age of 16 andgraduated from AUB’s Faculty of Agriculture.He was a devoted AUB alumnus, a dynamicmember of the FAFS External Advisory Board,and a preeminent philanthropist whosesupport of education in rural areas, andfounding of charitable institutions will havelasting impact in the Beqa’a, Zahle, andLebanon. He donated a substantial tract ofland to establish a branch campus of theLebanese University in Beqa’a to encourageyoung students to stay and receive theireducation in their home towns. HE Skaff issurvived by his wife Myriam Gebran Tawkand their two children Joseph and Gebran.

He elias Skaff(BS ’75)

Farouq Abawi (BS ’76) passed away onSeptember 1 at the age of 66 in Ohio where heand his family have been living for the pasteight years. One of the top students at AUB,Abawi was on the Dean’s list throughout hisstudies. He received a PhD in animal scienceand nutrition from the University ofNebraska, where he also proved to be anexceptional student, holding a 4.0 grade

point average. Farouq met his wife Amina atAUB, and they were married in Beirut whilethey were both still students. A professor atthe University of Guam for 20 years, Abawihad returned to AUB to teach at FAFS from1985-88. He is survived by his wife Amina, hischildren Suleiman, Arzo and Farina, and ten grandchildren. Farouq Abawi

(BS ’76)

Friends Jean-Marie Cook, former chair of the EnglishDepartment, passed away on October 18 inGordonsville, Virginia where she spentsummer vacations on her farm. Born inBoston, Massachusetts in 1932, she was agraduate of Middlebury (BA ’54), Radcliffe(MA ’55), and Harvard (PhD ’60). Cook cameto Beirut with her husband, linguist andEnglish Professor Daniel Cook in 1963. Shestayed on as an English professor after hisdeath in 1987, weathering wars anddisruptions of all kinds in a country shethought of as her true home. After herretirement in 1999, Cook remained active inuniversity life where she continued to exertinfluence as an exacting editor of AUB’s

magazines, newsletters, and invaluablereferences such as Great Scholar Teachers(2000) and scores of honorary degreeprograms prized for compelling profiles of thehonorees. Cook was a feisty, adventurousspirit who remained vigorous until herrecent, brief battle with cancer. An avidlifelong learner and teacher, she was knownas a gracious host, and an athletic skier,sailor, walker, and swimmer. She is survivedby two stepsons, Tom and John Cook andseveral nieces and nephews. Cook also leavesbehind a thousand friends who will have toimagine Beirut without her powerfulpresence. MainGate will miss her.

Jean-Marie Cook

66 67

In Memoriam

The sun’s last lingering rays now glistenAcross old Ocean’s placid breast;

The birds grow silent while we listenAs one by one they seek their rest;

The mountains, proud in all their glory,Reflect the splendour of the sea,

And with their battlements so hoaryStand guard o’er SPC

The day’s hard tasks are left behind us,The morrow’s are still far away,

And bonds of friendship closely bind usAs gently fades the light of day.

About the Campus now we gather,Firm friends for evermore to be,

For friendships are not made to witherThat grow in SPC

Our voices mingle with our laughterTo swell the glad and joyous note;

There are no cares in our hereafterAs down life’s stream we gaily float,

For well we know, come care or troubleThe man to win will surely be

He who has taken care to doubleHis strength at SPC

Amid the glories that surround us,Glories of Earth and Sea and Sky,

The chiefest splendour shed around us,Though not apparent to the eye,

Is one which sets our hearts abeatingAs if with some wild melody

As spirit voices keep repeating“you’re sons of SPC”

So in this solemn evening hourWe consecrate our lives anew,

Determined to use all our powerIn doing what we find to do

With all our heart, mind, strength and soulSo that we evermore may be,

However long the years may roll,Worthy of SPC

Henry W. Glockler (BC 1912)Aleppo, 1915

Sunset Glow

We Remember

Fawzi n. Abu Jamra BA ’54, MD ’58

Alberto Guilo vincenti BS ’57

Georges Sayegh BA ’59

walid Awwad Atwa BS ’62, MD ’66

nabil Fouad el khoury BBA ’62, MBA ’65

Basile G. nafpaktitis BS ’62, MS ’63

Makram Abdul Baki BEN ’67

karim Alamuddin BA ’70

Labib Toufic Farhat BEN ’78

Hassan yassin BS ’05, PhD ’13

Judith Barratt Former student, 1969-72

Ralph w. Deblois Friend

william S. Flash Friend

Faten Hamama Friend

enaam Mabsout Friend

In 1911, alumnus H. Glockler brought the largeeucalyptus tree located north of theAssembly Hall from Jerusalem in abiscuit tin.

Read more in “The Origins andFuture of AUB’s Green Campus.”

6968

A lot has happened in the last 150 years.

Stay tuned for major celebrations during AUB’s 150th anniversary!

Return Address

American University of Beirut3 Dag Hammarskjold Plaza8th FloorNew York, NY 10017-2303

Photo: Bliss Street, ca. 1900.