Alumni Career Conversations: Pia Wiche (MS '12) Danilo Granato (MS '12)

Faisal Nawab is an assistant professor of computer science and engineering in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, where he works on developing‏ systems for quick and accurate data analysis of new applications in cloud computing and Big Data.

The Alumni Lecture Series is a signature event showcasing the global impact of KAUST alumni. An invitation to speak on the Alumni Lecture Series is a highly sought after opportunity – in March every year, there’s a call for nominations for alumni to present at WEP.

In this episode of Alumni Conversations, Dharani Dhar Burra chats with Alumni Affairs during lockdown 2020, as he was stuck in Jakarta, Indonesia, where he was working with the United Nations Global Pulse Program.

Three inspirational women, all PhD graduates, in conversation with KAUST SciCafe’s Dr Naadiya Caarim, Research Engagement Manager talking about their pathways into academia and industry, the importance of female networks, and how they’re paving the way for other women in STEM.  

Founding class alumnus Marie-Jean Thoraval (PhD ’13), from the School of Aerospace at Xi'an Jiaotong University, China, is in conversation with Lea Sublett, Manager of Alumni Affairs, about his career in academia as a professor of fluid dynamics.  

Alumni Affairs spoke to Mexican alumnus and biotechnology engineer Dr Eriko Padron-Regalado. With research experience in vaccine development for coronavirus diseases, he’s currently collaborating with different organizations around the globe.

During the COVID-19 lockdown in Saudi Arabia in June 2020, Alumni Affairs met alumnus Junjie Xiong, MS ’11, not long after he returned to his office in Hangzhou, China.  In this conversation, Junjie talks about his MS studies in engineering at KAUST, and the long road home almost entirely overland from Saudi Arabia to China via the Silk Road.

Alumni Affairs hosted an Alumni Career Conversation on Academia VS Industry – one or the other or can I have both? As part of the Fall KAUST Career Fair,  watch 3 KAUST alumni discuss their career journeys in consulting, entrepreneurship and academia.

This was a virtual live event from October 22, 2020. 

Alumnus Eduardo Gorron from the KAUST Chemical and Biological Engineering program, speaks with Ben Stevens as part of a special Sciencetown series on personalized medicine. 

KAUST alumnus Dimitrios Kleftogiannis is a postdoctoral fellow at the Genome Institute of Singapore. He speaks with Ben Stevens as part of a special Sciencetown series on personalized medicine. 

Alumni Speaker: Wail Bamhair – Class of 2010, M.S. Electrical Engineering CEO Taqnia Energy

This Alumni Virtual Networking Hour took place on Tuesday June 30, 2020 with three alumni working for NEOM.

Strategy Manager for KPMG (Khobar), Alaa Ezzeddine touches on his career and decision to pursue a PhD at KAUST. 

PhD ’19 in Plant Science and MS ’14 in Bioscience. Currently based in Ireland, Nadia also sits on the Saudi Arabian Alumni Chapter.