MATERIALS SCIENCE NEWSLETTER ISSUE # 1 Materials Science Newsletter | P CONTENTS Director’s message 1 Faculty members and staff2 Graduate Students Union members3 Students Activities4 Conferences Lectures and Seminars Presentations Lab Activities Site visits Student’s research projects Workshops Interview Achievements Announcements10 Upcoming Events11 Let’s Talk12 Materials Science Newsletter | P DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE WELCOME MESSAGE Dear Students and Colleagues, I am pleased to share with you our inaugural issue of the Materials Science newsletter. The main purpose of starting this newsletter is to keep the members of the Materials Science family up to date with the activities going on in the department. Materials Science and Technology program is the first MSc program of its kind that is offered in Qatar University and was initiated in September 2013. It currently has a total strength of 15 students from various industries and academic backgrounds. The program mainly focuses on the understanding of scientific principles, analysis and evaluation of the characteristics and behavior of materials, including nano/microstructures, physical and chemical properties, energy thermodynamics of materials, transformation states and processes, compound materials and research on industrial applications of specific materials. Last semester has been very eventful for the students and professors alike where the students had attended and participated in various conferences as well as had been on an industrial visit to see and the understand the applications of the Materials science field. We look forward to an even more eventful and exciting semester where we hope to see the students participate in academic as well as extra-curricular activities within the university. In conclusion, I encourage you all to share with us any interesting articles you wish to add to the newsletter’s next issue. Also, if you have any comments on the newsletter on how we can improve, please send an email to Sharon at [email protected]. I wish you all the best. Sincerely, Dr. Mariam Al-Maadeed Materials Science Newsletter | P 1 FACULTY MEMBERS AND STAFF Dr. Mariam A. Al-Maadeed Associate professor of Materials Science and Technology Director - Center for Advanced Materials Dr. Muhammad Maqbool Associate Professor Dr. Mohamed Youssry Abdelnaby Lecturer Mr. Jaleelurrahman Syed Laboratory Technician Ms. Sharon Saldanha Materials Science and Technology Master Coordinator MATERIALS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AFFILIATED GRADUATE FACULTY MEMBERS Dr. Hans Roven Qatalum/Hydro Faculty Chair Professor Center of Advanced Materials Dr. Geir Martin Qatalum/Hydro Faculty Chair Professor Center of Advanced Materials Dr. Khalid Abdullah Majid Al-Saad Associate Professor of Analytical Chemistry Dr. Ilham Yousef Al-Qaradawi Professor of Nuclear Physics For more information on the faculty and staff, please visit: http://www.qu.edu.qa/msp/faculty.php Materials Science Newsletter | P 2 GRADUATE STUDENTS UNION MEMBERS Ms. Wafa Suwaileh President Mr. Omar Al- Jarod Vice President Ms. Alaa Hassiba Secretary Ms. Manal Al Salama Treasurer Materials Science Newsletter | P 3 STUDENTS ACTIVITIES CONFERENCES 1. Annual research conference, Qatar Foundation- 25-24 Nov. 2013 ARC› 13 was a 2 day conference which included a series of presentations and panel discussions on crucial issues such as Qatar’s cyber and water security; solar and renewable energy solutions; health management systems, as well as the preservation of its Arabian heritage and language. The students attended and participated in this event and Dr. Muhammad Maqbool was one of the reviewers. For more information on the event, please visit: http://www.qf-arc.org/ 2. Materials and Chemistry for New Energy Technologies Symposium- 12 Dec. 2013 This was a one-day international symposium held on December 12 at QU, to discuss on the latest research, ideas, challenges and solutions in the field of carbon storage, photochemistry and new materials. The symposium titled “Materials and Chemistry for New Energy Technologies” was coorganized by College of Arts & Sciences Department of Chemistry and Earth Sciences with the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC), and drew international experts and researchers to network and develop collaboration and partnerships to advance research in chemical sciences that would ultimately benefit society. The event was attended by the students and professors.. 3. IPTC Conference 22-19 Jan. 2014 The International Petroleum Technology Conference (IPTC) is an annual event rotating between Asia Pacific and the Middle East. The scope of the conference program and associated industry activities was to address technology and relevant industry issues that challenge industry professionals and management around the world. The IPTC is a collaborative effort among the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG); the European Association of Geoscientists and Engineers (EAGE); the Society of Exploration Geophysicists (SEG); and the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE). The synergy of these four, leading, individual-member driven societies provides the most comprehensive opportunity to form multi disciplinary committees and an outstanding technical program. For more information on the event, please visit: http://www.iptcnet.org/2014/doha/ Materials Science Newsletter | P 4 4. Materials Science and Engineering Symposium- 18 Feb. 2014 Qatar University and Texas A&M University at Qatar jointly organized the Annual Symposium on Material Sciences and Engineering on 18th February 2014 where experts from academic institutions, Research centers, companies, and government organizations participated in order to discuss the latest advances in materials science and engineering. The theme of this year’s symposium was to discuss advances in materials research that are needed in order to support the various industries and research grand challenges in the state of Qatar. The symposium featured speakers from top international academic institutions, Qatar Environment and Energy Research Institute, Qatar University, Texas A&M University at Qatar, and several companies. Materials Science graduate students had presented their posters and among which, Ms. Wafa Suwaileh won the first prize for her poster presentation titled “Characterization of Ancient Coins from Al Zubarah, Qatar Using Light Microscope, SEM–EDS and XRF”. For more information on the event, please visit: http://www.qu.edu.qa/camsymposium/2014/ Materials Science Newsletter | P 5 5. Qatar Islamic Heritage Exhibition at Carnegie Mellon The opening of the exhibition “Journey through the Arts and times” of the Museum of Sheikh Faisal Bin Qassim Al Thani, was held on 13th March 2014 on the occasion of the 10th anniversary celebration of the founding of Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar where eminent persons such as Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani and esteemed ministers were invited. The event was attended by the students. 6. Ims/7 International Conference on Advances in Engineering Materials- 18-20 March 2014, American University of Sharjah Mr. Ismail Balogun (student) had participated at the Sharjah Conference where he presented a poster on his research project titled “Surface characterization and the effect of temperature on the structural and optical properties of AlN doped with rare-earth elements (Ho, Gd, Tm)”. For more information on the event, please visit: http://www.aus.edu/IMS7 7. THE 3RD WNU School on Radiation Technologies, Hamad Medical Corporation- 7 - 20 March 2014. The program consisted of; • Lectures by prominent experts in radioisotopes and radiation technologies • Presentations by distinguished speakers • Visits to RT-related sites The event was organized by Dr. Ilham Al-Qardawi and was attended by the students. For more information on the event, please visit: http://wnusrt.hamad.qa/en/program_n/course/course.aspx 8. Al Shaqab Visit- 18 March 2014 Al Shaqab, a member of Qatar Foundation, organized a tour of their facility where Arab thoroughbred horses are managed and bred. The students visited the training center where they learned about the innovative systems and technologies that are utilized in the training of these magnificent animals. The students learned how the horses are cared for by the provision of specialized food, housing and veterinary care. The students also visited the specialized swimming pool where the horses undergo controlled and specialized exercises. Materials Science Newsletter | P 6 LECTURES AND SEMINARS List of lectures and seminars where various professors and industry persons were invited to give presentations to the graduate students. 1. Rheological Characterization of polymeric materials by Prof. Mahmoud Abdel , Professor of Nanotechnology& Head of Chemical Engineering Department, El-Minia University, Egypt. 2. Development of Eco-Tox protocols to support risk assessment capacity by Dr. Suhur Saeed, Senior Environmental Scientist, Exxon Mobil. 3. Luminescence from in Rare-Earth elements for high efficiency photonic devices by Prof. Muhammad Maqbool, Associate Professor, Materials Science Master Program, Qatar University. 4. A Glance on Electrochemistry in Energy and Environmental Research by Prof. Aboubakr M. Abdullah Ali, Assistant Professor, Center of Advanced Materials, Qatar University. 5. Materials Science – Application at Industry by Mr. Wakeel Khalid, Research and Development Manager, Qatar Steel. 6. Improvement of endothelial cell growth on plasma treated vascular grafts: potential clinical impact by Dr. Morana Jaganjac Senior Lab Scientist in the Toxicology and Multipurpose Labs at ADLQ 7. Materials in Energy Systems by Dr. Fahad Al Harbi, QEERI. 8. Lecture on Research methodology by Dr. Bilal Mansour, TEXAS, A & M. PRESENTATIONS 1. Corrosion Behavior in welded Al6063-Alloy in collaboration with Hydro, Qatalum and CAM by Ms. Shaikha al-Remaihi at Qatalum. 2. Carbon Nanotube and Block copolymer nanostructures by Ms. Wafa Suwaileh at Qatar Foundation. 3. Mechanical Properties of Materials and Types of Research, by Mr. Jassim Al-Mejali at Qatalum. Materials Science Newsletter | P 7 LAB ACTIVITIES Qatar University has various state of the art labs with a variety of specialized equipment which the students use to do their research projects. Some of the equipment acquired by the Materials Science lab are; 1. NIKON Polarizing Microscope 2. RF Sputtering system (to be received soon) 3. Refractrometer 4. ISOMET 2114 SITE VISITS ExxonMobil visit - 8 Dec. 2013 In order to enrich the industry experience, the students had been a site visit to ExxonMobil at QSTP where they saw how the study on toxicity/ bioavailability of materials in marine or wastewater was conducted. Materials Science Newsletter | P 8 STUDENT’S RESEARCH PROJECTS 1. “Characterization of Ancient Coins from Al Zubarah, Qatar Using Light Microscope, SEM–EDS and XRF” in collaboration with UCL and QU, by Ms. Wafa Ali Suwaileh. 2. “Qatalum’s 1st cut spent spot lining; Characterization and Applications” by Mr. Omar Al- Jarod. 3. “Novel Xanthine–Based Electroactive Materials for Biosensing Applications” by Mr. Ahmed Ramadan, Mr. Omar Al- Jarod and Dr. Mohamed Youssry. 4. “Surface and elemental analysis of AlN doped with Rare earth elements” by Mr. Ismail Balogun and Dr. Muhammad Maqbool. 5. “Corrosion Inhibition of C-Steel in HCl Solution by H-Benzotriazole (H-BTA), Potassium Iodide (KI) and Potassium Thiocyanate (KSCN)” by Mr. Jassim Al-Mejali. 6. “Destructive Effects of Gamma Irradiation on Epoxy Coating” by Ms. Amina Hamza. WORKSHOPS • Graduate Writing Workshop #3 attended by the students on 22 Dec. 2013. • Manuscript Writing Workshop attended by the students on 9 Feb. 2014. INTERVIEW Al Rayyan TV filming Al Rayyan TV had filmed one of the Materials Science lectures and Mr. Jassim Al-Mejali who is a Qatari student and currently working with Qatalum, was interviewed where he was asked to share his experiences as a student of the program, the relevance of this program in the market and his prospective future as a Materials Engineer. ACHIEVEMENTS • Wafa won the first prize at the Materials Science and Engineering Symposium held at CAM, QU on 18th February 2014. • Mr. Omar Al- Jarod, Dr. Muhammad Maqbool and Mr. Ismail Balogun’s paper has been accepted for Ims/7 International Conference on Advances in Engineering Materials- American University of Sharjah which was held on 18th-20th March 2014. Materials Science Newsletter | P 9 ANNOUNCEMENTS • Prof. Mariam Al-Maadeed won the Emiri Incentive Award. • Student, Mr. Jassim Al-Mejali got engaged. • 9 students have joined the program for Spring 2014. • Dr. Muhammad Maqbool’s one paper is published in the journal ‘Computer Physics Communications’ while another one is under review in the same journal. Dr. Maqbool’s other papers are also under review in the journals ‘Current Applied Physics’ and ‘Optical Materials’. • Dr. Mariam Al-Maadeed’s papers have been published in ‘Materials and Design journal’, ‘Carbon, Arabian Journal of Chemistry’, ‘Applied Composite Materials’, ‘Journal of Thermal Analysis’ and ‘Calorimetry journal’. • Dr. Mohamed Youssry’s papers have been published in ‘Journal of the Electrochemical Society’ and ‘Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics’. • Dr. Uwe Bischoff from Volkswagen is in collaboration with Materials Science program for Ismail’s thesis project. Materials Science Newsletter | P 10 UPCOMING EVENTS 1. Materials Science MSc program is open for registration for Fall 2014. 2. Graduate Open House Day- QU campus- 1 April 2014. College of Arts and Sciences will host an open house day for all its graduate programs. The Materials Science graduate program will have a booth where all information regarding the program will be presented. Please feel free to invite your colleagues and friends to the event. Please find below the details of the event: Date: 1 April 2014 Time: 12 pm - 4 pm Venue: New Research Complex, Auditorium 3. “Electrochemical deposition of high purity silicon in molten salts”- seminar to be presented by Dr. Geir Martin, Qatalum/Hydro Faculty Chair Professor, Center of Advanced Materials, Qatar University on 6th April 2014 at CAS, Corridor E,4 pm- 5pm. Materials Science Newsletter | P 11 LET’S TALK Ms. Wafa Suwaileh talks about her experience as a graduate student with the Materials Science Graduate Program. 1. Tell us about yourself I did my bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Aden University and I am currently working with Qatar Foundation. I am a student of the first batch of Materials Science Masters program. 2. Why did you choose this master’s program? My studies in the Chemistry-Biology program involved learning about all of the sciences and the interactions between types of matter. Chemistry, Mathematics, Biology and Physics are at the heart of environmental issues. For this reason, I had envisioned my future career as being a leader in Material science and technology field. 3. What is the future you see for yourself, once you have graduated from this program? I aim to be the first archaeologist in Qatar and dedicate my research to the study of ancient coins and artefacts as well do my PhD. 4. How has your experience been so far, as a graduate student? It has been very rewarding both personally as well as professionally. Materials Science Newsletter | P 12 5. Tell us about your research project. My research project is about the study of ancient coins found in Al Zubarah, in collaboration with Qatar Museums Authority, UCL and Qatar University. I intended to study the Islamic coins of different locations in Qatar and started to perform a non-destructive analysis of samples at Qatar University Laboratories as well as today, I have visited University College London for analyzing ancient Islamic coins and the nondestructive techniques have been as mentioned below; 3D Stereo microscopes (Leica 205A, 165M): produced three-dimensional visualization photos of the coins and was obtained about 35 photos of different parts of the coins. Portable XRF: enabled to identify the chemical composites of coins, precious metal alloy grades in seconds also demonstrated by a graph. The conservation and materials science laboratories at UCL Qatar are amongst the most advanced and highly equipped in the Middle East. 6. As the president of the Materials Science students union, what are your plans for it? We are planning to have site visits with TOTAL , MAERSK Oil and Qatalum. We are also planning to have workshops with QScience. For more information on the program, please visit: http://www.qu.edu.qa/msp/index.php For registration to the program, please visit: http://www.qu.edu.qa/students/admission/graduate/apply.php For any inquires and further assistance, please contact us on: Email: [email protected] / [email protected] Location: College of Arts and Sciences (male), Corridor D, Room 103 Tel: 00974-4403-6804 Materials Science Newsletter | P 13