Abu Dhabi-UAE: 15 April, 2012 – Masdar Institute of Science and Technology, an independent, research-driven graduate-level university focused on advanced energy and sustainable technologies, today announced the last year’s graduating students who are employed, have performed remarkably well, reflecting the depth of working knowledge in clean energy students gain from the Abu Dhabi-based institution.
Out of the 72 who graduated in the 2011 batch, two students – Rana Qudeh and Steven Meyers – have also won international acclaim, bringing honor to Masdar Institute. Rana Qudaih received the Borealis Student Innovation Award, while Steven Meyers was selected in the esteemed Forbes 30 ‘Under 30’ achievers list in the ‘clean energy’ category.
More than half of the last year’s graduating students accepted employment offers, reflecting the good career prospects available for its graduates in the fast growing clean energy and advanced technologies sector. Some of them are continuing their doctoral studies at Masdar Institute, while others are attending overseas universities including the University of Waterloo, Imperial College, and University of South Dakota.
In fact, five Masdar Institute graduates have accepted employment offers from organizations in the US, while 29 of them are currently employed in the UAE itself including some with other units of Masdar. Two have been chosen by an organization in Saudi Arabia, while one post-graduate has gone to work with an NGO in Africa and another one received a job offer from Germany.
Dr Fred Moavenzadeh, President of Masdar Institute, said: “The extent of success achieved by these students strongly demonstrates the significant value Masdar Institute graduates bring to their employers. It also validates the extent of our human capital development and the knowledge creation that happen at Masdar Institute. Our graduates raise the benchmark in the operations of any organization and we thank the UAE’s leadership for their support in building the country’s true intellectual wealth.”
Masdar Institute alumnus Rana Qudeh, who majored in Mechanical Engineering and currently employed as a Manufacturing Engineer with Dubai Cable Company (Ducab), won the prestigious Borealis Student Innovation Award for her thesis on Polyolefins (plastics). Qudaih worked under the guidance of Dr. Isam Janajreh, Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, at Masdar Institute.
Similarly, Steven Meyers, who was part of the Laboratory for Energy and Nano Sciences (LENS) team under the guidance of Dr. Peter Armstrong, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering, was selected in the esteemed Forbes 30 ‘Under 30’ achievers list in the ‘clean energy’ category. Currently working with Saudi Aramco as Solar Engineer, Meyers and Dr. Armstrong conducted research in thermal and optical modeling of the Beam Down Solar Thermal Plant at Masdar City.
Also, Masdar Institute Electrical Power and Engineering Master’s student, Yousef Mahmoud, was the first author of the paper titled “A Simple Approach to Modeling and Simulation of Photovoltaic Modules” that was accepted for publication in IEEE Transactions on Sustainable Energy. His advisors, Masdar Institute Associate Professor Dr. Hatem Zeineldin, and Assistant Professor Michael Weidong Xiao, were co-authors of the paper.
Established as an ongoing collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Masdar Institute integrates theory and practice to incubate a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship. With its world-class faculty and top-tier students, the Institute is committed to finding solutions to the challenges of clean energy and climate change through education and research.
