Overseeing major space voyages to a number of stars and planets, Elachi has spent the last four decades quite literally staring into space. Earlier this year he played an instrumental part in the groundbreaking landing of the high-tech rover, named Curiosity, on Mars. The landing is perhaps the most important breakthrough since Apollo touched down on the Moon and was witnessed live by 50 million people in the U.S. alone. But Elachi insists he shares the same responsibilities, like buying the groceries or mowing the lawn, as the rest of us earthlings.

On Friday, Elachi brought a little bit of ethereality to LAU, where he delivered the lecture "Curiosity: the challenge and excitement of landing on Mars." His talk was followed by LAU bestowing upon him an honorary doctorate in Humane Letters in recognition of his extraordinary contributions to science.

Welcoming a guest audience that included senior army officials and Education Minister Hassan Diab, LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra extended an enthusiastic welcome to a man he said "needed no introduction." With over 230 scholarly articles and three major books under his belt, the principal developer of "a roadmap for exploration of our solar system" was an enduring source of inspiration to citizens across the world, Jabbra said.

Born and raised in the quiet Bekaa village of Riyaq, Elachi left Lebanon for France aged 16. He received a Master's and Ph.D. in electrical sciences from the California Institute of Technology. An avid learner, he went on to earn a second Master's degree in geology and an M.B.A. Forty years later, he still calls California home but spends his days traveling the solar system. He might work long hours but remarked, "It doesn't feel like" work. "I learn something new everyday and I absolutely love what I do."

No dream is too big, Elachi said. The landing of Curiosity was the result of a decade of painstaking teamwork. "It's amazing what humans can accomplish when they use their vision and ambition to accomplish something together."

Speaking on behalf of the student body, Georges Ayoub, under-secretary general for Public Information at LAU's Model United Nations, said the work of space explorers like Elachi was proof that the sky was no limit to ambition. "It reminds us that deep inside each and every one of us resides the potential for greatness," he said. "A potential nourished though constant learning, both inside the classroom and outside of it, and a concept that is engraved in the foundations of this very institution (LAU) to which we all belong."

Elachi's accomplishments are as starry as the sky itself. In 2010, the LAU Board of Trustees member received France's coveted Chevalier de la Légion d'Honneur award. In 2011, the Space Foundation decorated him with its highest honor, the General James E. Hill Lifetime Space Achievement Award. He is the recipient of the Royal Society of London's Massey Award, Lebanon's Order of Cedars, the American Task Force for Lebanon's Philip Habib Award for Distinguished Public Service, and several NASA awards. In 1989, 'Asteroid 1982 SU' was renamed '4116 Elachi' in recognition of his contribution to space and planetary exploration.

Earlier on Friday, Elachi, who is also a professor of electrical engineering and planetary science at Caltech, spoke to LAU's Astronomy Club about the exciting career opportunities in space. He himself began his career at JPL when he was still a student. But even for those whose passions don't lie in science, Elachi had this advice: "It doesn't matter what you are studying, what is important is that you do it with passion, do it well, and have a high degree of integrity... Everybody has something unique that they can contribute to society. Make sure you always remain curious. Anything is possible in this world."

Perhaps in other worlds, too.

This highly prestigious award honors an outstanding woman physician or scientist in North America who has furthered the practice and understanding of medicine and has made significant contributions in a field beyond medicine—such as humanities, arts or social sciences.

“She has been a pioneer in recognizing the contributions of others; her pioneering, unique, caring, generous, passionate, and humane contributions to medicine, nursing, and public health, the world over, are now being recognized,” says LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra spreading the news.

Eckhert, a pediatrician, is professor of family medicine and community health, professor in the graduate school of nursing and adjunct professor in public health at the University of Massachusetts medical school and a senior lecturer in pediatrics at Harvard Medical School. She currently works as the director of academic programs for Partners Harvard Medical International.

She was appointed interim dean of LAU’s School of Medicine in October 2010.

“Dr. Eckhert’s contributions to our School of Medicine and to UMC-RH have been, and will continue to be, significant and major in the advancement of both,” says Jabbra.

Indeed, Eckhert was instrumental in the creation of LAU’s medical school, a reflection of her widespread experience in academic medicine and in global health.

“Dedicated to the mentoring of students, Eckhert is an innovator in areas of medical investigation,” continues Jabbra.

Before taking on her Lebanese experience, Eckhert went to Africa, and Haiti, working with Project HOPE in primary care training in many sites around the world. She took a sabbatical year spent teaching at the University of Zimbabwe School of Medicine before landing at LAU Byblos where she first taught for two months. She has helped develop the governance and regulatory structure for the world’s first free health care zone in the U.A.E.

The Alma Dea Morani award is presented in the memory of Dr. Alma Dea Morani (1907-2001) who was the first woman to be admitted to the American Society of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. As the daughter of a famous sculptor, Morani combined her artistic talents with the emerging specialty of plastic surgery. Throughout her career she maintained her skill and interest as an artist and art collector.
“I feel very privileged to be given this recognition particularly considering the high caliber of women who received the award in the past,” says Eckhert.

“I am truly honored,” she enthuses.

Like Morani, Eckhert shares a profound appreciation for art and literature. Highly inspired by the life of pioneering women, Eckhert wrote “A Lady Alone” which is a one-woman play about the life of Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell, the first woman to receive a medical degree in the United States.

The Alma Dea Morani Renaissance Woman Award is presented by the Foundation for the History of Women in Medicine; this program is hosted by the Archives for Women in Medicine.

You could say that Beirut has its very own harlequin guardian angel, its unique Batman of the arts: a group of predominantly LAU alumni under the name Dihzahyners who paint the capital’s copious stairways and help turn Beirut into a friendlier, more colorful city.

Dihzahyners’ latest artistic endeavor took place on October 27 when over 50 people armed with brushes and goodwill converged at the Daraj el-Beera stairs in Mar Mikhayel and got down to painting.

The event, dubbed Paint Up! V.5, marked the ensemble’s fifth stair-painting venture, and drew many eager newcomers to the venue.

Painting stairs was customizable this time around; the Dishayhners squad put a miscellany of stencil patterns together, and people could choose which of them to paint on the stairs. The result was a colorful, eclectic mix of motifs and designs that brought vigor and congeniality to the area.

“I learned about the event from Facebook,” says Léa Yammine, a recent graduate from the University of Leeds, U.K.. “I used to walk by some of the painted stairs in the neighborhood and think, ‘What a brilliant idea!’ When I knew I could be part of this initiative, I just couldn’t wait to do it.”

If you’re wondering how it all began ,“It all started with the click of a ‘Like’,” says LAU alumna and designer Lana Chucri, co-founder of Dihzahyners. “A simple inspirational image we saw on Facebook of artists painting stairs in Germany with vibrant colors.; the possibility of executing this in Beirut started there.”

Indeed, the idea drew its first breath on April 8, 2012, when over a dozen LAU designers congregated at the stairs of Sakiet el-Janzir and got down to painting.

“We realized that we could add energy and vigor to our city by simply painting certain locations that needed it – and where else to start but with the stairs? They are plentiful in Beirut!” says LAU alumnus and Dihzahyners co-founder Jubran Elias.

As beautifully astonishing and heartwarming as the end product may be, painting Beirut’s stairs is not an easy task. “We have to get the approval of the municipality, as well as that of the neighboring residents,” says Elias. “We inform them of what we're doing, and make sure everyone is on board and supporting our initiative.”

As the saying goes, ‘life imitates art,’ and Dihzahyners’ ultimate goal transcends the confines of estheticism for that reason. “Our initiatives aren't about painting stairs for the sake of it,” says Chucri. “We want to change the city’s landscape and embellish the communities that people live in. Our visual surroundings affect our moods and behavior. We want people to walk down those colorful stairs feeling happy and refreshed.”

Doubtless, Jubran and Chucri’s hopes have long ago ceased to be sheer aspirations, and passers-by are far from being oblivious to the sanguine effect that Dihzahyners’ painted stairs have imparted on the city – and themselves.

“I like the fact that the saturated colors stand out and don't blend into the rest of the scenery,” says Samer Nakfour, a computer engineering graduate from the American University of Beirut, as he walks by the Mar Mikhayel stairs. “Maybe it's a metaphor that represents those who think differently in this country, the outliers and game changers.”
 

LAU President Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra, who participated in the event, stressed LAU’s full support of the implementation of Law 174 in its entirety.

“We live in community, on the basis of social contract; where one’s freedom end is where someone else’s freedom begins. It is people’s right to live healthy, breathe healthy, without being harmed by the smoke of others,” said Jabbra, reminding attendees that both Beirut and Byblos campuses have been smoke-free for more than a year.

The gathering that took place at the call of the American University of Beirut Tobacco Control Research group and civil society partners, brought together all prominent academic institutions, government officials, MPs, representatives from the health industry, the service industry, international organizations and other interested parties.

Hosted at the Order of Physicians, the meeting comes after MPs and tourism associations called for urgent amendments to the law that took effect on September 3, and that, according to them, has already resulted in tremendous business losses.

While some contend their businesses are suffering, the health effects of smoking are clear. It is the primary cause of 3,500 deaths in Lebanon every year, Dr. Sharaf Abou Sharaf, president of the Order of Physicians, reminded participants, noting that official research shows that Lebanese smoke more than one million packs of cigarettes daily. “Eighty percent of our children are subject to passive smoking at home and 70% in public spaces,” he said.

Ministry of Health Director General Dr. Walid Ammar said that the ministry would not give in to pressure. “This law is the implementation of an international agreement the ministry has signed, that was ratified by the parliament. Any amendment will only serve the tobacco companies.”

Since the law went into effect, restaurants and café owners have been demonstrating across the country, and a great number of televised debates on the topic have taken place.

“To allow exemptions on the smoking ban in certain establishments is totally contrary to one primary purpose of the law, which is to ensure a safe work environment,” said AUB President Dr. Peter Dorman. “Even if patrons could choose not to frequent a place where smoking is allowed, workers have no such choice. As tobacco control advocates explain succinctly: ‘Smoking is a choice, breathing is not’,” he added.

Dorman stressed that from New York City to Istanbul, laws banning public smoking have been implemented successfully, with no loss in revenue for businesses and with huge health benefits to all.

“This law was passed by the absolute majority of the 128 members of parliament,” MP Dr. Atef Majdalani, head of the Health Parliamentary Committee, reminded his colleagues, wondering what made some change their minds.

“When governments make decisions they are bound to implement them in full,” said Jabbra, adding that the government should be responsible for finding ways to compensate those who are adversely affected, and encouraging them implement the law.

The event took place during the annual international conference of the Allied Academies, a federation of 14 affiliated academies, each of which publishes academic journals for researchers in various fields of business. The Allied Academies have become a major player in the higher education scene in the U.S. and increasingly on a more global level.

"The importance of such an award lies in the fact that it is a recognition of a specific endeavor, 'strategic leadership.' It is a driver for change and innovation in the higher education sector," says Najjar. "And for this award to go to an executive officer of LAU, it reflects the global positioning of the university and the esteem in which it is held," he adds, pointing out that the achievement coincides with the implementation of the university's academic focused strategic plan, an ethos LAU is committed to.

"On a personal level it is gratifying that one's efforts are being recognized. It is an impetus to strive to continue the momentum," he says.

Prior to joining LAU in October 2012, Najjar was the founding dean of the Olayan School of Business at the American University of Beirut. He is the only dean from the Middle East to have served on the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) PreAccreditation Committee, which he served on for over two years.

"I am honored that Dr. Najjar is the first recipient of this award--his proven leadership abilities and strategic vision have been invaluable to the AACSB PreAccreditation Committee and Board of Directors," says John J. Fernandes, president and chief executive officer of AACSB International.

In an October 12 announcement, AACSB lauded Dr. Najjar's "exceptional leadership qualities and excellence in many areas including: academic planning, research management, fund-raising, innovation and institution-building, institutional and professional accreditation, and regional and international networking."

Echoing that sentiment, Dr. Jim Carland, executive director of the Academy of Strategic and Entrepreneurial Leadership said, "We are pleased to work with AACSB and John Fernandes, to present this award to Dr. Najjar, who is an exceptional leader and extremely meritorious. We look forward to his continued leadership in management education and to our ability to recognize future leaders of his caliber."

The Academy of Strategic and Entrepreneurial Leadership primary mission is to recognize high quality baccalaureate, masters and doctoral degree programs in leadership or in entrepreneurship through a formal process of accreditation. It also provides recognition opportunities for faculty members in leadership and entrepreneurship programs and has created, in Spring 2012, an award in honor of Fernandes who "has driven an unprecedented growth in quality, accountability, and continuous improvement in universities around the world," according to the Academy's website.

"The fact that the award is named after John Fernandes is a strong source of pride," says Najjar. "Fernandes has opened up new frontiers in global business education through effective networking, exchange of experience, emphasis on quality, and a concerted effort to planning a future where business education will not lag behind, and will stay ahead in a rapidly changing world."

Fernandes has accepted LAU's invitation and will be in Lebanon between December 4 - 8 to interact with the faculty and staff and share his experience with the university community.

At times the semantic confusion can lead to strategic confusion, for example about how to create a civic engagement agenda or implement a concrete plan of action. But it needn’t be this way. Civic engagement can be many things at once. Despite competing definitions, we can say with confidence that it involves one or more of the following: accepting and valuing diversity, building cross-cultural bridges, participating actively in public life and community service, developing empathy, social responsibility and philanthropy, and promoting social justice.

What is its relevance in the region today?
This is a pressing question. How can we channel the energies demonstrated by Arab youth in these transformative times in ways that lead to a more democratic, peaceful and responsive Arab world?

We need to work to define the role of education in this Arab renaissance. Experts and activists alike should be engaging in vigorous discussion about the needs, skills and competencies that can enable effective youth civic engagement and about how to instill them. For this intellectual exercise to be productive and compelling we need to establish a canonical literature about the conditions, means and outcomes of youth civic engagement.

What skills and competencies does civic engagement entail?
First of all, self-mindfulness. This means listening to your inner voice, identifying strengths and weaknesses, and finding ways to connect with others on meaningful social issues. Openness of mind and heart go hand in hand, and foster relationships based on trust — which in turn form the foundation of civic engagement, and serve as a formidable tool for mobilization. Social awareness and sensitivity to justice are also key. Finally, organizational skills: the ability to set specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound social objectives that can mobilize and motivate people.

In The Cornerstones of Engaging Leadership, Casey Wilson defines engaged individuals as leaders who “demonstrate commitment to their own development and success, the success of others, and the success of their organization.” Their empathy and self-motivation stimulate energy and enthusiasm in others, and serve as catalysts for positive change.

There is a consensus among colleges and universities that students need to be equipped with knowledge of human cultures so that they understand the diversity that characterizes human society. This knowledge needs to be coupled with critical thinking skills at the analytical, creative and ethical levels.

What learning outcomes can we expect from a civic-engagement education in the Arab world?
Civically engaged students will have a voice, and the confidence to espouse good causes, and they’ll have the strategic savvy to be effective activists. They’ll appreciate cultural diversity, be more broad-minded, curious, and passionate about democratic values.

In a broader sense, this civic culture will raise public morale, elevate capacities for planning and carrying out public action, and foster social entrepreneurship — the moral and political courage, that is, to take risks for the public good.

“Who shall guard the guardians,” asks Aristotle in his Politics. We need to train Arab youth to build leadership networks and create conduits of democratic change and liberal action. Educators, liberal thinkers and practitioners should take the lead in engaging youth in self-reflective methodologies. This work is crucial, as emerging leaders will either usher in a new culture of participation or perpetuate an old one of submission and apathy.

At the same time, in a spirit both ironic and creative, we can legitimately ask, “who shall lead the leaders?”

Elie Samia is executive director of LAU’s Outreach and Civic Engagement unit.

He received the award from Francois Delattre, Ambassador of France to the United States, in the presence of Caltech President Jean-Lou Chameau.

Dedicating the honor to his parents, Elachi explained that, “even though they did not even benefit from high school education, they put a lot of emphasis on educating their children and encouraged us to reach for the stars.”

Though he never actually reached the stars himself, Elachi has helped others do so as director of the JPL, which serves as a NASA field center to launch many of America’s satellites and conduct numerous space-exploration missions.

He has also authored over 230 publications on active microwave remote sensing and electromagnetic theory, and holds several patents in those fields.

Elachi was always a promising scholar. At the age of 16 he was named Lebanon’s top science student, qualifying him to attend any university of his choice.

He matriculated at the University of Grenoble in France, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in physics in 1968. That same year, he graduated with an engineering degree from the Polytechnic Institute in Grenoble, where he was first in his class.

Elachi continued to accumulate degrees after that, earning a doctorate in electrical sciences from Caltech in 1971, followed by an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California in 1978 and an M.S. in geology from UCLA in 1983.

“This honor is particularly exceptional to me because I was educated in the French system — from kindergarten in Lebanon, all the way through my college degree in France,” explains Elachi.

Although the award is traditionally given to natives of France, it is occasionally bestowed upon foreign nationals who have served France or its ideals.

“Throughout my career, I collaborated closely with various French scientists, as well as the French Space Agency,” says Elachi. “I also greatly admire the French language and culture,” he adds.

Elachi has been the chairman of LAU’s BOT since 2009. 

Among those in attendance were Lebanon’s Ambassador to the United Nations Nawaf Salam (honored at last year’s gala), AMIDEAST President and former U.S. Ambassador to the UAE and Syria Theodore Kattouf, noted financial expert and author Nassim Taleb, renowned Lebanese journalist May Chidiac, and Lebanese Consulate General in New York Antoine Azzam. The event was emceed by television journalist and LAU alumna Octavia Nasr.

This year’s gala honored members of the community for public service, including educator and humanitarian Suad Juffali, managing director of the Ahmed Juffali Benevolent Foundation; and business giant Ray Irani, chairman and CEO of Occidental Petroleum. Both were presented with the Sarah Award for Excellence, named after Sarah Lanman Huntington Smith, the American woman who in the 1830s founded the school that eventually became LAU.

Suad Juffali, a 1954 graduate of Beirut College for Women (as LAU was then known), has been committed for nearly 60 years to issues related to social welfare in the Middle East and beyond. In Saudi Arabia, she established and organized the Women’s Welfare Society and the Al-Faisaliyah Women’s Society, both dedicated to helping women and children, as well as the Help Center, an organization designed to help children with special needs.

“My alma mater was the guiding star of my life,” Juffali said. “It prepared me to pursue my dreams and aspirations, and it taught me the value of education and how to invest in human beings. The university provided me with a passion to make things happen and never to give up.”

Ray Irani is best known for his role at Occidental Petroleum (Oxy), having transformed the chemical production company during his tenure there, as director in the 1980s and later chairman and CEO. Under his leadership, Oxy has become the fourth largest oil and gas company in America. Irani, who has also been active in causes ranging from strengthening ties between the United States and Lebanon to waging the battle against cancer, said he was “thrilled to be honored by Lebanese American University.”

“Under Dr. Joseph Jabbra’s remarkable leadership,” Irani said, “LAU continues to be a beacon of educational excellence in Lebanon, providing a world-class curriculum and outstanding cultural programs for all of its students.”

Also in attendance were LAU Board of Trustees members Wadih Jordan, Paul Boulos, Eva Kotite Farha, Fred Rogers, Mike Ahmar, Ghassan Saab, Hana Shammas, and Peter Tanous.

Richard Rumsey, LAU’s vice president for University Advancement, said his division’s goal this year was “to build this gala into something more than just an event.”

“We wanted to let the widest possible audience know about the good work that LAU does,” Rumsey said. “LAU has become an important part of the landscape of Lebanon and the Middle East.”

Other LAU officials concurred.

“We were exceptionally pleased with every aspect of this year’s gala,” Ed Shiner, LAU’s director of Alumni and Special Projects. “We hope to keep building on the accomplishments of these last two events, and make next year’s gala even bigger and better.”

About two years ago, LAU community members began to think about new ways to promote the university’s mission, ideals and aspirations. Discussions ensued, agreements were formed and preparations were made, leading up to the two initiatives last year.

“Until now, these initiatives were in a testing period to see how they would function, and we found out they are successful, strong, solid, and we are going to continue with them,” says Dr. Layla Nimah, former vice president for Student Development and Enrollment Management, and the architect of the projects.

While both circles share some common ground and stem from the same initial plan to help LAU grow and improve, each body has separate specific goals, members, strategies and executive committees.

Strong and lasting bonds

The concept behind the Retirees’ Circle is to allow those who built their careers at LAU and retired — top-level officers, faculty and staff — to remain a part of the LAU family and stay involved in university affairs, while acting as advocates of the university to the outside community.

“We are not going to find anyone better than them to defend LAU,” says Aida Naaman, a member of the Executive Committee of the Retirees’ Circle and former director of the LAU Beirut library.

Retirees “come from diversified departments and strata, from different areas, backgrounds, social differences,” adds Naaman, who returned to the library as a part-timer. “So they really represent the Lebanese community with all its varieties and at the same time they are advocates of the university.”

Many of the retirees still have a strong bond with LAU, where a lot of them spent more time than they did at home, especially during the Lebanese war when the university hosted employees in its dorms overnight, when it was too dangerous for them to drive home.

“When people spend 35 years at an institution, you can’t take the institution out of them immediately,” Nimah says, before describing the enthusiasm and excitement of the retirees after being contacted with the proposition of joining the circle.

“There are structures that listen to alumni, acting faculty and staff, but until now there was no body at the university that listened to the concerns and interests of retirees,” Naaman says.

“A will to serve”

Unlike the Retirees’ Circle, the President’s Circle is not solely comprised of members that have any direct affiliation with the university, though some are former staff and students. The members are chosen rather on their desire to help LAU fulfill its mission of providing support to the outside community.

“Some people, really by caring about the society at large, see that this institution is doing the work that they would like to be a part of,” Nimah says.

“With the Retirees’ Circle, there is this bond that existed for so many years with the university,” she says. “With the President’s Circle, there is a will to serve.”

With a large focus on fundraising and promotion of LAU, the President’s Circle meets monthly to discuss projects, activities and other matters of interest.

Currently, the circle is working on a project to mobilize a team of volunteers to lend a helping hand to the staff and patients at the University Medical Center – Rizk Hospital.

The initiative is expected to be officially launched on October 1, with a mission of bringing some comfort and relief to patients.

“The fact that they visit patients and ask them how they are really makes a difference,” Nimah says. “People are very enthusiastic about it.”

Those who wish to join the Retirees’ or the President’s Circles, or are interested in learning more about their projects, should contact Dr. Layla Nimah at lnimah@lau.edu.lb.

Zalloua will be working with a research team from LAU in collaboration with Dr. Hatem El Shanti, director of the Shafallah Medical Genetics Center in Qatar, over the grant’s three-year duration with an ultimate goal of preventing the spread of the disease in the region.

“Type II Diabetes is very rampant in this part of the world, and the main reason for that is because we’ve changed drastically our lifestyles over the last 50 years making it very difficult for our genes to adapt,” Zalloua says.

The two main lifestyle changes that are responsible for the disease’s spread, Zalloua explains, are the sudden decrease in exercise, and the shift in diets, which used to be rich in vegetables and low in fats and carbohydrates. A third, less significant, cause is the increase in stress.

“In the past, we used to walk to the market and to work, we had a lot less cars than we do today, so people were a lot more mobile, and our genes were adapted to the fact that there was not a lot of food available,” Zalloua says.

“And now all of a sudden, we have a lot of food stored in our bodies and we’re not walking anymore, we’re not exercising. We’re spending 24 hours a day either sleeping or on a chair behind a screen,” he adds.

Identifying susceptibility genes for Type II Diabetes will allow doctors to target individuals predisposed to the disease and deliver a clear message: avoid certain triggers such as having bad eating habits, and not exercising, or else you’re going to get diabetes.

“Those genes are not necessarily bad, but they are adapted to a certain environment,” Zalloua says. “We have to mimic that environment again, and the way to do that is fairly simple: exercise.”

Zalloua believes he was awarded the grant because of his proposal’s unique, hands-on approach to the problem.

The research team will visit villages throughout the region and meet with couples that have been living together for decades and that lead similar lifestyles, in order to find a correlation between their genes, habits, and the disease.

Zalloua says the Middle East is conducive to carrying out their research because of an aging population that has been living together for a much longer time than people from other regions of the world.

“This is something we can do, but nobody else can, because of our easy access to these people who live in rural areas,” he adds.

In an email last month announcing that Zalloua had received the grant, Dr. Kamal Badr, founding dean of LAU’s School of Medicine, noted that the research topic is in line with the school’s mission to foster “regionally relevant translational research.”

“Type II Diabetes is one of the most fast-spreading and devastating diseases affecting the populations of Lebanon, Qatar, and the entire Gulf region. Its prevalence is expected to reach nearly 50 percent in some of the Gulf countries over the next decade,” Badr wrote.

He added: “Coupled to his [Zalloua’s] existing grant on cardiovascular disease awarded by the European Commission, the grant [for the study of Type II Diabetes] will constitute a firm basis for the basic science component of the Cardiovascular and Metabolic Disease Center, which the School of Medicine is establishing at LAU and its affiliated clinical training sites, principally the University Medical Center – Rizk Hospital and the clinical research consortium being developed through the LAU Institute for Human Genetics (headed by Dr. Zalloua) at Rafic Hariri University Hospital, Clemenceau Medical Center, and other medical centers and hospitals in Lebanon.”

“I am not surprised that you landed this important grant from the Qatar National Research Fund. Hard and smart work always pays off. Dedication to one’s research and scholarship will always be noticed and always rewarded, no matter what the challenges are,” wrote LAU President Dr. Joseph Jabbra, in an email message to the LAU community.

Jabbra added: “I am sure you will, with your Qatari collaborators, bring this important project to successful completion for the benefit of our entire region.”

Established in 2006, QNRF’s stated mission is to provide support to researchers within academia and throughout public and private partnerships.

Esteemed LAU Board of Trustees member, Lebanese-born Joseph Maroun gave an inspiring talk to School of Business students, faculty and staff on April 16, at LAU Beirut, about his rise to the top of the American baked-goods industry with his company Caravan Trading, after experiencing a successful and glamorous career as a pilot at Pan American airlines in the late ’60s and ’70s.

Last month, after more than 30 years since first starting Caravan Trading Company, Maroun sold his baking empire to an eager buyer that paid him exactly what he asked for, saying: “The joy of it all is the number that we sold the business for: $68 million up front. They gave my kids three-year contracts and doubled their salaries.”

“When you have a dream you have to pursue it at odds with anybody,” he told the crowd. “I wanted to achieve what I set out to do, and I did.”

Caravan sells products to some of the largest baking retailers and consumers in the United States, including George Weston Bakeries, Thomas’, Bimbo Bakeries (Oroweat), Otis Spunkmeyer, and the Department of Defense. The company is the trusted provider of Meals Ready to Eat for the U.S. military, and the creator of the Ready-To-Go Emergency Food Kit for disaster situations.

His recipe for success

Maroun immigrated to the United States as a teenager in the 1950s, in pursuit of an education in aeronautics, and in 1963, he graduated from the Pittsburgh Institute of Aeronautics with a degree in aircraft maintenance engineering.

With a passion to fly, Maroun earned instrument, private, and commercial licenses and a certificate in air transport, and his determination landed him a career in aviation, where he worked as engineer and pilot with such giants as Pan American Airways and the Federal Aviation Agency.

“I only wanted to fly,” he said.

While he was working for Pan Am, him and his wife missed the simple things from Lebanon, especially pita bread. They decided to try and figure out how to make it at home. It took them six months of trial and error — before someone told them to use yeast.

Maroun came to Beirut and learned the tricks of the trade during his weeks off, and quickly decided he wanted to establish his own company.

He was so ecstatic with the result, he decided he wanted to quit being a pilot and open a bakery — he was only in his mid-30s at the time and had already been made a captain. But it was a decision he felt strongly about.

“After being a pilot, you become a gambler,” he explained to the attentive audience. “As a pilot you gamble a lot, like on the weather when you’re flying.”

After quitting, he bought an old pizza oven — “because I couldn’t afford anything else at the time,” he said — and put his engineering background to use by making all the necessary modifications to it.

“I couldn’t afford employees so I called up all the pilots and stewardesses I knew and asked them to come and help me if they weren’t flying,” he told the smiling listeners. “I had a mix of pilots and stewardesses making pita bread with me.”

The rest, as they say, is history. “Within six months of opening, I was forced into automation,” explained Maroun, recalling the day he got a call from one of American’s biggest supermarket giants, Safeway. “Within six months, we had a semi-automatic plant together, running 24/7.

Maroun has served on LAU’s Board of Trustees since 1996. The couple founded The Joseph and Carmen Maroun Endowment Scholarship Fund to ensure equal opportunities to deserving, financially disadvantaged LAU students.

“Vision, leadership, and values all pay off. The value of what Joe has done to give back to society — well Joe has done it in a very honorable way,” said Dr. Walid Touma, an assistant professor in the School of Business and director of the University Enterprise Office, at the end of Maroun’s talk.

Touma looked toward the students and told them: “There is a humongous human being in all of you. You just have to play it.”

Majzoub was selected from a pool of some hundreds of candidates to be part of the Forum of New Leaders for Tomorrow, which “aims to be a unique, multi-stakeholder community of Arab and African young leaders who are shaping the global agenda and implementing a better cooperation between Arab and African Countries in the framework of the new South–South Cooperation,” according to an announcement on the Crans Montana Forum’s website.

During an April 10 session of the Crans Montana Forum on Africa, Majzoub gave a presentation titled “The South–South cooperation, the prospects of a rallying role via the Lebanese example.”

He was one of three people who gave short presentations as part of the session on “The New Leaders: How to Take Advantage of the South–South Cooperation?” and one of the four members of the Lebanese delegation.

“The idea was to focus on enhancing the South-South cooperation by enhancing the Africa–Middle East cooperation,” explains Majzoub, who analyzed the strong bonds developed among the countries of Africa and Middle East just by the Lebanese diaspora.

“I started the presentation historically when in the late 19th century the first wave of Lebanese immigrants arrived in West Africa thinking they were arriving in South America as they had set out as merchants,” says Majzoub. “In West Africa, the Lebanese settled in countries like Senegal where they established strong businesses and were able to be successful in their adopted country — but never forgot their own country.”

Majzoub says the success of the Lebanese in West Africa is an example of how a community can succeed in “strengthening the bonds between two continents.” He says the reason he talked about this was to inspire other communities in Africa by the Lebanese model.

Since 2008, Majzoub has developed an international career in JCI, being the first Middle Eastern person to hold such positions, starting with his election as international JCI vice-president assigned to Europe. He is currently serving as JCI UN affairs commissioner, acting as liaison officer between JCI and the United Nations for Africa and the Middle East.

JCI in Lebanon has approximately 200 members and is an initiative that Majzoub says kicked off 10 years ago, but was officially recognized by the Lebanese government five years ago. An international organization with presence in more than 120 countries, with about 200,000 members and hundreds of thousands of alumni, it focuses on offering young active citizens between 18 and 40 years of age the opportunities to develop their leadership skills and bring positive change to their societies.

The Crans Montana Forum on Africa is a unique community of young leaders from the Arab and African countries, identified thanks to their exceptional professional achievement and proven leadership experience in business and government.

The theme of this year’s forum was: “Africa after the London & Pittsburgh G 20s: The New Economic Parameters, Strategies with the New European Commission & Parliament.”

This year, the forum was held for the first time in Brussels — it was in Bahrain last year — and this offered a key opportunity for African, and international government officials and businesses, to assess the most influential of Africa’s stakeholders. This encompassed attracting some of the most influential leaders in business, government and civil society with the goal of contributing toward humanely making Africa a better place for foreign investment and business.

“In this new world of globalization, a South–South cooperation does not have to come at the expense of a North–South cooperation — economically or politically — because a strongly bonded Africa and Middle East can have better ties economically and politically with the North,” says Majzoub.

During a brown bag lecture on March 15, at LAU Beirut, Mouawad showed the audience before-and-after photos of medieval church frescoes that have been restored by the Association pour la Restauration et l’Etude des Fresques Médiévales du Liban she heads. AREFML is an organization Mouawad started in 2005 with colleagues from other Lebanese universities.

Since 2007, AREFML has brought professional teams from Italy and Poland for six-week sessions to restore three churches out of a total of 20 in northern Lebanon (Byblos, Batroun, Koura and Qadisha Valley). The latest restoration in the church of Sayyidat al-Khrab in Kfar Helda (Douma) started last summer by a team from the University of Warsow in Poland and will continue this September.

These projects aim to restore the medieval churches in the hope that they will become tourist sites, as well as encourage Lebanon to develop its own team of restorers.

Many of the churches are from the time of the Crusades (12th and 13th centuries), while others are older, but were painted during that time. Although the crusaders ruled the whole country, “their traces mostly remained in the areas north of Beirut,” says Mouawad.

At the lecture, Mouawad also talked about the discoveries about styles of art and architecture that were made during the restoration of each church. “We are now able to distinguish styles of painting (Byzantine or local),” she explains. She says the frescoes are also revealing “a mixture of Lebanese and oriental saints with European saints.” For example, the Embriashi family from Genoa, Italy, that ruled Byblos had images of Genoa’s patron saint, Saint Laurence, painted in local churches.

Mouawad says, “The important thing is not only to restore [a fresco], but to restore properly — in the way it was at the time it was built. If you restore it badly, it doesn’t have its value anymore.”

Old mosques and madrasas in Tripoli also need restoration, says Mouawad, adding “We have not only in terms of churches and frescoes but in general in Lebanon an architectural patrimony that should really be taken care of.”

Mouawad’s interest in the subject was sparked by her Ph.D. studies on Syriac history under Dominican Father Jean Maurice Fiey at the Université Saint-Joseph, in Lebanon.

In addition to her work with the frescoes, Mouawad has done research on other topics related to Christian and Muslim minorities in the Middle East in Medieval and Ottoman times.

If you are interested in funding upcoming frescoes’ restoration projects, please email Dr. Mouawad.

Supporting successes of Lebanese Americans: Peter Tanous

Peter Tanous, LAU Board of Trustees member, has received the "Arab American of the Year Award" by the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services in the United States.

President and chief executive of Washington, D.C.-based Lynx Investment Advisory, LLC, Tanous is being presented with the "Arab American of the Year Award" by the Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS), a non-profit agency in the United States, that is committed to advocating for and empowering individuals, families and communities.

Tanous is one of two Arab Americans being presented with the honor; the other is Nobel Prize winner Ahmed Zewail. The two will receive the award at a dinner being held in their honor on May 1, at the Marriott hotel at the Renaissance Center in Detroit, Michigan.

For many years, Tanous has been a respected business and investment guru, and is the founding chairman of the American Task Force for Lebanon, an organization designed to promote Lebanese-American relations through the active engagement of prominent Lebanese Americans across the United States. In 1983, he was appointed by the Secretary of the Treasury to the Business Dialog of the U.S.-Saudi Arabian Joint Economic Commission.

Tanous says what inspired him to spearhead the establishment of ATFL was simply the fact that the "majority" of Arab Americans are Lebanese Americans. He says ATFL "comprises those families who have been in the U.S. for generations," and explains when he founded it over 20 years ago, along with some other founders, they did so "as part of the then larger National Association of Arab Americans."

"Many prominent Lebanese Americans with prestigious backgrounds as Americans were delighted to join an organization that focused exclusively on their Lebanese heritage," says Tanous. "ATFL is well-known among Lebanese Americans as the premier organization in Washington focusing on Lebanese-American relations and heightening the awareness of Lebanon at the White House and on Capitol Hill as well as through constant dialogue with the State Department."

Tanous explains that ATFL's hallmark policy is that it is strictly "non-sectarian and comprises members of all faiths and political views." He adds, "We are Americans and we do not get involved in internal Lebanese politics. We advocate for a Lebanon that is multi-confessional, independent, united, and free of all non-Lebanese forces or influences."

While professionally Tanous serves as president of Lynx, his role as ATFL president is what he describes as "a part-time, volunteer activity," and adds that his role as a member of LAU's Board of Trustees "is an extension of [his] affection and loyalty to the land of [his] parents and grandparents."

He adds, "LAU is the 'hot' school in the region. Its visibility has grown enormously and is a reflection of its growing stature in education."

For excellence in engineering: Dr. Paul F. Boulos

Dr. Paul F. Boulos (here with his family), another LAU trustee, has been selected for induction into the University of Kentucky College of Engineering Hall of Distinction for 2010.

Dr. Boulos, president and chief operating officer of MWH Soft, a leading global innovator of wet infrastructure modeling and simulation software and technologies, has been selected for induction into the University of Kentucky College of Engineering Hall of Distinction for 2010, for his "distinguished service to the profession, outstanding character, and commitment to community service," as noted by Dr. Thomas W. Lester, dean of the College of Engineering.

The Hall of Distinction was established in 1991 to recognize alumni whose distinguished careers have brought honor to the university and the college.

Induction is the most prestigious honor given by the university to its alumni. Boulos, who is one of the world's foremost experts on water resources engineering and a leading global authority on drinking water distribution engineering, from hydraulics to water quality principles, will receive the award at a ceremony and dinner on April 23, at the University of Kentucky campus in Lexington.

He received Ph.D., Master of Science and Bachelor of Science degrees, all in civil engineering, from the University of Kentucky, and a B.S. in General Science from LAU. He also completed the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.

Boulos has co-authored nine books and worked in more than 100 scientific publications. He has been widely acclaimed for his practical and scientific expertise and his extensive experience in both the academic and the corporate worlds. In 2008, he became the youngest person -- and one of only 16 worldwide -- to be awarded Honorary Diplomate status (Hon.D.WRE) by the American Academy of Water Resources Engineers.

The designation, the academy's highest honor, acknowledges eminence in the field of water resources engineering. Among an impressive slew of honors and recognitions, in 2009, Boulos received one of America's most prestigious awards, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor, for his outstanding contributions to communities both in the United States and internationally.

Boulos says that "unquestionably, founding MWH Soft, and building and leading its incredible team" are some of his key achievements in his field.

He adds: "We are proud to play a part in this vital work, and we serve and support our customers with incredible passion and infinite care. In just 13 years, MWH Soft has become the world's leading provider of wet infrastructure modeling and simulation technology, and the most recognized and respected brand in the industry."

"We've redefined the state of the art in our industry, advanced the water/wastewater engineering field, and played a part in building a better world and improving the lives of the communities we serve."

This latest recognition is of great personal significance to Boulos. "I was incredibly fortunate to be a part of the University of Kentucky at a pivotal time in my professional history," he says. "My experiences there, both as a student and an educator, gave me a tremendous foundation on which to build my future. I had the privilege of collaborating with many water-industry giants, from private industries to research and government organizations."

Boulos adds that as an LAU alumnus he has personal experience of how the "university shapes lives and creates leaders." He adds, "My involvement with the university [LAU] has reinforced my belief in the power of higher education. ... The university is a vital part of the region's future, intellectually, socially, culturally and economically. It is an agent of hope and opportunity for all its students, because it belongs to them."

Starting in April, Zebian will begin publishing a monthly column, called “The Amazing Brain: Brain Science and Society,” examining cognitive functions. The column will appear in The Monthly, a Beirut-based research and statistics-oriented journal that covers topics ranging from political and social issues to matters concerning science and health.

“I don’t know if science is king in our country — it probably isn’t — but there is a bit of leeway and acceptance that scientists are saying something that we should pay attention to,” says Zebian.

“The more perspectives you have on issues of public interest, the better,” Zebian says, explaining that her column will offer an alternative, scientific perspective on issues of public concern such as how to boost brain potential across the life span.

Other topics to be explored are how Botox and plastic surgery affect the brain systems that regulate emotion and one’s sense of well-being, and how institutionalized prejudice rewires our neurons and makes some behaviors hard to change.

The study of the brain remains relatively new and unexplored with only eight known cognitive and neuro scientists in Lebanon.

But despite being in its infancy, Zebian explains scientists are making “revolutionary” discoveries that fly in the face of the conventional beliefs that the biological nature of the brain cannot be altered.

As more research is conducted, scientists may be able to discover cures to genetic conditions derived from the brain that were once believed to be irreversible.

“The brain is plastic,” Zebian says, “and that means we should think a bit more flexibly about the potential to change the brains of people after accidents, of people with old age, with learning disabilities, people that have bad habits and addictions, mental illnesses, and of people who just want to get smarter.”

While Zebian’s professional interests extend far and wide, one of her main focus points for research lies in the study of autobiographical memories and what affects how we organize our personal memories.

Through her collaborative research, she has discovered that unlike individuals in nearly all other societies, Lebanese people more often than not base their memories on historical and political events — a phenomenon attributed to the country’s long and chaotic period of war and instability.

The “living-in-history effect,” as Zebian calls it, means that rather than benchmarking significant moments in a person’s life using a personal timeline, the Lebanese instead tend to organize memories of themselves against battles, invasions, assassinations and other political and historical events that are irrelevant to their personal events.

“So the question is: Why are these memories getting bumped out and why are historical events being substituted in?” Zebian says. “Mentally, why does that happen? What’s the purpose for it? And we really don’t know.”

The topic will feature in an upcoming column of The Monthly, and is examined more deeply in a co-authored study Zebian conducted with a Canadian colleague that will soon be published in an international journal.

No clear explanation can be offered for the “living-in-history effect,” nor why it affects some societies and not others, until more research can be developed, but Zebian believes the consequences of this effect are nothing to scoff at.

“When cultural events reach down into your brain to reorganize your memory, that’s really deep,” says Zebian. “When memories are reorganized, other things happen to you — your daily practices and the fabric of your life changes, and that really affects you.”

During a public lecture on January 20 at LAU Beirut to present his findings as Euro Arab Chair for Renewable Energies, Houri explained that contrary to what he expected and hoped for, coughing up extra cash to purchase a hybrid car might not make economic sense. He used a special calculator to generate consumer costs based on individual driving habits.

“I felt that I was going to come up with a certain conclusion, but I arrived at a completely different one,” Houri said. “This is what research is all about.”

In one scenario comparing a regular car with a hybrid car that costs $3,000 more, it would take a driver almost 10 years to recover the extra cost based on average driving of 15,000 kilometers per year and current gas prices.

“That is not a happy thought,” Houri said, adding that despite our concern for the environment, our decisions are always motivated by economic realities.

Houri also called on the Lebanese government to encourage consumers to move away from wasteful cars by placing heavy taxes on gas guzzlers and offering financial incentives for purchasing more efficient cars.

“It is not our interest in Lebanon to promote hybrid cars,” Houri said. “It is in our interest to promote efficient cars, whether they are hybrid or otherwise.”

Read more about Houri’s three-month study in Spain.

“I was expecting this from the Lebanese government, not the Spanish government,” says Lahoud who joined LAU in 1987, noting that recognition for his achievements have always come from outside Lebanon. “Even having a president from the Lahoud family didn’t change anything,” he jokes.

“I am a renaissance man,” declares Lahoud boldly.

Of the three LAU faculty members that teach photography, Lahoud is the only full-timer, and flits back and forth between the Beirut and Byblos campuses to tend to any one of the four Photography I classes he teaches each fall semester.

“This is probably the only elective course in the university that everybody would use, because everyone needs to take a picture at one time,” he says.

In the field

During the 2009 Francophone Games in September and October, Lahoud was invited by organizers to collaborate in the games’ photography contest by working with participants through workshops and talks.

He is also frequently invited to tour cities around the world on behalf of governments and industries to promote tourism through his photography and articles published in travel journals and magazines. Some recent trips include Taba Heights in Egypt, Colombia, Cuba, San Francisco, Cyprus and Argentina.

Aside from publishing work on tourism, Lahoud has also covered some significant events through his photography. He was arrested in East Germany in 1984 for photographing the Berlin Wall, and kidnapped on several occasions during the Lebanese Civil War, including in 1990 after witnessing the slaughter of a Lebanese soldier by a militia member.

His photographs have been displayed in exhibitions around the world including New York, Paris, Berlin, Prague, Dubai and Bulgaria. He is preparing for at least two new ones in Lebanon this year.

A journalist, trained architect, photographer and active community member, Lahoud insists that organization is the key to his success as he manages to juggle his personal passions without losing sight of the responsibility most important to him — serving his students.

A guiding light

In 2008, convinced of the need to promote his students’ work, Lahoud took it upon himself to organize and launch an annual photo exhibition on both campuses featuring hundreds of shots taken by his Photography I students.

“It’s my job to really give students the best education in photography,” he says. “Students are very intensive — they are passionate — so sometimes they give you better work than professionals.”

Some of his former students, Lahoud explains, went on to lead successful careers in photography such as Hadi Halabi and Hayat Karanouh, two award-winning photographers.

Lahoud dedicates a great deal of time and effort working with photographers outside the university too.

In 1998, he founded the Lebanese House of Photography, which archives Lebanese photographs from the 19th and early 20th centuries, and helps young talents organize exhibitions, seminars and other events to showcase their skills.

The center, located in the basement of Lahoud’s home in Amsheet, is planning a photography festival in the city of Amsheet, north of Byblos, this year after it was selected by the European Commission in December 2009 along with five other Mediterranean cities as a prime location to undertake artistic and cultural projects.

Aiming for a minor

Several years ago, Lahoud spearheaded an effort to expand LAU’s photography program by establishing a photography minor consisting of the four current courses plus an additional two courses — Digital Photography and Fine Art Photography, the latter of which is a senior-study course enabling students to create a masterpiece using the layer of their choice.

Lahoud organized a committee to discuss the plan before drafting and submitting a proposal to administration. After a long period of waiting, Lahoud says he finally sees the light at the end of the tunnel, and is optimistic that the newly established School of Architecture and Design will agree to accommodate the minor.

“Many students want this minor,” he says. “Everybody keeps asking me, ‘when is it going to be ready? Before I graduate?’”

If approved, Lahoud expects the minor to be available on both campuses.

Photography courses are currently required for several majors including interior design, graphic design, architecture, and interior architecture. “Every major needs photography,” says Lahoud.

Dr. Samira Aghacy, professor of literature and dean of the School of Arts and Sciences in Beirut, recently published Masculine Identity in the Fiction of the Arab East Since 1967, which examines masculinity in Arab literature from Lebanon, Jordan, Palestine, Syria and Iraq since the historical and geographic turning point for the region when it went to war with Israel in the Six-Day War In 1967.

“Very little has been written about men in the Middle East. Everyone has been focusing on women,” says Aghacy, adding that she hopes her book generates more research on men in the Arab world.

The significance of the year 1967 in Arab politics was her reason for choosing the starting date for the books she analyzed. “1967 is a watershed, I think, in the history of the Arab world … That period changed the way the Arab world looked at politics and, in my opinion, clarified the way men looked at themselves,” she explains.

In her book, Aghacy explores texts originally written in Arabic. “I made a point of working on literature written in Arabic to acquaint the Western reader or the reader who doesn’t read Arabic with these works of fiction that I think are important and I think are being overlooked or neglected by critics in general,” she says.

The book is about masculinity, sexuality and politics. Throughout the four-chapter book, Aghacy analyzes different types of men in various societies and the eventual fragmentation of their identities: the “traditional” man — tough, assertive and oppressive; the romantic hero — especially in Palestine; men living in the context of dictatorship; and men living in Lebanon during and especially right after its civil war, with shifting gender roles.

Having been interested in feminist theory for a long time and also having written for and edited IWSAW’s landmark publication, the quarterly journal Al-Raida, from 2000–2003, Aghacy realized that Western feminism puts a lot of blame on men and projects women as victims, especially in the Arab world, where women are seen as veiled and kept within the parameters of the house, she explains.

Aghacy’s personal experiences during the Lebanese Civil War were an inspiration for her interest in the topic of masculine identity. During the war, she explains women were better able to move around and carry out duties outside the home — such as grocery shopping — than men. And while that was empowering for women, it oppressed the freedom of movement of men. “I noticed that men were really victimized — [although] not in the same manner. They are not really oppressors,” she says.

“The idea that Middle Eastern men are terrorists and killers may apply to a minority of men, but the majority are not like that,” adds Aghacy.

Aghacy joined LAU in 1986 as an associate professor and was promoted to full professor in 1993. She has taught English and comparative literature courses, and also served as chairperson of the Humanities Division. She is a member of several professional organizations including the Middle East Studies Association (MESA), Modern Language Association (MLA), British Society for Middle Eastern Studies (BRISMES) and Association of Professors of English and Translation at Arab Universities Arab (APETUS).

Prior to LAU, Aghacy was at the University of Jordan as well as the Lebanese University, where she was chair of the English Department for three years.

Aghacy obtained her Ph.D. in English literature from Exeter University in the U.K., but began studying Arabic literature while living in Lebanon during the Civil War, as it was difficult for Lebanese scholars at the time to compete with Western scholars due to a lack of access to research and information. As Arabic literature was more readily available, Aghacy was drawn to it, marking the beginning of literary explorations of male identity.

Reflecting on her book, Aghacy is pleased — “I feel that I have made a contribution in this particular field and I think I’ve opened up areas for other people to build on what I’ve done,” she says.

Masculine Identity in the Fiction of the Arab East Since 1967, by Dr. Samira Aghacy, was published by Syracuse University Press in November 2009. A book-signing event will be held on January 21, 5:00–9:00 p.m., at City Café, Sadat Street, Hamra.

Plans were set to establish the Jamil B. Iskandar Conference Room — also known as room #606 in the Byblos Science Building — in August 2009 by members of Iskandar’s family.

“Jamil Iskandar was everywhere, not only in terms of business, but in terms of cultural presence, social presence, and community presence,” said LAU President Dr. Joseph Jabbra during a short ceremony prior to the unveiling.

Iskandar, who died of cancer on December 8, 2008, led several successful businesses in Lebanon, and was associated with many universities in the country. He dedicated much of his personal time to serving the community through his involvement in various foundations.

“He was involved in so many community activities but the most dear to his heart was education,” Jabbra added.

In 1978, Iskandar founded the Louaizeh College for Higher Education in Zouk Mosbeh.

From 1983 until his death, he held a number of positions at LAU, including serving as a member of the Board of Overseers. He was also a member, the vice-chairman and the chairman of the Board of Trustees during different periods.

“His service to LAU was not utilitarian — it had nothing to do with recognition or prestige,” said Benny Iskandar, Jamil’s son, during the ceremony. “It was plain and simple a labor of love, a sense of civic duty, and an appreciation of science and education.”

From 1987 till 1994, Iskandar also served as a member and chairman of the Board of Overseers at Notre Dame University, then as a member of its Board of Trustees from 1994 until his death.

At Iskandar’s Alma Mater, the American University of Beirut, he was a member of the College Hall Fundraising Committee from 1994–1997, and then the vice-chairman of the Students Scholarship Fund Raising Committee from 1997 till his untimely death.

“He had no hidden agendas or ulterior motives. Instead, he looked people straight in the eye and spoke his mind,” Benny said. “For many of us, he was simply the kindest of men — the man with the biggest heart.”

The ceremony was attended by many local officials as well as senior management at LAU.

The exhibition features a collection of 34 digital prints that American Plourde Khoury has created over the past three years living in Lebanon. The series of work is entitled “Translations: Perceptions of Lebanon Through Foreign Eyes.”

The images being exhibited are all digital photos of objects that she has used as a starting point to tell a story. “They are all digital photography, each image is of a different object and through the object I tell a story about an experience that I’ve had here in Lebanon,” Plourde Khoury says.

“I love photography and thought it was interesting that there are a lot of images of Lebanon — of its people, its architecture, its landscape and the war,” she explains. “But I think Lebanon’s history and culture are richer than that. I’m interested in still life photography and I really believe that objects can depict a reality that is much richer and deeper than those things.”

Plourde Khoury says her work has been described by others as being sensitive and thoughtful, to which she adds that it should be viewed as an extension of herself. “I see the feeling and tactile quality — I love texture,” she says. “With all of the images I have integrated fabrics, and the idea behind it is rooted in the Arab tradition of hanging tapestries on walls as fine art. Part of the concept of my work being exhibited is that these are contemporary tapestries. It’s digital art, but I feel the tapestry element gives it warmth.”

The project “has taken about three years from the start of its conception,” she adds.

Plourde Khoury shares a personal experience that inspired one of the works, which features a small yellow canary. “I was with my Lebanese niece, she was 4 years old,” she says. “We were looking at a little yellow canary together. She said to me pointing at it: ‘oiseau.’ Not understanding, I said ‘what?’ Then she immediately translated for me, and she also knew it in Arabic. Even though she was four years old, she knew enough to translate for me.”

She adds: “I was humbled by my niece who was multilingual and she was teaching me the word.”

“Translations: Perceptions of Lebanon Through Foreign Eyes,” a solo exhibition of Melissa Plourde Khoury, will run from December 9–31, Monday–Sunday 10:00 a.m.–7:00 p.m., Galerie Surface Libre d'Art. The opening is on December 9, from 6:00–9:00 p.m.

Badr’s election was announced in October, by the ASL president, Dr. Edgar Choueiri, who is a professor and director of the Engineering Physics Program at Princeton University.

Choueiri explained that Badr’s election was based on his research accomplishments and his status as a leading scientist. He said that Badr’s “intellectual vigor, wisdom, dedication and efficacy will be a great capital for the academy [ASL] to draw upon as it goes forward in its mission.”

In addition to his role at LAU, Badr is an adjunct professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore, Maryland. He joined LAU in December 2006, from the American University of Beirut, where he served as a professor and chairman of the Department of Internal Medicine for over six years.

In a message to the LAU community, LAU President Joseph G. Jabbra expressed great pride in Badr’s election, saying that it brought “honor and recognition not only upon himself, but also upon the LAU School of Medicine which he leads — and upon our beloved university.”

After news of his election, Badr issued a humble statement, discussing his work and thanking the community for its support. He said, “Since my return to Lebanon to chair the Department of Internal Medicine at AUB and then to serve as founding dean of our new School of Medicine at LAU, I have been drawn away from investigative medicine and have focused almost exclusively on teaching, academic medical administration, program and department building, and, now, participating in the creation of a new medical school.”

He added: “To be recognized for my most modest contributions in science at this juncture comes as an unexpected reward and a humbling and moving experience, for which I am most grateful. It gives me much needed encouragement to continue to pursue the goal of creating, in Lebanon, institutions where high-caliber research can be pursued.”

Earlier this year, leading space scientist, Dr. Charles Elachi — who was recently appointed chair of LAU’s Board of Trustees — was also elected a member of ASL.

Upon his appointment in March 2009, ASL commended his work, stating: “Dr. Elachi is one of the most distinguished space scientists in the world today, and one of NASA’s most successful leaders of the past two decades having led NASA–JPL, since 2001, during its most successful period of Mars exploration and spectacular robotic missions to asteroids, comets and the outer planets.”
 

The project is fully funded by the Granada-based Euro Arab Foundation for Higher Studies, which publicly announced in July that Houri had been selected among over 46 applicants from eight countries to be the Euro Arab chair for renewable energies based on the study proposal he had submitted to the foundation.

“All of my work and research has had a common underlying theme which is the protection of nature,” says Houri who began his study in Spain on September 7. “Promotion of natural reserves, wild flowers, environmental education and renewable energy follow the same general idea of protection of our local environment in Lebanon and the global environment,” he adds.

Specifically, Houri’s study will examine the amount of greenhouse gas emissions that could be potentially prevented with the promotion of energy-efficient hybrid vehicles. He is also working on a policy paper to recommend a level of support that should be given to these cars that makes financial sense.

“It is my strong belief that people will be more interested in taking care of nature if they believe they are the stakeholders,” Houri says. “For any measure to succeed, it must be a win-win situation,” he adds. In this case, “people save money and the environment at the same time.”

As part of his study, Houri has been interacting with relevant professors, companies and institutions in Spain to build networks and create potential opportunities to collaborate on the research.

Houri has also made trips, including visits to one of the most advanced solar platforms in the world being constructed in Seville and a biomass power plant in Puente Genil (Cordoba) that uses waste olive residue to generate electricity.

Toward the end of his stay in Spain, Houri says he will be holding a workshop with speakers from Spain and Lebanon to reveal the importance of collaboration across the Mediterranean region with regard to renewable energy, and to present the results of his research.

Houri’s study in Spain is just one in a long list of notable achievements.

In 2004, Houri was awarded a scholarship to participate in seminars in the United Kingdom on renewable energy policy. In 2003, he traveled to Colorado on a grant to attend a symposium on wind energy applications. That same year, he was awarded a scholarship to attend the International Solar Energy Society’s World Congress in Sweden, as well as a separate grant to participate in a renewable energy conference in Germany.

Those awards are in addition to the over 30 presentations and conferences worldwide where he has been invited over the years to speak on renewable energy.

And for over 10 years, Houri and his wife, Nisrine Machaka Houri, have been carefully documenting and photographing hundreds of Lebanese wildflowers. Their work has been summarized in a two-volume book, Photographic Guide to Wild Flowers of Lebanon, and a searchable online database. The first volume, published in 2001, features 240 of the country’s wildflowers, while the second volume, published in 2008, presents an additional 400 flowers.

Referring to his latest project, Houri says, “This has been an intense scientific and cultural experience for me that I plan to bring back to LAU.” He adds: “My teaching will be based on actual first-hand experience that should provide for a more effective classroom interaction.”

Speeches honoring Salhab Kazemi’s memory and relishing her artistic style were given by her former student Samar Mogharbel, an LAU ceramics instructor, and Sami Karkabi, an art collector, at the gathering that took place during Beirut’s 16th Francophone book fair (“Salon Du Livre Francophone de Beyrouth”).

“It’s the creative spirit of the artist, together with her knowledge, and the respect and affection she evokes while molding clay … that give it life,” Karkabi said in his speech, explaining the significance of the book’s title.

According to Karkabi, L’Esprit du Pot is the first book dedicated to ceramics that has been published in Lebanon. It was published by Librairie Antoine, which organized the book launching to promote its release.

Mogharbel says she was studying computers and business at LAU during the Lebanese Civil War when she decided to take an elective course taught by Salhab Kazemi in ceramics, a subject Mogharbel knew nothing about.

One course turned into three and Mogharbel quickly discovered that her instructor had lit a fire inside her for ceramics.

“I still remember one day when I stepped foot into the ceramics workshop — it was overflowing with energy,” Mogharbel says. “Without a doubt, it was this indescribable energy that emanated from [Salhab Kazemi] and that radiated throughout the workshop that made me come back.”
 

Elachi, who has served as an LAU trustee since 2006, comes to his new position with a distinguished career and vast leadership qualifications. He is best known for directing the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, which serves as a NASA field center that has helped launch many of America's satellites and has conducted numerous space-exploration missions.

Elachi is excited to help the university with his knowledge and expertise. "LAU brings the excellence of the American educational system to nurture the tremendous talent of the young men and women in Lebanon and the Middle East, and prepare them to be the leaders of the future in a wide range of disciplines," he says.

In addition to his trailblazing work with NASA, Elachi also serves as the vice president of the California Institute of Technology and is a professor of electrical engineering and planetary science.

He is author of more than 230 publications on active microwave remote sensing and electromagnetic theory, and holds several patents in those fields.

Before going to the United States and joining JPL (in 1970), Elachi received distinction as the best science student of his class in Lebanon. He received a bachelor's degree in physics in 1968 from the University of Grenoble in France. That same year he went on to pursue an engineering degree from the National Polytechnic Institute of Grenoble.

He then earned his master's degree in 1969 and a doctorate in electrical sciences at Caltech in 1971. A tireless scholar, Elachi also received an M.B.A. in 1978 and an M.S. in geology in 1983 from the University of Southern California and UCLA, respectively.

Elachi taught physics of remote sensing to countless Caltech students in the 1980s and 1990s.

From 1982–2000, Elachi served as JPL's director for Space and Earth Science Programs, and was responsible for the development of flight missions and instruments for Earth observation, planetary exploration and astrophysics.

Established by Caltech in the 1930s, JPL created America's first satellite, Explorer 1, and sent the first robotic craft to the moon and out across the solar system. Currently, it has 20 spacecraft and nine instruments conducting active missions to explore our planet, the moon, Mars and beyond.

In recognition of Elachi's contributions to planetary exploration, in 1989, asteroid 1982 SU was renamed "4116 Elachi."

As a pioneer in his field, Elachi has received numerous national and international awards for his leadership and scientific achievements, particularly in developing spaceborne imaging radar.

He is a member of the National Academy of Engineering in the United States and the International Academy of Astronautics.

"Although our research was not related to cancer, I was able to develop as a researcher and broaden my horizons," Abbas wrote.

Abbas "was doing way above and beyond what was required of him," Houri said. Impressed by his student's devotion to work and skills as an "independent worker," Houri helped him to apply to graduate programs, including The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center, which Abbas calls his "dream school."

Abbas was accepted at M.D. Anderson. Getting to the U.S., however, proved to be full of obstacles as the July 2006 war erupted, and Abbas and his family fled their home in southern Beirut, which was under constant bombardment.

To get the visa, he risked his life to go back to his home to retrieve papers. He also traveled--in vain--an unsafe road to Syria (where he was told the processing of his visa application had been transferred). He finally got the visa a day before his extended school admission deadline.

At his new university, he's been studying the role of a gene called p53, which regulates hematopoietic stem cells that are responsible for the replenishment of the blood. "More than 50% of cancers alter the p53 gene or pathways," Abbas explained, adding that an increased understanding of this gene may be "an avenue to shed light on its importance in leukemia initiation."

His persistence and hard work were rewarded on February 5 with the 2008–2009 Floyd Haar, M.D., Endowed Memorial Research Award.

Abbas hasn't decided yet on his plans after he graduates. Going to a medical school, or working in the U.S. or Lebanon, are among his options. Houri said he'd "love to have him as a colleague because his work is of such high caliber."

Abbas is sure he wants to return to his homeland one day, and help build Toufoula's "Dream Center," envisioned as a facility that will provide treatment and entertainment to cancer patients, and promote research.
 

Sarah's school for girls "evolved into a major coeducational institute whose growth can only be a point of pride," Jabbra said.

Stoddard dedicated one lecture to the life and legacy of Sarah's husband. Smith is credited with the design of a new Arabic typeface, which became known as American-Arabic type. He was also involved in the initial phase of the Bible's translation into Arabic.

Concluding his lecture series, Stoddard presented LAU with an 1845 edition of Sarah's memoir, an American best seller compiled by her brother-in-law. Stoddard also offered the university a digital reproduction of her portrait made in 1833. The original piece, the only known picture of her, hangs in the Park Congregational Church in Norwich.

"I firmly believe that looking down from heaven upon LAU's two campuses, Sarah is more than pleased with the 'glorious superstructure' that now rests on the foundations she started to build 175 years ago," Stoddard said.

Stoddard first came to Lebanon in 1979 and served as BUC's director of Development for North America for eight years. He later joined LAU as vice president for Development in 1999, and upon his retirement in 2005 he dedicated himself to studying the history of missionaries in the Middle East and the "mostly forgotten genesis of LAU."

He will repeat his lectures in Norwich later this year for the 350th anniversary of the city's founding.
 
Read more about LAU's history.

Through her art, Jabbour said she wanted to rise above the confines of space, time and culture. "Sometimes you want to connect to the world around you, so you create another world," she said. Her exhibition was called "Transcending Boundaries," which "is about going beyond ordinary stereotyped ways of doing or seeing things," according to the event card.

The theme of the exhibits revolved around Lebanon's past, present and future.

Jabbour experimented with various motifs, textures, and colors initially without planning to showcase her works. She said it was an ongoing process during which she spent "some crazy moments" of doubt about what she was producing, "but that just kept me experimenting," she said.

The two forms of printmaking she used helped Jabbour be spontaneous and inventive. She produced similar patterns on subsequent prints (monoprints) by using etched plates, and unique prints (monotypes) resulting from clean-surfaced plates.

Jabbour developed these techniques in London and New York, where she continued her education after graduating from then-BUC with a B.A. in fine arts in 1984.

Having returned to her home country, Jabbour started teaching at LAU in 1999. She thinks a teacher's role is to help students' talents "come out in a natural way and not to stereotype what their students are doing."

"If you're a teacher and an artist you don't want the students to imitate your style and to become copies of you," Jabbour said. "So one of the most difficult things in life is to be a good teacher, because I think it's very complex to bring out the [other] person's voice in art, sensibility, artistic character, strong points," she added.

From her experience in various countries, Jabbour said, here, unlike abroad, art has stereotypes. "The circumstances in Lebanon and overall politics are so much part of our lives [that they] waste a lot of our energy. Abroad, people...don't have that as an obstacle. Art has gone beyond," she said.

Jabbour said she loves travelling to experience new developments and trends. "Here, things are very static compared to abroad," she said, adding that it's important to remain self-motivated.

The certification will help the lab exchange knowledge with other SeqNet.org members to investigate suspected outbreaks of hospital- and community-acquired MRSA. The bacterium causes various illnesses ranging from minor skin infections, such as pimples, to severe diseases of the pulmonary tract.

"We can hence recommend better measures to control the spread of infections caused by the bacterium," said Maya Farah, an LAU graduate and senior lab technician.

According to the SeqNet.org website, the network's ultimate goal is to establish "unambiguous, electronic, portable, easily comparable typing data for local infection control and national and European surveillance of sentinel micro-organisms."

Sharing of results will be possible since the LAU lab, like the other SeqNet.org members, has been using a particular classification method known as "spa-typing."

According to Dr. Sima Tokajian, assistant professor of microbiology, spa-typing is not done in any other country of the Middle East. "We are very fortunate at LAU to have the much needed support in terms of grants, equipment, a great team and above all an ever-present and supportive dean, which helped us conduct such techniques and reach great results," said Tokajian.

She was introduced to spa-typing while attending the annual American Society for Microbiology conference in 2006. Sponsored by LAU, she went to Münster, Germany, in the summer of that year, to learn this method and bring it back.

Several months were needed to standardize the technique and teach it to Farah and graduate student Mazen Rizk, who have been working on the project with Tokajian.

At Tokajian's request, SeqNet.org sent samples to test the team's experimental ability and competence in using special software called Ridom. Work on the samples took the entire 2006-2007 academic year and yielded the expected results that eventually secured the certification.

"This certification shows that the university has reached a level of excellence that is even recognized by Europeans... We are now on a par with European institutions," said Professor Fuad Hashwa, Arts and Sciences dean in Byblos.

"This research was done in collaboration with Professor George Araj, director of the bacteriology lab of the American University Hospital Medical Center (AUH-MC), who supplied us with the medical samples. We are also thankful for the Orfalea Family Foundation grant that supported this research," added Hashwa.

According to Hashwa, who holds a Ph.D. in microbiology, the achievement will secure more funds and lead to ventures, probably with other Middle Eastern countries.

The research team is planning to collect and work on additional samples. "The 130 samples we worked on were good but we need more in order to try to determine the origin of this micro-organism and hence limit the infection[s it causes]," said Tokajian.

Plans are under way to get samples from several countries in the region, such as Jordan, to study the micro- and macro-variations in S. aureus populations.

Additional resources:

• SeqNet.org certificate
• Eurosurveillance article

Despite its compact dimensions, "the guide is filled with information," said Dr. Houri, associate professor of chemistry. It contains 400 new photos not found in the 240-picture first volume, published in 2001.

In a handy, portable format, the richly illustrated guide includes every flower's scientific, English, Lebanese or Arabic, and family names; uses; and the location and date the photo was taken.

Mrs. Houri '01 (B.S., interior design) explained that the guide was divided according to the color of the petals--pink, violet, yellow, orange, red, green, and white--to facilitate their identification.

After many hiking and camping trips to Tannourine and the Cedars, the Houris are now challenged to find new species from the estimated 3,000 ones in Lebanon, by visiting other areas of the country. "This year we are trying to work in the Beqaa, since it is not well covered," said Dr. Houri.

He said wildflowers are abundant in water-rich areas, but the ones near the developed coast are becoming extinct due to urbanization. On the other hand, some endangered species are found on high mountains such as Barouk and the Cedars.

Now that the second volume is published, an update to the searchable online database created last year is in the works. Dr. Houri said that although the database allows people to find information about the flowers anytime and anywhere, the books are still necessary. "They are addressed to those who love to walk in nature and learn about the flowers on their own," he said.

The couple is planning to publish a third volume as well as an expanded second edition of the first one. The latter will provide additional types of information available in Volume II such as symbols showing if each plant is medicinal, aromatic, or endangered.

The Houris are also setting their sights on adding Middle Eastern flowers to the database. "This will be a whole different amount of work which cannot be done personally," said Dr. Houri, commenting on the scale of that plan.

An LAU comparative literature graduate student, Abdulsater, 25, displayed some of her photographs at a two-week art exhibition organized by Case Western Reserve University last month in Cleveland, Ohio.

The event, entitled "Créer Pour Résister: Two Generations of Arab Women," featured lectures, dance performances, concerts, theater, and art exhibits, produced by two groups of Arab artists and activists ages 20–30 and 50–60.

Abdulsater was chosen to participate addressing "Women and Poverty." Coming from a disadvantaged southern suburb of Beirut, she had no trouble preparing for the project.

Abdulsater did not restrict herself to her topic, however, as she is intrigued by the human condition as a whole, especially human suffering. "This is the theme that I have been working on since I first took up photography about two years ago," she said. "What draws me most to people is their body language and their facial expressions, especially their wrinkles, that appear with age," she said.

"Hope and despair, grudges and contentment, faith and distrust, all draw maps on their faces," she added. And her photographs reflect that with bone-chilling incision.

It's hard to imagine that Abdulsater, who started by taking random pictures with her cell phone camera, has never had any formal photography training.

She focuses less on technique and more on her intuition. She does not like her subjects to pose, but instead enjoys capturing natural and fleeting—yet meaningful—moments. "My camera comes to freeze the moment and reawaken it in an artistic context," she said.

"People loved Zoha's work!" said Dr. Cheryl Toman, the artist's former teacher-turned-friend, who invited her to Case, where Toman teaches French, ethnic studies, and women's studies.

Two years ago, Toman spent a semester at LAU as a Fulbright foreign exchange professor of comparative literature, and made it her mission to bring all her Lebanese students to the U.S. to foster their artistic interests.

Abdulsater had previously exhibited her work at various Beirut events, but she was astonished when she learned that Case professors had their students analyze her pictures and relate them to courses in literature, art, art history, communications, anthropology and sociology.

"I had three classes view the exhibit and the students overwhelmingly chose themes in Zoha's work to analyze," said Toman.

Indeed, Toman thinks that her American students, who believe it is hard for them to make a difference in the world, need some encouragement in that respect. Seeing "powerful Arab women and what they can do creatively ... made an impact on them," she said.

Similarly, the experience gave Abdulsater the energy to continue pursuing her passion. "I had never imagined, or even dreamed of such a thing happening," she said.

Now that she's back, what will she do next? "Try to experiment more with color," she said, for a change from her preferred black-and-white prints that mesh with the theme of suffering.

Rudy Hachache '05 competed among 34 heavyweight judokas at the Beijing Olympics, reaching ninth place. The experience has prompted him to make judo his full-time job.

"My goal is a medal in the next Olympics," he said. He plans to sell his pharmacy and dedicate all his resources to that goal. Before the next summer games, he is likely to be seen in upcoming competitions such as the U.S. Open; the 52-country Jeux de la Francophonie in Lebanon; the World Championships in the Netherlands; and the Asian Games in 2010.

Hachache found out he was going to China one week before the games began. He qualified because last spring he came out third in the Asian Championships, which he entered after becoming the Lebanese national champion, following a seven-year break from the sport he had practiced since childhood.

"I trained two weeks, I played the Lebanese championship, and a week later I was in Asia," he said. "When I got the confirmation [about the Olympics] I was ecstatic. I couldn't believe it. I called the president of the federation twice just to confirm that I'd be going," he said.

What with the flurry of preparations that ensued, and the rush of the competition, he didn't grasp the impact of this turn of events until it was over.

Unlike the millions of spectators, he explained, "the athletes don't get to see the Olympics."

"I was maybe the only athlete with just my coach," he said, compared to the entourages of most other competitors.

The five-time Arab champion got started in judo at age 12. Later, as an LAU student and alum, he excelled at rugby. For seven years he played with, and briefly coached, the famed LAU Immortals and was also on the Lebanese national team.

But the Olympic experience rekindled Hachache's passion for judo.

His trainer, Fadi Saikali, says Hachache has done well despite the lack of adequate training facilities in Lebanon. "With a little more help, I'm sure he can take a medal," he said.

Hachache says conditions for Lebanese athletes have improved little in recent years. He would like the government to provide training grounds abroad.

In a small country, he said, it is difficult to find peers to practice with. "In Lebanon I haven't got anyone above 100 kilos to play with," he said.

But "we've got really good players from Lebanon that have a lot of potential," he said. He encourages young people to take up judo because it's a non-aggressive sport that builds character and self-discipline.

Hachache recalls how LAU helped him when he had to compete abroad during classes, and how it recognized his achievements with the Immortals. He says LAU creates a friendly atmosphere that is good for training, and his fellow rugby players are now his best friends.

He was one of six Lebanese athletes competing in Beijing.

Amine Eddine, 19, is a founding member and secretary-general of Leaders of Tomorrow, an organization aiming to encourage participation of young people in decision-making processes in the Middle East and North Africa.

For his recent work, he received the "Oscar of Distinction in Youth Work" from the League of Arab States on August 18. He is the youngest and the first Lebanese to receive this award.

Amine Eddine has also assumed leadership roles in several regional youth forums.

He explained that youth make up a large percentage of the population in this region, but they are not adequately represented in policymaking. They "are pathetically and blindly led... This should change," he said.

With headquarters in Lebanon and four branches in Egypt, Jordan, Libya, and Kuwait, Leaders of Tomorrow has embarked on a two-year plan that focuses on health, education, identity, citizenship, and the creation of an Arab youth parliament, their "ultimate goal," according to Amine Eddine.

Summer has been quite a busy time for the ambitious LAU student, who has been representing Lebanon in one conference or committee after another.

During The Youth Arab Lounge and the Arab Thought Forum's Youth Conference in July, Amine Eddine had the chance to communicate his thoughts and plans to Secretary-General of the Arab League Amr Moussa and Jordan's Prince El Hassan bin Talal.

In both meetings, Amine Eddine participated in discussion groups. He was also asked to head The Youth Arab Lounge's final declaration discussion sessions despite the fact that he was the youngest of the 150 participants.

He was also chosen to take part in the Arab League's Youth Advisory Committee and selected to be Lebanon's official representative in the Arab Youth Council and The Summit of Young Arab Leaders.

All these initiatives have been preparing the ground for the 2009 Arab Summit in Kuwait, which Amine Eddine is attending as head of the Lebanese youth delegation.

"I have always dreamt about being a world leader," said Amine Eddine. "Being in such a university as LAU where the environment is perfectly conducive to achieving success and to fostering leadership abilities, I learned how to pursue a dream till it becomes a reality. I received immense support from the LAU community," he added.

Salem comes in with extensive experience as a professor and senior administrator at Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. She has also held teaching positions at various other universities.

Born in Beirut to a Lebanese father and an American mother, Salem completed her master's degree at AUB before traveling to the United States in the 1980s to earn a Ph.D. in Literature from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

She recently took the time to share her outlook and plans in an interview.

What are LAU's major assets in your opinion? What are the main challenges LAU faces?

LAU has the legacy of providing high-caliber education. In its mission, but also in its practice, it is also focused on the education of the whole student, so that a student is not just getting a degree but is gaining knowledge and experience to be a leader in the country and a functioning member of society upon graduation. That commitment to the student is very serious.

One of the big challenges--which I don't think is specific to LAU--is how to educate our students so that they can help transform this troubled country, which is still very much in the process of formation.

There is also the challenge of how to better connect the Beirut and Byblos campuses to their communities so that they are not isolated but are part of the process of change for the better.

Another challenge is how to better extend the reach of this university to the more remote and poor constituencies of this country, to reach out to those public schools in regions where there are obviously incredibly intelligent and hard-working kids, who have not been given sufficient opportunities.

How do you see LAU in the context of other universities in Lebanon and the region? How is it perceived in the region in your opinion? What is your vision to improve LAU?

LAU is definitely a university on the rise. It is favorably being compared to AUB, USJ, Balamand, and other universities that are serious institutions.

The many new universities rising in the Gulf are very interesting, but they are serving a different group, and our Lebanese students are not going there. Lebanon has a huge role to continue to play in serving the region in terms of education.

LAU is one of the institutions that has gone further than any of the traditional ones in strengthening its academic and financial profile, and I'm very confident about that.

Over one-third of our students have some form of financial aid and a large percentage of our students are middle to low-income students. So, although LAU previously had the reputation of being a school for the rich, that idea is no longer warranted.

One of the things that I will be working with the academic units to ensure is that this is a university with high academic standards, but that is catering also to the disenfranchised, and to those groups that would need our support once they are in. We are ready to provide counseling, career services, co-curricular activities and other kinds of support, because once the student is enrolled, he or she becomes a member of our family.

The other part of my vision is that I want to lead by example. I am a hard worker. I have very high standards for myself. I would like to be able to instill in my staff and our students that sense of ownership and responsibility.

What elements from your past experience do you think will be the most useful to you as VPSDEM at LAU?

I am a mother and my three kids happen to be in college.

I have also been a teacher for a very long time, and that informs who I am as a thinker, as a writer, as someone committed to high scholarly standards. Even though in this current job I am not professing literature, I would expect meticulousness, thoroughness and eloquence from everyone who works with me, as well as myself.

The second dimension of being a professor is that I know absolutely what a university is. I have seen some universities that have senior administrators who sometimes forget that it is all about the education of students.

Also, right before coming here, I was a senior administrator, an associate provost, and that position gave me the experience of managing staff and budgets, and working in a leadership capacity at a university to bring about change.

How can we improve student life at LAU?

Student life must be varied, dynamic, and the students need to have ownership of projects. If a student or student group wants to have an activity, we will support it financially and logistically, but I want to give the student responsibility, the surest way to secure commitment.

What would you like to communicate to our current and prospective students?

I'm looking forward to meeting you, learning from you, and working with you. I'm excited to be here.

Assistant Professor in the Beirut School of Business John McGill, who won the first prize, presented portraits of people from several Middle Eastern countries that showed differences in clothing, age, and culture.

"I mostly take photographs of people. For me, it's a way of meeting people here in Lebanon and throughout the Middle East. It helps me to understand them as individuals," he explained.

Though always keen on arts in general, McGill felt particularly interested in this form of artistic expression when he took a photography class as an undergraduate.

"To take good photos, you need to involve three things: your head (choice of subject), your hand (knowledge of technique), and your heart," McGill said. "Of the three, photographing from the heart is the most important. Anyone can learn which f stop to set. I put my heart into my photography--that's my advantage," he added.

Graphic design student Christian Abou Assaly came second, followed by Rita Saad, who graduated in the spring and is currently in New York specializing in photography.

Abou Assaly said, "The first things that came to my mind were religion, war and difference." He found contrasts within the capital, Beirut, as well as the old market of Jounieh by focusing on architecture and people.

Third-year architecture student Raghad Gaood chose to present the contrast between classical and modern architecture, because it "reflects the inner beauty of the city of Beirut" and relates to her major. Gaood came sixth after another LAU student, Rayan Keyrouz.

A panel of experts, which included photography professors from various universities in Lebanon, judged the participants without knowing their names based on their entire portfolio--between three and five photos--rather than an individual photograph.

Photography instructor at the LAU Byblos campus Bassam Lahoud, who helped the participating students by discussing the theme with them and giving them essential instructions, said "the contest helps people discover and explore their society."

Wild Discovery Travel and Tourism organizes the event annually. Usually more than 200 contestants participate in the competition, but this year the turnout was low--between 70 and 80 professional and amateur photographers--due to the political situation at the time of the portfolio-submission deadline.

McGill received a ticket for two to Oman, including airfare and hotel fees. He plans to make the trip in October. In 2004, he had also won the first prize, tickets to Paris, which he had given to a newly wed couple from LAU as a present.

"I grew with the LAU family in a host of different ways, professionally and personally," Ghusn said. "I feel like I'm much more equipped now to take on any professional challenge. But I think, that wherever I go, I will always miss the family environment at LAU," she added.

Ghusn, who has worked at LAU for nine and a half years, served under Presidents Riyad Nassar and Joseph G. Jabbra. She said it was a privilege and an "extremely rewarding" experience.

According to Nassar, Ghusn was "sharp, efficient and committed to her job." Jabbra said she was "a role model for all executive assistants." She was always helpful and positive "no matter what the pressures were--and God knows, the President's Office is a pressure cooker," he added.

Vice President of Advancement Richard Rumsey said Ghusn had greatly helped as he sought to bring LAU's offices in Lebanon and the U.S. closer. He added that although she will be missed by her co-workers in both countries, "she will remain part of the family."

"I will carry this institution that I love and its celebrated stories of success wherever I am," Ghusn said.

As chair of the plenary session, Dr. Jabbra played a key role in moderating and coordinating the sequence of speeches and panels. One of the key questions addressed during the conference was: Why do young people resort to aggressive and radical behavior? Some of the reasons discussed included unemployment, poverty, changing family structures, lack of education and skills, increased migration, marginalization, and exposure to insecurity and conflict through the media or in their immediate surroundings.

Young people "have the potential and the power to be true agents of change in this rapidly changing and increasingly globalized world," said UNESCO Deputy Director-General Marcio Barbosa in his welcoming remarks. "Yet, while the emergence of a global society and the trend towards political and economic liberalization have brought greater freedoms, these changes have also produced a significant degree of uncertainty for the youth of today. Globalization has created new opportunities for economic and social development; but it has also contributed to inequalities," he added.

In his keynote message, well-known Brazilian author Paulo Coelho (of the international bestseller The Alchemist) wrote, "When we see a child bearing a gun, we know that we are in front of the consequence of a bigger problem--not at the root. Indeed, how can we see these youths as responsible of their actions? The choice was not made by them--but for them, or better said, against them."

Quoting the story of "Sadness and Fury" written by Argentinean Jorge Bucay in his keynote address, Former President of the Republic of Colombia Andrés Pastrana said, "It is in our hands to help the sadness disguised as fury to acknowledge the sources of her pain and eliminate them; to help the eyes and the minds blinded by hatred to become compassionate and wise."

The three-day conference in Manama, Bahrain, brought together experts, policymakers, and young people from non-governmental organizations, the private sector, local and national governments, and educational institutions around the globe to share ideas and best practices that have succeeded in engaging youth in positive community projects.

Some of the major themes covered included building confidence and leadership through community action, curricular and extracurricular educational influences, employability, technology and networking, and the role of information and the media.

For more information, go to the "Youth@the Crossroads: A Future Without Violent Radicalization" conference's website.

With Arts & Communication Chairman Raed Mohsen in early June.

Beirut campus Dean of Arts & Sciences Samira Aghacy commemorates Miled at the opening of the International Theatre Festival.

Festival attendees light candles outside the Fine Arts Building.

Visitors poured out their thoughts on a memorial panel placed next to the International Theatre Festival information booth.

Click any image to view all four pictures.

He lived not seeking happiness, but generating it. He gave infinitely and received very little in return. He was incapable of complaining. He found fulfillment in hard work; in doing a good job; in indiscriminate politeness and tireless service to others; in bringing a smile to strained souls; in helping without being asked; in reconciling differences and exposing the foolishness of fighting; in bringing people together.

Miled Karkour had a gift for conciliation, and wouldn't let a quarrel go by near him without intervening, always softly and successfully.

That is how he will be remembered by the students, faculty and staff members who knew him before a fatal domestic accident on July 21 robbed LAU forever of his quiet, affable presence.

Miled was a vital and inseparable part of LAU's vibrant theater life. Throughout 18 years of service to LAU, countless students were privileged to witness his humility, good nature and genuine friendliness.

An outpouring of sorrow and disbelief spread around campus and quickly reached those living in and outside Lebanon who knew him. People are still sharing their grief in person, by email, and on the Web.

"Miled was an outstanding individual," wrote Dr. Samira Aghacy, Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences, in an email message to the LAU community.

She added: "His devotion to LAU was exemplary. He was literally the first to arrive on campus and the last to leave. When we think of Miled, we think of the endless services he gave us which we did not and could not reciprocate. We took him too much for granted. Miled gave generously without expectation of reward. He was there not only for the Communication department, but for everybody. He was virtually overworked, but he never complained. He would interrupt any free weekends (which were very few) and drive all the way from his village (Ain Zebdeh in the Bekaa) to run a small errand at LAU."

At work, the one thing he enjoyed more than the theater was transmitting his comprehensive knowledge of it. He was "a responsible technician, a practical teacher and trainer" who taught the students "without any superiority," said Dr. Raed Mohsen, chairman of the Arts and Communication Department, in his eulogy.

Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Ghada Majed described how Miled always found time for everybody. The day he died, he had visited colleagues at their offices and treated them to "Nescafé," just to say hello and stay in touch. "He loved people," said Majed.

The tremendous amount of work he handled, always with grace and that perpetual smile, is appreciated more than ever as LAU carries on with its International Theatre Festival. The event, dedicated to his memory, opened on July 24. Students and faculty took the opportunity to speak in his honor, light candles and leave messages on a memorial poster.

"Miled was the go-to guy at the fine arts [building] in LAU and for the ones who met and worked with Miled, the theatre will not be the same," wrote Abdallah El Khodr '97.

Anas Ghaibeh '88 wrote, "Miled treated me like an older brother from the first moment I came to LAU even though he barely knew me back then. Always helpful, always smiling and with a sharp sense of humour, Miled made everyone that worked with him or around him feel at ease and able to give their best. Many times I witnessed Miled go out of his way and far beyond the call of his duties in the theatre in order to help or support people whether they were teachers, students or guests. I know that Miled will be remembered and loved by the thousands of people whose lives he touched and I will always treasure his friendship. Miled's characteristic smile and kind voice will forever be imprinted in my memory."

"I don't remember that I asked Miled to help me in anything; however, [he] always offered to help me without asking him," wrote Dr. Abbas Tarhini '94/MS '97.

Music instructor and choir director Leila Dabaghi wrote, "I, for one, could not have made it without him. He also provided help and encouragement to all past and present choir members who have come to consider him as a personal friend."

Malek Anouti '04 wrote: "I just can't imagine how I am going to pass through the corridor or look for him in both theaters shouting for his name so I could see his innocent smile ... his picture in my mind, his innocent face smiling, has never left my mind. We will never forget how ... he took us as brothers and sisters and treated us as such. He guided us, everyone on his own, [and even provided] guidance for our personal life... I promise I will try my best to make of his qualities a guide in my life. Until the time we meet again."

Hundreds of similar messages can be found in a special Facebook group created in his memory.

Miled was laid to rest in Ain Zebdeh, overlooking Lake Qaraoun and the Litani river, the village he used to exalt and invite everyone to visit.

He is survived by parents Youssef and Farida, wife Jocelyne and two-year-old daughter Nai.

Miled will be sorely missed, and his kindness will remain forever in the minds of those who were lucky to know him.

The view from Miled's final resting place (photo by Bassam Lahoud).

The men's and women's teams from both campuses competed with counterparts from seven other universities from Lebanon, Greece, Egypt, and the UAE in various sports, such as table tennis, tennis, basketball, soccer, volleyball, and swimming.

The tournament gave teammates the opportunity to develop strong bonds with one another. "We had chemistry on and off the court that helped us improve our game as a team unit," said Tarek Mahmoud, the Beirut men's basketball team captain, who has been playing with LAU for four years.

In addition, the LAU teams cheered on and supported one another during the games, according to many participants. Lama Masri, who is on the Beirut women's soccer team, said that the encouragement from other LAU team members inspired hope and confidence to them. "It was a great atmosphere. LAU teams were very supportive to us when they had the chance to watch us," added Mahmoud. His coach, Martin Mugharbil, agreed; "You could see the volleyball or soccer players cheering for the basketball team ... We were all one big team."

The games started as soon as the participants arrived in Greece on March 20. Many teams followed a rigorous three-day schedule--with competitions taking place from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily--sometimes playing two strenuous matches one after another.

Despite the demanding program, the delegation, which also included the Beirut and Byblos Deans of Students Tarek Na'was and Mars Semaan, returned to Lebanon after four days with several medals and achievements. To learn about all the results, see the table at the end of the page.

Referring to her gold medal in table tennis, Chystel Jalkh, a third-year pharmacy student from Byblos, said, "Winning this tournament was so special to me. It is the first time that I travel with the university teams and play outside Lebanon...[and] hopefully this victory will be a good start. Raising high the Lebanese and LAU flags made me proud and meant a lot to me."

At the closing ceremony, awards of best sportsmanship were distributed to all the teams and universities. Afterwards, a social gathering featuring Arabic music and belly dancing was held. During their free time, students also had a chance to socialize and go sightseeing.

The LAU athletics teams usually take part in a tournament every year. In the past four years, they went twice to both Greece and France. Throughout the year, they also compete with other university teams in Lebanon, and participate in campus activities, such as festivals and award ceremonies.

Nimah, a champion of student-centeredness, was also considered a motherly figure by students and a friend by many of her colleagues. "Her legacy will forever be cherished in the hearts and minds of those who had the privilege of working closely with her," says long-time friend Dr. Cedar Mansour, Special Assistant to the President and General Counsel.

Byblos Dean of Students Mars Semaan said that she unified both LAU campuses, creating "a cohesive team that could butt heads with any equivalent team and outdo it."

Dr. Tarek Na'was, Dean of Students in Beirut, said that, to her credit, "LAU now has a solid base of very organized offices on both campuses," referring to the student services area. "The difficult task is done, we are only making the final touches," he added.

The student service-oriented approach advocated by Nimah brought about a series of developments in the university. Some of them included orientation programs for new Lebanese and international students; the "Banner" system for registering, checking grades, and reviewing account charges; the promotion of athletics events; etc.

Nimah also spearheaded the Model UN program at LAU, a unique initiative in the region. Her latest achievement was the establishment of the University Student Council and Campus Student Councils last year. These councils will allow students to be involved more actively in some aspects of university and campus life that are of particular interest to them.

Holding degrees in mathematics from the Lebanese University and the University of Paris, and a Ph.D. in Solid-State Physics from Utah State University, Nimah started her administrative career at LAU (then BUC) as an Assistant Dean in the Beirut campus in 1992. Then she served as Academic Dean of the same campus for two years. Later, she was appointed Vice President for Student Affairs and took on her last position in 2005. Besides her administrative experience at LAU, she also held a position as the principal of St. Mary's Orthodox College in Beirut in the 1980s.

Although she is known mostly for these administrative endeavors, Nimah was particularly fond of teaching. In a 1999 interview for the LAU Magazine & Alumni Bulletin, she said that she missed "teaching a lot because that's where you really have contact with students and have first-hand experience in problem solving."

Nimah is considered by many to be a trusted and honest colleague, a faithful friend, a motivator with tremendous management skills, and a role model. Throughout her career at LAU, she created a family-like atmosphere and supported her co-workers in times of need. Colleagues also point out that she stood up to challenges by remaining calm, thinking clearly and making rational decisions.

Through her dedicated work, Nimah left her unique mark on the advancement of LAU's core values of "student-centeredness," "education of the whole person" and "formation of students as future leaders in a diverse world."

She previously worked for ten years as the Executive Secretary to the Director of LAU's Institute for Women's Studies in the Arab World. During that time, its founding director, Dr. Julinda Abu Nasr, encouraged her to continue her education; she did, and received an A.A. degree in Business Management from BUC in 1983.

Azar modestly says that the presidents and the community are those who have made the achievements at LAU; her role was to support them in their job. In fact, her day-to-day tasks have cumulatively assisted two of LAU's top officers. She considers herself lucky for having worked with such distinguished people and having been there at the time the Byblos campus was built.

Her coworkers will greatly miss her, and she says she will equally miss them. She "is a good friend and good colleague. She is helpful, hard-working, good hearted, sociable, and always ready to help everybody," said the Executive Secretary to the Vice President for Academic Affairs, Ruby Khalaf, who has worked with her for 15 years.

After retiring, Azar would like to continue contributing to LAU's advancement by spreading the university's reputation and good image and inspiring friends and family to do so.

Assistant professor Assad Fouladkar's award-winning drama When Maryam Spoke Out (2001) about a couple, Maryam and Ziyad, who struggle with Maryam's infertility and her mother-in-law's efforts to spoil the marriage, will launch the day devoted to Lebanon. Instructor Dima El Horr's recent Pret à Porter Imm Ali will follow as part of a series of short films.

The annual 12-day festival, which celebrates its 60th anniversary this year, is considered among the world's most prestigious filmmaking events.

The initial result was The Photographic Guide to the Wild Flowers of Lebanon (2001), a book featuring 240 wildflowers of Lebanon. This year, to complement the book and make their data accessible to all, the Houris launched a fully searchable online version of their guide. In an interview, the Houris explained how the project got started and what the couple has planned for the future.

Nisrine and Ahmad Houri on a recent fieldtrip.

Q. Why did you undertake to capture all of Lebanon's wild flowers on film?

A. This project started from a true love of nature. When we used to go on hiking trips in some of the more remote areas of Lebanon, we were constantly faced with the question "What is this flower?" and whether it has something interesting about it. This project started from a very small collection of some of the most beautiful flowers that I and my wife simply wanted to know the names of. Having limited resources and no local field guides meant that this was going to be a difficult task. Accordingly, we took it upon ourselves to identify the flowers and put them in a guide format so that any nature lover can have it in their pocket as they walk around. Once that idea was firmly established, the collection quickly expanded. My wife developed a fascination in flower identification and later followed it up with formal study and obtained a postgraduate diploma in biodiversity conservation and management from the University of London. I, on the other hand, worked on improving my photography techniques and obtained a certification from the New York Institute of Photography.

Q. When did you begin photographing and how long has it taken so far? And, are you finished or are there still wildflowers yet to be photographed?

A. I began photographing wild flowers in 1998 and have been active since. My collection has now thousands of pictures for hundreds of species. With more than 4,000 different species of plants in Lebanon, it would be extremely difficult for anyone to say that they have been able to capture them all on film. A project aiming at photographing all of the wild flowers of Lebanon is a very expensive and time-consuming undertaking.

Q. What can readers learn from your book?

A. The main objective of the book is the proper identification of flowers. Knowing the scientific name, one can learn all about the plant on their own. However, I have made it a point to mention a couple of lines on medicinal or toxic uses in addition to identifying the location and month when the picture was taken so that anyone who wishes to find the plant again may be able to do so with relative ease. On a more general objective, I have always been faced with the question: Do we have all those flowers in Lebanon? And the answer is that we actually have in Lebanon 20 times those flowers, but it is always a good introduction for people to start with this book or web site. This makes people more aware of the diversity of flora in Lebanon and maybe encourages them to put in some effort for the protection of nature. In order to partially cover this information gap, I am planning to publish another volume of my book with around 400 new flowers included, after which I plan to undertake building up a comprehensive web-based database of wildflowers of Lebanon. I am still looking for potential sponsors of both projects.

Q. Is there a national flower for Lebanon? If so, which one is it and why was it chosen?

A. As far as I know, Lebanon does not have a national flower, although we do have a national tree (the cedar). There are several flowers that may be nominated for that classification: Iris Sofrana (the Iris of Sawfar); Geranium Libani, the endangered Cyclamen species, Silene makmeliana (named after Makmel mountain) and several others that have been named after famous Lebanese locations or figures. Some of these plants are endemic to Lebanon and cannot be found anywhere else.

The Dianthus libanotis is one of the species Houri proposes as the national flower of Lebanon.

Q. What's next?

A. I have been getting some very encouraging feedback on the website that has motivated me to develop a full-scale database that might include more than 3,000 plants!

The university delegated 42 athletes to the event May 18–21, 2006.

LAU athletes competed in basketball, volleyball and soccer with over 300 counterparts from five universities in Greece, Bulgaria and Lebanon.

Three LAU athletes, Sabine Fakhoury (women's basketball), Fouad Serhan (men's basketball), and Samah Safa (men's volleyball), won the Most Valuable Player awards.

"An MVP is a player who reflects positively on the team and shows strength on the playground and high team spirit," said 20-year-old Fakhoury. "It means a lot to me. It gives you a push and makes you go on and improve," she added. Fakhoury, who is majoring in International Business, started playing basketball at age 14 and joined the LAU team a year ago.

During the three-day tournament, the women's basketball team scored their first-ever international title, while both the men's basketball and volleyball teams landed their second international titles respectively after Dubai in 2002 and Greece in 2004.

"Women's volleyball and men's soccer teams took second place after heartbreaking losses in the finals against the American College of Sofia, Bulgaria (2–1) and Deree College, Athens (2–2, 4–2 on penalties)," Beirut Athletics Director Sami A. Garabedian reported.

Garabedian headed the delegation along with Beirut Dean of Students Tarek Na'was, accompanied by coaches Najib Chouity, Nazih Sleiman, Hassan Chatila, Martin Mugharbil and physiotherapist Maher Fathallah.

"The Arab world has the potential, but not the infrastructure and the 'recent' tradition of scientific and technological research," he said in an interview. He noted it would require "a concerted and dedicated effort by leaders in academia, government and industry" to make Middle Eastern society start investing in opportunities for young people.

But the LAU trustee thinks technological advances have set the stage for change. "The communication revolution has flattened the world and given everyone, everywhere, access to information," he said.

"This presents people in Lebanon and the Middle East a golden opportunity to contribute and play a major role in the world's economic welfare," he said. He is confident that Middle Eastern youth can gain the abilities needed to lift the region out of technological and economic stagnation.

Dr. Elachi brings years of experience in academia, science and space exploration, adding luster to the body that oversees LAU's affairs.

He is director of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and vice president of the California Institute of Technology, where he teaches electrical engineering and planetary science. His main area of expertise is the obtention, analysis and interpretation of imagery of planetary surfaces, including Earth.

"I hope my experience as a university professor, researcher and director of the world's leading space exploration center, will allow me to give an additional perspective on how to strengthen education and research in Lebanon, in general, and at LAU in particular," he said.

Dr. Elachi, a friend of President Joseph G. Jabbra, was delighted when he was tapped for consideration on the Board of Trustees. "I grew up in Lebanon and then moved to France and the U.S. for my university education and then my professional career, but I always felt that the Lebanese people have a lot of potential if given the opportunity," he stressed.

His eagerness to serve on the board was in tune with Dr. Jabbra's goal to make LAU a first-rate university and to help the young people of Lebanon achieve a higher level of education so they could contribute in the world of the future, he said.

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory was established by Caltech in the 1930s. It created America's first satellite, Explorer 1, and it sent the first robotic craft to the Moon and out across the solar system, surveying all of the planets except one. Pushing the outer edge of exploration became JPL's raison d'etre as a laboratory for the National Aeronautics & Space Administration.

Dr. Elachi was principal investigator on research and flight projects sponsored by NASA and was the lead investigator for the Shuttle Imaging Radar series. He served as co-investigator on the Magellan imaging radar and is team leader of the Cassini Titan Radar experiment orbiting the planet Saturn.

The globe-trotting scientist, who was born in Lebanon, studied physics at the University of Grenoble, France, before receiving a diplôme d'ingenieur from the Polytechnic Institute at Grenoble.

He went on to earn M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in electrical sciences from Caltech, adding an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California and an M.S. in Geology from the University of California at Los Angeles for good measure.

Dr. Elachi has authored over 230 publications in the fields of space and planetary exploration, Earth observation from space, active microwave remote sensing, electromagnetic theory and integrated optics, and holds several patents in those fields. Of his three texts on remote sensing, one was translated into Chinese.

The workshop, grouping 12 budding literary reviewers from four countries, focused on letting participants develop critical faculties and writing skills.

Kallab, 25, didn't hesitate to submit a review of Joseph Conrad's Heart of Darkness to apply as soon as she heard about the mentoring program.

"What used to annoy me most in school was that we were supposed to learn and not to criticize," she said. "I used to review and criticize information in writing but never published my critiques."

The intensive 10-day program included tutoring in visual arts, dance, music, drama, film and literary criticism. It involved a four-day stop in Scotland to attend lectures at the Glasgow School of Arts, a two-day visit to Newcastle's Gateshead cultural venue and a final hop to London where the students visited a number of art museums.

Such variety dovetailed with Kallab's additional interests in music and the theater.

The other young critics on the program were six British university students, two Pakistanis and three Palestinians.

To follow up on the program, a British student will visit Lebanon, while three others are scheduled to travel to Palestine and another two to Pakistan, to be introduced to the arts of those countries.

Dr. Schechter, who was 86, had laid the groundwork for the global market that the college's students were to face during his tenure from 1969 to 1973. He was an advocate of coeducational education and believed LAU (BCW's successor) was the right institution to provide leadership in economic development to the Middle East region.

"LAU needs to think bigger: it either has or can develop the necessary intellectual and organizational skills necessary to meet this goal," he said. He was keen on participatory management and was instrumental in creating the University Executive Council.

Dr. Shechter's wife Zelma passed away in April 2005. The family asked that contributions be made to Sterling College or to the "William and Zelma Schechter Scholarship Fund" established at LAU. Donations may be made to the Development Office in Beirut (tel. +961-1-786456) or to the New York Office (475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1846, New York, NY 10115-0065; tel. 212 870-2592).

The web-based project offers studies produced by architects worldwide who are invited to present reports on what is interesting in their cities as well as recent architectural developments. The site was inaugurated in 2002 and adds several reports every year.

Beirut is the oldest city profiled in the Worldview series. The project traces the architectural and urban development of the city from the 3rd millennium B.C. to 2005. It also features a selection of young Lebanese architects, their experiences and most famous works in the country.

Dr. Haddad, along with a team of Lebanese architects, chose the 15 architects featured in the project based on a number of strict criteria, including being Lebanese and having extensive experience in Lebanon. In their reports, Dr. Haddad and his colleagues insisted on showing the diversity of architectural experiences in Lebanon.

The architects, who had studied and lived in Europe and the United States, infused their local culture with design approaches they had learned abroad.

"It's a great opportunity to have the five presidents of institutions whose histories converge in the Protestant reform tradition," said Rev. Paul Haidostian, the president of Haigazian University, about the gathering on October 17, 2005.

The presidents of Pittsburgh Theological Seminary and Princeton Theological Seminary in the United States visited Lebanon in October 2005 to attend a gathering of the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and Eastern Orthodox Churches. The conference included the heads of the Beirut-based Near East School of Theology and Haigazian University, founded by non-Presbyterian reformed or congregational missionaries.

"This is a rare occasion to have the presidents of Pittsburgh and Princeton Seminaries in Beirut," said Dr. Mary Mikhael, NEST's president, adding that a number of her institution's faculty members were Princeton alumni.

She hoped NEST and Princeton Seminary would cooperate on various activities, notably since NEST students have been known to pursue post-graduate studies at Princeton. Princeton Theological Seminary's president, Dr. Iain R. Torrance, is a member of the international dialogue between the World Alliance of Reformed Churches and the Orthodox Church.

Dr. Mikhael also pointed to the close ties between her school and the Lebanese American University, since both were founded by missionaries from the same church.

"While we began as a small liberal arts college, we're proud of our history and links to the Presbyterian Church, USA," said Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra of LAU.

LAU's roots go back to the American School for Girls, founded in Beirut in 1835. It became the American Junior College for Women in 1924; Beirut College for Women in 1948; the coeducational Beirut University College in 1973; and finally, the Lebanese American University in 1994.

"I arranged for a lunch gathering to further the fellowship among the five presidents," Rev. Haidostian said of the event.

Rev. Haidostian and Haigazian's first president were both Princeton Seminary graduates and Pittsburgh Seminary's current president, Rev. Carnegie Samuel Calian, serves on Haigazian's board of trustees.

Dr. Calian, who lectured on "Marketplace Ethics from an Interfaith Perspective" at LAU's new Business School on October 17, said nobody was immune from temptation.

He urged his audience to be guided by generosity, moderation, honesty, attainable priorities, charity, to be well informed and to be productive without losing oneself in the process.

"To sort out what is and what is not negotiable for us in a market-driven society with its tempting and questionable trade-offs is not easy," he admitted, arguing that people were as ethical as the last time they were tempted.

"I'm excited to be taking on this challenge and see us moving to new heights to achieve our goal of excellence in the years to come," Rumsey said of his title that now groups development and fundraising, marketing and branding, alumni affairs, public relations and government relations.

It's a dynamic that has been set in place by President Joseph G. Jabbra who is eager to move the university in an upward direction and has placed advancement as a key priority for his administration.

"I'm taking my cue from Dr. Jabbra, whose own standards are very high and whose energy level is rather infectious," Rumsey explained. "We're lucky to have such an inspiring example."

Rumsey is no stranger to challenges, despite his initiation into the heretofore unfamiliar Middle Eastern terrain. He came to LAU from Columbia University's School of Dental and Oral Surgery, where he served as senior development officer and director of development.

In a highly competitive field where vying for donors' gifts requires exceptional talents, Rumsey succeeded in identifying, cultivating and securing funds from individuals, alumni, corporations and foundations in various parts of the United States.

His previous experience included running the development operations at New Jersey Medical School, the University of Akron and the United States Merchant Marine Academy.

"There's a great opportunity to not only put LAU on the map but to make it a power to be reckoned with in this part of the world and I want to be part of that move," Rumsey said.

The youthful go-getter spirit is evident in his demeanor and history as a former football and basketball player eager to win. Rumsey's Master of Education degree is in Sports Management from Springfield College in Massachusetts. He graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Business Economics and Speech Communication.

"Administrative Culture in a Global Context" is a 297-page book jointly edited by LAU's president and O.P. Dwivedi, with chapters on administrative culture and values as well as case studies from the U.S., U.K., Europe, Asia, Africa and Latin America.

The chapter on the Middle East was authored by Dr. Jabbra--a political scientist with a legal background--and his wife, Dr. Nancy Jabbra, an anthropologist and expert on women's studies.

The authors seek to raise questions about whether internationally recognized models of globalization, notably the American cultural paradigm, can be made applicable worldwide and what administrative challenges that poses for governments.

According to a summary of the book, the editors "believe diversity in thought and action is more desirable than the self-proclaimed universal paradigms originating in the West and will ultimately lead to a just and sustainable world."

Dr. Jabbra, who is author or co-author of 10 books, is a widely published scholar who firmly believes in research.

"Being an administrator in academia does not preclude my continued fascination with research and writing," he said, adding that all faculty members have a responsibility to pursue such interests alongside their teaching duties.

Whether in office or out, Rafic Hariri was always very supportive of education in general and American higher education in particular as evidenced by his strong support of both LAU and AUB. In July 1996 Prime Minister Hariri addressed LAU's Beirut BUC graduates, encouraging them "to participate fully in the rebuilding of their country by putting their newly-acquired knowledge and talents to good use." He also took the occasion to announce that his Cabinet had approved the upgrading of their Beirut University College to Lebanese American University, and that both the Schools of Pharmacy and of Engineering and Architecture had been granted government licenses.

Six years later the Prime Minister was the main speaker at the 2002 Byblos commencement where he again urged graduates to give something back to Lebanon, while also jokingly complaining that their fellow students in Beirut sometimes kept him awake by playing music on campus on warm summer nights. This time the university honored him for giving back so much to his country through his philanthropy and political leadership by awarding him an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters.

His Excellency Mr. Hariri became a good friend and confidant of former LAU President Nassar and made a special effort to attend and honor Dr. Nassar at his Gala Retirement Dinner last July. He had since welcomed and pledged his ongoing support to President Jabbra.

The late Prime Minister has been eulogized as a Lebanese and Arab patriot who served as a voice for tolerance and moderation. We knew him as that as well as a very good and generous friend who shared with LAU a common vision and commitment to rebuild Lebanon and reestablish peace in the Middle East. We too will very much miss our good friend and neighbor, Rafic Hariri.

With resolve and enthusiasm, Dr. Joseph G. Jabbra told a capacity crowd at Beirut's BIEL Center he was sure LAU would obtain accreditation and placed great importance on the university's strategic plan that he hopes will propel the institution to greater heights.

He expressed confidence that LAU would add a level of American higher education accreditation to the existing Lebanese one that recognizes the university's academic programs.

Grateful that LAU had emerged from the Lebanese civil war unscathed, Dr. Jabbra said the university still needed a new sense of direction--a strategic plan--to address academic excellence, enrollment management, governance, development, finance and administration, information technology, public relations and the medical school it hopes to build.

With over 6,000 students, LAU is thriving on both its Beirut and Byblos campuses, the president said, adding that the university's finances were healthy, enrollment solid and endowment gaining strength.

"If we are to continue our successes, we must always be dynamic, always climbing toward new heights of excellence, and never satisfied with past glories," he said.

The president acknowledged the Boards of Trustees and of International Advisers, government and diplomatic VIPs at the inauguration ceremony. He addressed the audience in English and Arabic.

President Jabbra, who assumed his position in August 2004 following Dr. Riyad Nassar's 22-year administration, said his dream was to meticulously consolidate past and current gains, strengthen weak programs and only selectively and strategically add new ones.

Dr. Jabbra, who graduated with a law degree from Lebanon's Université Saint-Joseph, obtained his doctorate in political science from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was Academic Vice President at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, for 14 years before coming to LAU.

"Academic excellence will be the center of my administration. We must have a culture of excellence supported by a culture of evidence," said Dr. Jabbra, adding that it will be the result of solid teamwork inspired by the educational mission of the Presbyterian Church.

A primary goal toward that end is seeking accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. It's a major endeavor to be undertaken by the entire university community, including the Board of Trustees and the Board of International Advisors.

Officials from LAU, including Dr. Jabbra, have met with the accrediting agency in Boston and a delegation including two faculty members and two vice presidents has traveled there for more detailed discussions. Following their return to LAU, Dr. Jabbra and the vice presidents, in consultation with university constituencies, will put together a self-study steering committee to guide the accreditation process.

Another matter to be pursued will be the Michael DeBakey Medical School and Teaching Hospital. A feasibility study is underway to ensure that the final decision on how to proceed is based on facts. "If we establish a medical school, it will take time to build a hospital and we'll have to use the facilities of existing hospitals until we have one of our own," the President explained.

An equally vital issue is strategic planning. Higher education expert Robert A. Sevier defined three questions such plan should answer:

1. Who are we?
2. What do we want to be in the future?
3. How are we going to get there?

Accordingly, Dr. Jabbra has met with the University Executive Council and has gone on a retreat with the vice presidents during which the discussion focused on a) a shift in thinking, so that everyone is thinking strategically; and b) putting in place a strategic plan to present to the Board of Trustees in 2005.

Public relations and promotion of LAU are another area he hopes to develop more extensively to enhance the university's presence on the local, regional, and international scenes.

Another focus will be enrollment management, which Dr. Jabbra views as a continuum moving through recruitment of students, admission, registration, retention, graduation, and on to alumni status, thus creating a sense of belonging among both students and alumni.

"Further, we have to create an institutional culture to express what the institution is all about, what its substance is," he stressed. "It's important for people to identify with the institution, and vice versa. It's also key that we institutionalize the inner workings of LAU, thereby creating allegiance to the institution, not to personalities."

Dr. Jabbra argued that LAU must continue to be financially healthy in order to aspire to greatness and excellence. He said that effective budgeting, successful fundraising, and a healthy endowment will reduce dependence on tuition.

He believes that the powerful combination of donors and tuition-paying parents will make LAU a formidable educational force in the Middle East region and the world.

"This is an awesome challenge for a private institution, but one worth meeting--hence the importance of giving by benefactors who will take pride in their gifts and in seeing that their contributions catapult LAU to excellence," Dr. Jabbra said.

President Jabbra said LAU should give governance and how administrators address it prominence in their strategic thinking. "The role of the faculty, staff, and students, and how they intersect, is very important," he said.

This, he noted, manifests itself on several levels: First, the central administration (the president and the vice presidents) and their collaborative work; second, the role of the faculty and whether there is to be a faculty senate or similar body; third, the role of the staff and their contribution to the process; and fourth, the students and their input in the governance of the institution.

He emphasized the importance of conveying a sense that everyone has a stake in the institution, is given the opportunity to state their views and contribute to building the university. "We want to create a model for people to follow," he said, adding that success breeds success.

Dr. Jabbra believes that change is normal in the life of any university and that with everyone's commitment and hard work, it will rejuvenate LAU in its drive toward excellence.

Dr. Jabbra took over as President of LAU on August 1, 2004, succeeding Dr. Riyad Nassar, who retired after 22 years in that position. Dr. Jabbra graduated with a law degree from Lebanon's Université Saint-Joseph and obtained his doctorate in political science from the Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He was Academic Vice President at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California, for 14 years before coming to LAU.

"The Board meeting was a historic moment and I'm comfortable the new president will do a good job," Dr. Nassar told a faculty meeting in early January 2004. "I will be supporting him."

Dr. Jabbra assumed office in August 2004, following a 14-year stint as academic vice president at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles, California. He's been a tenured full professor of political science there since 1990.

The election by unanimous vote at a December 2003 meeting in New York marks a watershed in the university's 79-year history, following 22 years of expansion under Dr. Nassar's continuous leadership.

Dr. Nassar, who retired in July 2004, said he expected the LAU community to cooperate with the new president to further the university's mission.

Dr. Jabbra brings lifelong experience managing diverse academic programs, offices, institutes and services in North American institutions. He has delivered numerous keynote addresses on higher education, spoken at seminars and workshops and served on dozens of committees since 1970, received prestigious awards for his years of service in Canada and the U.S., and published an impressive list of books (solo and with his wife, Dr. Nancy Jabbra).

Prior to his tenure at Loyola Marymount University, Dr. Jabbra was vice president for academic affairs and research at St. Mary's University in Halifax, Canada, where he began his career as an assistant professor of political science.

Dr. Jabbra is knowledgeable about both undergraduate and graduate education and has extensive experience with university accreditation and fundraising. He is a noted scholar of Middle East issues, with particular emphasis on Lebanon.

Dr. Jabbra is a law graduate from Université Saint Joseph, Lebanon, and has a Ph.D. in political science from the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

He was interviewed in January 2004.

After so many years abroad, what made you decide to come back to Lebanon? What was the attraction? Were there any hesitations?

I have spent much of my professional life in Canada and the United States. I played a major role in strengthening higher education in both of these countries. During this period, I influenced successive generations of students through my work as a professor and academic administrator. I always yearned to return to my native country to strengthen higher education there, working with my colleagues to provide students with enhanced opportunities for personal and academic growth. When the occasion arose, I was honored to accept the position of President without hesitation.

Have you formulated a four-year plan for LAU and what do you feel needs to be tackled first?

Any new president of an institution of higher education must be a strategic thinker, providing a sense of direction for the future while drawing on the institution's past and present successes. I feel very lucky to succeed Dr. Riyad Nassar who, with the help of his colleagues, made LAU a major educational force in Lebanon and the entire Middle East. My goal as the new President is to work hard with the vice presidents, the deans, the faculty, staff, and student representatives, plus the Board of Trustees, the Board of International Advisors, and representatives of the Presbyterian Church, to create a ten-year strategic plan founded upon priorities and initiatives, and supported by a fund-raising campaign. Thus my first task will be to learn and understand the institution, its culture, and its people.

As a lifelong academician and administrator, where do you see institutions of higher learning heading in the 21st Century, and what role should an American university abroad play?

Globalization is revolutionizing the entire world in myriads of ways, and the engine of globalization, increasingly, is technology. The role of universities, then, will be to address the future by preparing students for leadership in a new world through learning technology and understanding that world and its cultures, while retaining liberal arts traditions, particularly critical thinking, good writing, and ethics. LAU has already demonstrated excellence in this regard and, following the mission of its Presbyterian founders, is strategically poised to emerge as a leader in higher education in Lebanon and in the Middle East.

Will your family be coming to live with you in Lebanon? Will you be living on campus?

I plan to live on campus, close to the heart of the university. My wife, Nancy, will divide her time between Lebanon and the United States because of her academic position and because we have two grown children, Michael and Mary, living in California.

Much has been said about governance, a faculty senate and other forms of representation. How active a role should faculty and staff be playing in the administration of a university?

With respect to governance, I feel strongly that faculty, staff, and students, through their representatives, should be given the opportunity to contribute to the University's decision-making process. Structures and modalities for that contribution will need to be determined through consultation and careful study.

How much time do you anticipate spending on the road fund raising and how much time do you think you'll need to spend in Lebanon? What's the magic balance?

Although fund raising will be part of my daily responsibilities, I will, however, need to spend a lot of time at the University in Lebanon, working with my colleagues and the University's constituencies and Boards to establish its priorities and develop its strategic plan. Once those priorities and the strategic plan, supported by a capital campaign, have been approved by the Board of Trustees, I will have to spend more time on the road raising funds.

Dr. Nassar has served as president since 1982, was dean of then Beirut University College 11 years prior to that, and filled in for the president from 1971 to 1982. He also served as chairman of the Natural Science Division at the institution. His teaching career at BUC, the Lebanese University, Georgia Institute of Technology and the American University of Beirut dates back to 1957.

In addition to his academic credentials, Dr. Nassar has held several consultancy positions and been a member of various educational and professional associations. He earned his Ph.D. in chemistry in 1965 from the Georgia Institute of Technology. His B.S. and M.S. in chemistry were awarded by the American University of Beirut in 1957 and 1959, respectively.

This interview was conducted in August 2003.

What led to the renewal of your term as president?

During the first round of elections for a new president in November 2002, there was no agreement on a candidate and a few trustees questioned the legality of the then constitution and bylaws of the Board of Trustees and Overseers. As a result of consultations on the matter with two U.S. law firms, a report was drawn up on the requirements of the Board of Regents, the law governing higher education in the state of New York and laws on not-for-profit organizations. Questions were submitted to the Board of Regents in New York and it, in turn, explained to LAU's Board what the responsibilities of the Trustees were and how they were to delegate responsibility to other bodies.

What was the next step?

Based on this information, a committee of Trustees was charged with drafting a new constitution and bylaws that took into consideration all the requirements of the above three laws. After several drafts, the committee met in May 2003 and presented its final recommendation to the Trustees. The Trustees held an emergency meeting June 6 and 7, 2003, in New York and approved the new constitution and bylaws, which made a clear distinction between the Trustees and the old Board of Overseers, which was renamed the Board of International Advisers.

So the Board of Overseers ceased to exist?

All Overseers were informed of the changes and were asked to indicate whether or not they would like to join the Board of International Advisers. A meeting is scheduled at the Beirut campus for September 5, 2003 for the international advisers to discuss university business and make recommendations to the Trustees who will meet September 19 and 20, 2003 in New York.

So what happened in the search for a new president?

In that emergency June meeting the Trustees decided they needed more time to select a candidate for president. Since my term was to end September 30, 2003, the Trustees asked me to extend my term by one active academic year (to give them a chance to complete the selection process), and one sabbatical year (to compensate for several sabbaticals I could not take during my 22-year administration).

What will you do in the coming year?

During this coming year I'll do my best to consolidate the institution, resolve all internal conflicts and make LAU ready to be handed to the next president, in order to make the transition of leadership smooth.

What message did the Board convey with extension of your term?

With this step, the Board is conveying to our supporters, friends, parents and students the stability of the university and its ability to deal with any emergency in a professional and effective manner.

Najwan Yassin won First Prize, Carla Aramouni got Third Prize and Aicha Abbas received an Honorable Mention in the yearly contest organized by the Association of Collegiate Schools of Architecture and sponsored by the Dupont company.

The 2002–2003 DuPont Benedictus Student Design Competition asked architecture students to design a bank for a small town on a site of the students' choosing. The competition challenged students and faculty to address architectural issues surrounding the use of laminated glass in a theoretical design problem while exploring the various uses and applications of laminated glass as a building material.

Faculty advisors Prof. Elie Haddad (Najwan and Aicha) and Prof. Antoine Romanos (Carla) echoed the pride of Dr. Abdallah Sfeir, dean of LAU's School of Engineering & Architecture, saying their students had put the school on the American architectural map.

ACSA membership is limited to U.S.-based schools of architecture. LAU is an affiliate member. In last year's competition 555 students from 33 U.S. schools and 40 schools from other countries submitted entries to the contest.

More information at http://www.dupontbenedictus.com/press.html (see "11th Annual DuPont Benedictus Awards ® Winners Announcement" and "Students from Lebanon and Spain with top three awards in DuPont Benedictus Awards competition"

Laham, a Communication Arts student, got an all-expenses-paid trip to Dubai, an impressive butterfly plexiglass and gold plated trophy symbolizing freedom to create, and, a three-month internship at CNN's London bureau for his 17-minute film on contemporary Lebanese sculptor Assaf Assaf. At CNN he was assigned work on various news and business programs.

The awards celebrate creative excellence in media and promote young Arab talents. They are considered a stepping stone for college juniors and seniors and cover the areas of advertising, film, graphic design, journalism, photography, radio and TV.

Judges narrowed their choices to 31 finalists from 1,427 participants representing 18 countries. The Dubai talent contest culminated in the December 16 ceremony attended by about 400 guests.

It was only fitting that the same spirit that marked her dedication to the cause of a liberal arts education, notably the humanities, envelop the lives of those who knew her well and were saddened by her departure December 15, 2001, weeks short of her 92nd birthday, following a valiant struggle with cancer.

"She was a gracious, highly intellectual person who had great commitment to a liberal arts education and to the education of women in the world," said LAU President Riyad Nassar.

During the years he and his team developed the small liberal arts college, formerly known as Beirut University College, into the Lebanese American University, she provided much support, he said, adding that she had expressed appreciation for the fact that LAU had maintained a liberal arts education as the base for all the institution's professional studies.

"I have admired Ms. Gray for being a true Christian in her beliefs and values but with great tolerance and understanding for other customs and beliefs," said Dr. Nassar.

According to Vice President for Development Robert Stoddard, Ms. Gray embodied the spirit of the missionary founders of the American Junior College for Women.

"She was first and foremost an American Presbyterian educator whose mission in life was to help break down the barriers of prejudice by providing educational opportunities for all--but most especially for young women in the Middle East," said Stoddard in his tribute.

He added that it was evident from her achievements in Lebanon and Iran that Frances Gray fulfilled that mission.

"Frances was one of the most inspiring women I've had the good fortune to know," said Mrs. Samira Baroody DeLancie (AA '52/BA '54), an old friend from San Francisco. "Her optimism was extraordinary and she always found something good to say about the most insignificant or unattractive persons."

According to Mrs. DeLancie, Ms. Gray's faith was unshakable and she never feared death.

"In fact, when her doctor proposed radiation treatments when the cancer was found to have metastasized, she refused, saying: 'What for? I want to be promoted. I've had a wonderful life and it's time.' That's how we should remember her," added Mrs. DeLancie.

Ms. Gray's grace and southern charm were coupled with a steely resolve to raise standards of the faculty and the curriculum as well as improve and expand facilities, which she pursued with relentless determination.

Ms. Gray, who was born in Little Rock, Arkansas, lived in Memphis, Tennessee, where she attended college. But her devotion to learning prompted her to acquire an M.A. from the University of Chicago, an M.S. from the New York School of Social Work, Columbia University, and a Master of Religious Education from the Biblical Seminary of New York.

She also earned an honorary doctorate from Whitworth College in Spokane, Washington.

Her career took off when she chose to be a social worker in Chicago and later moved on to Arkansas' State Welfare Department. During World War II, she served with the American Red Cross in Europe and worked for the Commission on Ecumenical Missions and Relations in the United States.

The Commission assigned her to establish medical/social casework services in Asia in 1949, which, fortuitously, brought her to Lebanon for the first time. The attraction made her return in 1956, this time as a teacher of religion and social work at the College.

Alumna Nuha Salib Salibi wrote in the Spring 1965 Alumnae Bulletin that Ms. Gray's major concern was "the development of women leaders for the whole of the Middle East, with a liberal arts background and strong cultural foundations."

In her inaugural address, Salibi wrote, Ms. Gray said: "Quite frankly, we are not concerned to develop here in this undergraduate curriculum little specialists with small segments of atomized knowledge. Along with excellent intellectual achievement we desire for each of our graduates emotional, social and spiritual maturity."

The words were followed by deeds, notably establishment of a 40th Anniversary Campaign to raise funds for the institution. She secured the first grant for BCW from the Ford Foundation, to the tune of $1 million.

For her service in the region, Ms. Gray was the recipient of the Gold Medal of the Cedars from Lebanon's president and the Order of the Taj, a decoration given by the late shah of Iran in 1975.

"It was a joy to work with her," recalled Dr. Raja Hajjar, a former professor of chemistry and former dean at BCW/BUC.

He remembered her saying she had hoped the college atmosphere might always be that of a family, a community of learners, both of students and teachers, who ardently sought and shared ideas and ideals with each other.

"She was a humble and caring individual, who always paid attention to the needs of the little people," said Youssef Al-Rassi, a theater technician at the Beirut campus, recalling that he was hired the year Ms. Gray became president.

The fond memories will always remain.

"Six long years of tireless effort as president of the College will link the name of Frances M. Gray with BCW forever," wrote Lily Sawaya (AA '35) in a fond farewell marking Ms. Gray's retirement at the time.

LAU is conducting a special campaign to raise at least $25,000 to establish a Frances M. Gray Endowed Scholarship Fund. Interest from this fund will provide financial aid each year to a deserving female student in need. Those wishing to honor President Gray's memory and acknowledge her contributions to women's education in the Middle East, are invited and encouraged to contribute to this fund. Gifts and pledges may either be given to a development officer or sent to the University's development offices in New York (475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1846, New York, NY 10115) or Beirut (P.O. Box 13-5053, Chouran Beirut 1102 2801, Lebanon). It is also possible to make a gift by credit card by writing or calling the New York office, (212) 870-2592.