Professor Husam Alshareef joined the founding cohort of King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST) in 2009, drawn by the collective ambition of its earliest academic community to establish a “House of Wisdom in the Arab World.” It is a pursuit he still sees reflected in KAUST to this day. 

“The vision attracted me here, and to be honest, it still does,” he said. “Policies and strategies may change, but at the end of the day it’s all about the same thing: solving challenges facing the Kingdom and the world by bringing bright people together and giving them the resources and infrastructure they need to succeed.” 

The Ibn Alhaytham Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering will now help shape that mission more directly than ever as the new dean of the Physical Science and Engineering Division. “My vision is to lead an internationally recognized division known for groundbreaking science and impactful research, helping Saudi Arabia achieve its economic diversification and environmental goals, including those outlined in Saudi Vision 2030.” 

Being trusted by KAUST leadership and President Sir Edward Byrne AC to take on the role as dean of the division is something he sees as both an honor and a responsibility. “I must provide leadership by example and remain engaged to rally the people around the mission.” 

Alshareef’s academic path began with his family’s traditional ceramics business, which led him to study ceramics engineering at Alfred University in the United States. He later shifted his focus to materials science and engineering because of its broader scope, pursuing his master’s and Ph.D. degrees at North Carolina State University. He later received a postdoctoral fellowship at Sandia National Laboratories in the U.S. 

His career spans Sandia, Micron Technology, Texas Instruments, and the University of Texas at Dallas, and includes nearly 650 journal publications, 100 conference papers, 80 patents, and multiple prestigious fellowships. A highly cited pioneer in nanoscale materials research for energy and electronics, he continues to advance the field with a growing emphasis on translational impact. 

Read more at KAUST News.