The Faculty of Engineering and Architecture welcomed Fouad Azizi as assistant professor, as of mid-September to help in establishing the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering. “Currently chemical engineering is a program operating under the umbrella of the Mechanical Engineering Department,” explained Azizi. This year, two courses are being offered to first year students: Introduction to Chemical Engineering and Intermediate Fluid Mechanics.
“The chemical engineering department at AUB will be the first of its kind in Lebanon and will offer undergraduate courses in addition to the master’s program, once more faculty members have been recruited and final modifications on the curriculum have been made. Also action on upgrading the infrastructure for PhD work is already under way,” added Azizi.
During his high-school years, no chemical engineering was offered in Lebanon. So Azizi earned an honors degree in chemistry from the Lebanese University (2001). Wanting to continue his studies in English, “the language of globalization,” he joined Dalhousie University in Canada as a special undergraduate, completing his MA in applied science in chemical engineering in 2004.
Azizi enjoyed his major so much that he was taking courses not necessarily required for his degree, but which would improve his ability to become a “proficient engineer.” He continued with his doctoral studies at Dalhousie as a Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council scholar, obtaining his PhD in chemical engineering in 2009. From 2004 Azizi taught several courses at Dalhousie. He looks forward to giving classes at AUB next semester and expects “positive feedback from the students.”
With research interests in reaction engineering and reactor design, Azizi’s focus has been on intensifying chemical reactors and processes in order to reduce their energy consumption and render them more profitable and environmentally friendly. “This is known as ‘process intensification,’ and it is a newly-emerging field in engineering research,” explained Azizi.
As well as giving many conference presentations, Azizi has published several papers. He also worked on projects sponsored by Natural Resources Canada and Imperial Oil Limited, among others.
Azizi’s hobbies include tennis, hiking, and photography. Outside technical work, he enjoys reading historical fiction and political history, and he listens to jazz, rock, and pop music.