Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA (2000)

 

B.Sc., Chemical Engineering, University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan (1996).

 

After obtaining his PhD from the University of Cincinnati in 2000, Dr. Arafat worked (2000-2003) at Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) (Illinois, USA) as a researcher and project manager for the United States Department of Energy (DOE). His research at ANL focused on separation processes development for nuclear waste treatment at the DOE sites in the United States. Between 2003 and 2010, Dr. Arafat served as a faculty member at the Chemical Engineering Department at An-Najah University (Nablus, Palestine) and as the director of the "Water Technologies Research Unit" in that department. In 2010, he joined Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) as a visiting scholar for six months, after which he moved to Abu Dhabi (UAE) where he is now employed as an Associate Professor in the Water and Environmental Engineering Program at Masdar Institute. The focus of Dr. Arafat’s current research is on sustainable desalination processes and innovative membrane technologies. During his career so far, Dr. Arafat has received 14 research grants, totaling USD $8.25Million. He is a recipient of several prestigious awards. Most notable among these are the Mondialogo Award by Daimler Co. and UNESCO in 2005 and the University of Cincinnati Distinguished Dissertation Fellowship in 1999 (one of only two fellowships awarded in open competition among PhD candidates from all University of Cincinnati colleges). Dr. Arafat also received three international research fellowships; two German DAAD Fellowships in 1995 and 2007 and the Open Society institute/Soros Foundation Fellowship (NY, USA) in 2009. He has co-authored more than 100 peer-reviewed journal publications, conference papers, and official technical reports (published by the US-DOE). He has also delivered 19 invited presentations/lectures at international events and institutes throughout the world, and has supervised 13 graduate students and postdoctoral fellows.

 

 

 

Research Interests:

 

Current research interests include:

 

Development, characterization, and testing of novel, high-flux and fouling-resistant membranes for desalination applications by membrane distillation and reverse osmosis

Thermodynamic and economic modeling of membrane distillation systems

Sustainability assessment of desalination processes

Development and assessment of innovative solar desalination technologies

Boron removal from desalinated water

Environmental evaluation of desalination processes using Life Cycle Analysis tools

Sustainable solid waste management strategies

Additionally, Dr. Arafat previously had research interests in adsorption, solvent extraction, and hazardous and nuclear waste treatment. He also has academic interests in quality assurance in higher education.

 

 

 

Advisor to Current Masdar Institute Students:

 

Savvina Loutatidou   

Jehad Kharraz   

Sanaa Iqbal Pirani (PhD)

 

 

COURSES TAUGHT

 

At Masdar Institute

 

WEN502- Industrial Ecology (MSc-Level): Quantitative techniques for life cycle analysis of the impacts of materials extraction, processing use, and recycling; and economic analysis of materials processing, products, and markets. Student teams undertake a major case study of an energy related product/process using the latest methods of analysis and computer‐based models of materials process.

WEN614-Sustainable Desalination Processes (PhD/MSc-Level): Introduces key issues related to promoting sustainable desalination operations in today’s desalination industry. The course analyzes developments in the desalination industry using the three elements of sustainability: cost society, and the environment. The course covers: i) environmental impacts of desalination processes, ii) designing safe and sustainable intake and outfall systems for desalination plants, iii) assessing economic feasibility of new desalination processes, iv) evaluation of renewable‐energy powered desalination processes, v) application of membrane distillation in desalination, and vi) recent technological improvements for enhanced desalination processes.

 

Courses taught at previous institute: Solid waste management, Energy and environment, Water treatment processes and systems, Mass transfer, Unit operation, Membrane processes and desalination, Fluid mechanics, Statistical methods for engineers, Engineering economy.

 

 

Postdocs/graduate students supervised:

 

Dr. Rinku Thomas, Postdoctoral Fellow, Masdar Institute (2011- )

Dr. Elena Guillen-Burrieza, Postdoctoral Fellow, Masdar Institute (2011- )

Sanaa Pirani, PhD student, thesis subject: Sustainable Solid Waste Management Strategy for Abu Dhabi, Masdar Institute (2012- )

Kelifa Adem, M.Sc. student, thesis subject: Fouling in MD processes, Masdar Institute (2012-)

Ali Farhat, Research Scientist, Masdar Institute (2011-2012)

Tariq Al-Sarkal, M.Sc. student, thesis subject: Life Cycle Analysis of desalination systems, Masdar Institute (2011-2013)

Lin Li, M.Sc. student, thesis subject: Novel membranes for membrane distillation process, Masdar Institute (2011-2013)

Stephen Fadeyi, M.Sc. student (co-advisor), thesis subject: Life Cycle Analysis of carbon capture technology, Masdar Institute (2011-2013)

Rasha Saffarini, M.Sc. student, thesis subject: Development of renewable-energy powered membrane distillation process, Masdar Institute (2010-2012). Winner of Masdar Institute’s Best Thesis Award for the 2012 Class.

Kenan Jijakli, M.Sc. student, thesis subject: Environmental Assessment using LCA approach: a case study on solar desalination and waste-to-energy technologies, Masdar Institute (2010-2012)

Bilal Abu-Tarboosh, M.Sc student (co-advisor), Thesis subject: Preparation of thin-film-composite polyamide membranes for desalination using novel hydrophilic surface modifying macromolecules, Univ. of Ottawa (2006-2008)

Majdi Abu-Awwad, M.Sc. student, Thesis subject: Medical waste management, An-Najah Univ. (2005-2008)

Jafar Eid, M.Sc. student, Thesis subject: Solid waste management, An-Najah Univ. (2004-2007)

 

Selected academic and professional services:

 

Member of Program Management Office/Technical Expert, Masdar’s Utility-Scale Water Desalination Plant Powered by Renewable Energy Project (2012-Present). Scheduled for operation in 2020, this will be the world’s largest renewable energy-powered desalination plant

Chairman, Student Admissions Committee, Masdar Institute, UAE (2012)

Program Coordinator, Water and Environmental Engineering Program, Masdar Institute, UAE (2011-2012)

Member, “UAE Water Think Tank” group, by invitation of the UAE Prime Minister’s Office (2012-Present)

Editorial board member of International Journal of Water Sciences, The Scientific World Journal, Journal of Membrane Sciences and Separation Technology

Scientific committee member, International Scientific Conference on Pervaporation, Vapor Permeation and Membrane Distillation, Torun, Poland,  12-15 May, 2013

Scientific committee member, 1st International Conference on Desalination using Membrane Technology (MEMDES), Sitges, Spain, 7-10 April 2013

International Advisory Committee member, the 6th Jordan International Chemical Engineering Conference, Amman-Jordan, March 12-14, 2012

Organizing committee member, 1st International Conference on Desalination and the Environment (ICODE 2011), Abu Dhabi, UAE, 29 Oct.-1 Nov. 2011

Reviewer a number of scholarly journals, including: Water Research, Journal of Membrane Science, Chemical Engineering Journal, Desalination, Separation Science and Technology, Waste Management, Waste Management and Research, Journal of Environmental Management, Chemical Engineering Research and Design, Desalination and Water Treatment, Journal of Membrane Sciences and Separation Technology, ASME Journal of Energy Resources Technology, Fresenius Environmental Bulletin

External referee of research grant proposals for a number of academic intuitions worldwide

Delivered 19 keynote speeches, seminars, and invited presentations at a number of international conferences and academic institutions.

Session chair at many international scientific conferences

Elected Member, College of Engineering Council, An-Najah Univ., Palestine, 2006- 2007

Member of a team that drafted the National Strategy for Solid Waste Management in Palestine (2010). Acted in my capacity as a consultant hired by the German Technical Cooperation (GTZ) office in Palestine

Member of the American Standard of Testing and Material (ASTM) International Committee D-28 on Activated Carbon, USA (2005-2010)

President of Graduate Student Association, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Cincinnati, USA (1999-2000).

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