Summer 2009 Vol. VII, No. 4

Class Notes

1950s

Charles Southall
(BA ’54) earned his master’s degree at the University of California, Berkeley in 1964. He writes, “My MA was also in political science, but it was really Arab studies under the famed Professor George Lenczowski. After Berkeley I was a pilot in the US Navy in the Far East and have worked in commercial intelligence ever since. Commercial intelligence is not the spy work of political and military intelligence officers. We deal with counterfeiting, piracy, fraud, embezzlement, and a wide range of improper activities that companies seem to get themselves into. No two days are ever the same. I run a worldwide company called Omnifact LLC. It’s fun work. See http://www.omnifact.info.” [charles.southall@gmail.com]

Muriel Angelil
(BS ’55) is one of 12 artists included in the exhibition “Nature and Artifice—12 Artists of Studios without Walls.” She created her contribution, which she calls “A Touch of Pink,” with crocheted sisal and pink twine. The exhibit ran from May 1 to June 28 in Brookline, Massachusetts. [mmangelil@yahoo.com] [http://www.murielangelil.com]

1960s

Amin I. Kassis
(BS ’68, MS ’71) earned a PhD at McGill University in Canada. Currently at Harvard Medical School, Kassis developed a new blood test that may be able to detect several different types of cancer sooner and more accurately than current cancer screening methods. It may be another five years before the test is ready for public use, although limited availability is possible in two years. [amin_kassis@hms.harvard.edu]

1970s

Saadeh George-Azzi
(BS ’72, MD ’76) is a consultant psychiatrist in Rotherham, Doncaster, and South Humberside in the United Kingdom and has consistently earned higher education degrees and certifications including the following: LMSSA, LRCP, LRCS, MRCPsych, and CCT. (Correction: In the last issue of MainGate, we mistakenly referred to Dr. George-Azzi as “he” rather than “she.” Please excuse our mistake.) She may be contacted at [saadehgeorge@doctors.org.uk] or [saadehgeorge@hotmail.com]

Loutfi K. Echhade
(BBA ’73) has been elected a member of Ernst & Young’s Middle East Partner Forum and its EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India, Africa) Global Advisory Council. He has also been elected to the Planning and Development Committee of the Board of Directors of the Institute of Management (IMA), one of the world’s leading organizations for management accounting and finance professionals. Echhade holds many certifications including CPA, CMA, CIA, CFM, CISA, CFSA. [Loutfi.Echhade@sa.ey.com]

Maida Azadian Henesian
(BS ’73) is an investigator with the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She previously worked at Syntex Corporation and at Stanford University, both in Palo Alto, California. She and her husband Mark Henesian have three children. Henesian recently visited Lebanon after an absence of 33 years. She had a memorable time visiting the AUB campus and reuniting with her former professors and others, including Charles Abou-Chaar, retired professor of pharmacognosy and botany and his wonderful family at his home in Hamra; Henry Melki, AUB alumnus and professor of linguistics at Kaslik University; and Arminée Choukassizian, former AUB librarian and concert pianist. [Henesian@comcast.net]

Majid Chahine Hmeidan
(BS ’74, MS ’76) is an assistant director at Safe Work Australia (www.safeworkaustralia.gov.au), a federal agency responsible for the development of occupational health and safety, and workers’ compensation policies and regulations. He has been a lecturer in the field of animal science at universities in Jordan, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, and Australia where he earned his PhD in ruminant nutrition at the University of Queensland (UQ). Hmeidan is married to Ghada Zeidan and they have three sons. The Hmeidans live in Canberra (ACT), Australia. [mhmeidan@velocitynet.com.au]

Humam I. Jabban
(BE ’74) is general manager for contracting at International Building Systems, Co. and lives in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. [humam.jabban@ibscoksa.com]

Walid Khalil Heneini
(BE ’76) has a master’s degree in engineering from the University of Florida. He lives in Beirut. [Heneini@heneini.com]

Ioannis M. Violaris
(BA ’78) recently published Economics, a Bilingual Approach with Epiphaniou editions. He received his bachelor’s degree in economics at AUB, and his master’s in international management and doctorate in economics at Kensington University in California. Violaris has been an economics lecturer since 1978. Since 1999, he has been an associate professor of economics at Frederick University in Cyprus where he is currently dean of the School of Economic Sciences and Administration. He is also an active alumnus and a member of WAAAUB’s Board of Directors. [m.g.violaris@cytanet.com.cy]

Berge Daou
(BA ’79, EMBA ’05). In early 2009, Daou was appointed adviser to the CEO of National Banking Corporation, a commercial bank founded as a result of the merger of more than 40 small community banks. He was formerly a banking development consultant for the Central Bank of Libya. [emilebd@yahoo.com]

1980s

Adib Nuruddin
(BE ’80) is area manager for Eaton Electrical, Inc. in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [adibnuruddin@eaton.com]

Samer Y. Siouffi
(BS ’80, MD ’85) practices cardiology/cardiac electrophysiology in Plattsburgh, New York where he moved three years ago. Sysiouffi@hotmail.com

Walid Aboulhosn
(BS ’81) recently received an MBA from the University of California at Irvine. [towalid@googlemail.com]

Philip Akrouk
(BA ’84) is a marketing and advertising consultant for OnTime Marketing Solutions in Amman, Jordan. [philipakruk@gmail.com]

Salwa Nabhan-Smith
(BARCH ’87) lives in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, and works in a higher education college of technology as a member of the interior design faculty. She recently received a master’s degree in on-line education from the University of Southern Queensland. [salwa.nabhan@hct.ac.ae]

Kamel Abou-Ezzeddine
(BE ’89) earned an MBA from Ecole Supérieure de Commerce de Paris (ESCP) in 1993. He works in the Investment Banking Division of Credit Suisse in London. [kamel_abou@yahoo.co.uk]

Rita Assaf
(BA ’89) works in human resources for Esat Cat La Cardon and lives in Voisins Le Bretonneux, France. [rita78960@live.fr]

1990s

Noha Mazraani
(BS ’90, MA ’96) recently earned her PhD in education from Saint Joseph University in Beirut. She is head of the Science Department at Hayah International Academy in Cairo, Egypt. Her brother’s class note is below. [noha_mazraani@yahoo.com]

Joumana Safa
(BA ’91) received a diploma in human resources from Haigazian University. She is a human resources manager for the Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar. [j_safa@hotmail.com]

Joseph Elkhoury
(BE ’92) is the global supply chain manager for Schlumberger EMS. He earned his MGSC (Management, Global Supply Chain) at IMD Business School near Geneva, Switzerland. Elkhoury lives in Houston, Texas. [elkhoury2@slb.com]

Mohamad-Rabih Mokahal
(BE ’92, MEM ’95) is a professional services manager for NCR Solutions Middle East, LLC in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [mohmok99@gmail.com]

Youssef Saliba
(BE ’93, MEN ’94) earned a master’s degree in electric power engineering from AUB. He is a project manager at EPC (Engineering, Procurement and Construction) where he builds gas and steam turbine power plants. Saliba is based in Lebanon and travels frequently to sites in the Gulf. [yousaliba@hotmail.com]

Abir Makki
(BS ’94) earned her AUB undergraduate degree in environmental health and lives in Beirut. [abir_makki@hotmail.com]

May Sabbah
(BS ’94). In addition to her BS in physics from AUB, Sabbah also has a BA from the University of Trieste, Italy. [maysab@libero.it]

Ayman Atallah
(BE ’95) is a proposal leader at CCC Greece. He enjoys being in touch with his classmates. [AymanAtallah@ccc.gr]

Samer Harb
(BS ’95, MS ’97) and his wife Mona Osta received a gift from heaven on March 14 when their first child Omar was born. [mrsam66@hotmail.com]

Mohamad Nasser
(BE ’95) is a delivery process manager for Nokia Siemens Networks in Beirut. [mohamad.nasser@nsn.com]

Ziad Matar
(BE ’96) earned his MBA from Notre Dame in 2001. He lives in Dubai, UAE. [ziad.matar@gmail.com]

Marwan Mazraani
(BE ’96). After receiving his degree in computer and communications engineering, Mazraani went on to earn an MBA from the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto in 2007. He currently works for Detecon International in Bonn, Germany. His sister’s class note is above.[m_mazraani@yahoo.com]

Mohamad Mneimneh
(BE ’97) is an assistant manager at Deloitte & Touche. He lives in Beirut. [mmneimneh@deloitte.com]

Mohammad Tassi
(BE ’97, ME ’04) is a project manager in AUB’s Facilities Planning and Design Unit (FPDU) and took part in implementing the Campus Master Plan. [ma42@aub.edu.lb]

Marwan Abou-Zeid
(BE ’98, ME ’00) completed INSEAD’s Management Acceleration Program in 2006. He lives in Beirut. [m.abouzeid@cds.com.lb]

Amira Choucair
(BS ’99) has been a professor of chemistry at Amherst College in Massachusetts for the past two years. Last summer, she and husband Richard Showkier welcomed their first child, Slaiman. Amira visited Lebanon this summer and attended her class reunion. [amirachoucair@hotmail.com]

2000s

Jihane Najjar
(BA ’01, MA ’03) is head of recruitment and selection for Debbane Group in Lebanon. [jihanenajjar@gmail.com]

Maria Shahrour
(BS ’01), who has completed her PhD in molecular and human genetics at Baylor College of Medicine, has just accepted a fellowship at Children’s Hospital in Boston and Harvard Medical School. She is married to Ahmad Tawil (BS ’01), who has an MS in biotechnology and an MBA from the University of Texas at Austin. He is currently a consultant with PA Consulting Group and works on projects in the Middle East. The couple will be moving to Boston and would like to catch up with old friends. [mariashahrour@yahoo.com]

James Bejjani
(BA ’02) is a fixed income trader with Delaware Investments. He received a master’s degree from Warwick Business School in 2004 and lives in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. [jamesbejjani@hotmail.com]

Joy Jadam
(BS ’02, MS ’06) worked with Dar al-Handasah (Shair and Partners) as a GIS analyst while earning her MS in ecosystem management. Jadam is currently an associate at ECODIT Liban working on environmental protection and local development projects for the private and public sectors. She writes, “I cherish the time I spent at AUB, and look forward to reading about colleagues and classmates.” [joy_jadam@yahoo.com]

Nathalie Jean Dagher
(BBA ’03) is a senior consultant for Booz and Company in Lebanon.

Bashira Khalidy
(BSN ’03, MPH ’05) received her BS in medical laboratory technology from Makassed National College of Nursing. She lives in Beirut. [bkhalidy@yahoo.com]

Subhi Fanous
(BS ’04) After graduating from AUB, Fanous married Helen Bashir (MA ’04). He works as an information specialist at Injazat Data Systems in Abu Dhabi where he lives with Helen, their son, and daughter. [subhif@hotmail.com]

Ghada Saad
(BS ’04, MS ’06). After receiving her master’s degree in population health, Saad became assistant general manager at MedNet Network Clinics. She lives in Naccache, Metn, Lebanon. [ghada11@gmail.com]

Mohammed Al Masri
(BSN ’05) is deputy medical director of the Cumberland Insurance & Reinsurance Company. He and his wife Manal live in Al Khobar, Saudi Arabia. They are expecting the arrival of a baby boy in late summer and plan to name him Adam.

Alia Sabra
(BS ’05, MSES ’07) received AUB’s Abdul Hadi Debs Endowment Award for Academic Excellence in 2007–08. Her master's thesis was presented by Dr. Yvleen Aoun on New TV’s Lamsit Shifa Show. She has published articles in a number of journals and was awarded a scholarship from the Lebanese National Council for Scientific Research (LNCSR). Sabra is currently a PhD candidate and a research assistant at AUB. [sabra.alia@gmail.com]

Rabih Fakhreddine
(BBA ’06) is assistant brand manager for the Levant at British American Tobacco (BAT) in Beirut. He is involved in a number of activities including several NGOs and WAAAUB, where he has served as elected member of the Alumni Council since its inception in 2007. Fakhreddine is also an entrepreneur in the food and entertainment industries. [Rabih_Fakhreddine@bat.com]

Sany Kabbani
(BE ’06) has been accepted to the MBA program at Harvard Business School Class of 2011. For the past three years he has worked as a consultant with Booz & Company in Beirut. [sany.kabbani@gmail.com]

Elie El Kahwaji
(BFA ’06) is art director for Aishti and Aishti Magazine. He lives in Ballouneh, Lebanon. [ekahwaji@gmail.com]

Hilda El Khoury
(MS ’06). After earning her bachelor’s degree from Balamand University, El Khoury earned a master’s degree in human morphology at AUB. [hae15@aub.edu.lb]

Rizk G. Saade
(BE ’06) recently received a certificate in strategic decision and risk management from Stanford University. He earned a master’s degree at Cal Tech in 2007. Saade divides his time between Palo Alto, California and Rabieh, Lebanon. [rizksaade@gmail.com]

Mehiedine M. Kibbi
(BBA ’07) currently works at BankMed Suisse S.A. in Geneva, Switzerland as a private banker portfolio manager. He was previously a trader at BankMed in Beirut. Kibbi will soon begin an MBA program in Geneva and plans to pursue a PhD in the near future. He wants to take this opportunity to thank AUB for a remarkable education. [muhieddine.Kibbi@bankmed.ch]

Rabih Baz Radwan
(BS ’07) has been working at the National Bank of Kuwait since he graduated from AUB. He was recently promoted to senior marketing researcher/statistician in the Research Group. [RabihR@nbk.com]

Nadine Anz
(BBA ’08) is an executive at Mindshare, a global media agency. She lives in Amman, Jordan. [nadine.anz@gmail.com]

Diya’Aeddine Ayoub
(BBA ’08) is a market intelligence analyst for the global commercial real estate company Jones Lang LaSalle. He lives in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. [dfa07@aub.edu.lb]

Roah Rashed Al Jiblawi
(BS ’08). After receiving her BS in medical laboratory technology, Al Jiblawi pursued a master’s degree in health care administration from the University of Atlanta’s on-line program for international students. [rrr05@aub.edu.lb]

Recently Honored

Mounir E. Nassar
(BS ’55, MD ’59, Fellow of the American College of Physicians, a cardiologist and internal medicine specialist, was recently honored by the American Medical Association (AMA) for 50 years of dedication to the medical profession. Nassar completed a residency at Baylor College of Medicine, postgraduate studies at Columbia University, and a fellowship with the American Heart Association at the Old Lane Hospital in San Francisco. Nassar has been an AMA member for 33 years, and is a member of the AMA’s Senior Physician Group, which includes 60,000 physicians 65 years and older. [nassarmd@gmail.com]

George Saliba
(BS ’63, MA ’65), Columbia University Professor of Arabic and Islamic Science, has been named a 2009 Scholar by the Carnegie Corporation of New York. He was among the scholars selected for their compelling ideas and commitment to enriching the quality of the public dialogue on Islam. Since 2005, the program has supported scholars whose work seeks to promote American understanding of Islam as a religion, the characteristics of Muslim societies in general, and those of American Muslim communities, in particular.
Saliba’s work focuses on the development of scientific ideas from late antiquity until early modern times, with a special emphasis on the various planetary theories that were developed within the Islamic civilization and the impact of such theories on early European astronomy. His latest book, Islamic Science and the Making of the European Renaissance, is available through MIT Press. His latest research is readily accessible on his web site. [http://www.columbia.edu/~gas1/saliba.html]

Diya Mutasim
(BS ’74, MD ’79) was recognized in February for almost 20 years of exceptional care for patients with complex dermatology diseases at the 2008 Cincinnati Business Courier Health Care Heroes Awards Banquet in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mutasim, who is chair of the University of Cincinnati’s Dermatology Department and director of the University of Cincinnati Physicians Dermatology Practice, was praised for providing superior patient care while improving access to quality health care services.
In accepting the award Mutasim said, “A physician is happy to receive recognition from colleagues who judge his scholarly work, and is happier to receive respect and emulation from the students and residents he tries to mentor and inspire. The most gratifying recognition, however, is that bestowed by the community a physician serves.” Mutasim is committed to dermatological research and has made a major contribution to the establishment of an endowed chair of dermatology at the University of Cincinnati. He is an active researcher whose ground-breaking work on bullous diseases paved the way for future research related to treating the condition.

Hasan Abdessamad 

(BS ’99, MD ’03) is an obstetrician and gynecologist who researches the disparities in health care among minority groups of women. He recently received research awards to measure the medical knowledge of OBGYN physicians about lesbian health issues and their attitudes towards female homosexuality in Ohio and in Ontario, Canada. Abdessamad finished his residency training at Case Western Reserve University and started work at Chaleur Regional Hospital in New Brunswick, Canada. He originally planned to conduct his research in Lebanon but was prevented from doing so by the July 2006 war. He looks forward to carrying out research in Lebanon in the near future. [drhas2003@yahoo.com]

Al-Jame’a

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