Ayman Abdallah, Phd Email & Phone Number

Kfupm, Dhahran

As the inaugural Director (A), my duties include:• Developing and implementing strategies to increase the center's competitiveness and national impact in the domains of Space and Aviation.• Establish, Staff and Initiate R&D to elevate Space and Aero capabilities in the Kingdom.• Identifying and pursuing new research areas and opportunities that align with the center's mission and capabilities.• Securing funding opportunities from government agencies, industry partners, and other sources.• Facilitating collaboration and partnerships with industry, academia, and other research organizations.• Promoting the center's research capabilities and achievements to external stakeholders, including through presentations and publications.• Providing leadership and oversight to a team of researchers, including setting goals and objectives, providing mentorship, and managing resources.• Identifying and pursuing new research areas and opportunities that align with the center's mission and capabilities.• Advocating for the importance of aerospace research and its impact on society.

First-of-its-kind initiative in KSA to Inspire student-led development of unmanned systems to solve real-world problems through creative engineering. My duties are: • Providing guidance and support to students and encouraging a culture of innovation and creativity.• Identifying and pursuing funding opportunities, including sponsorships and grants, to support the students.• Facilitating connections with industry partners and other stakeholders to provide real-world experiences and opportunities for the team.• Providing regular feedback and coaching to team members to help them develop their skills and knowledge.• Coordinating with faculty and staff to ensure that the team has access to necessary resources and support.• Promoting the team's work and achievements within the community, including through and publications and outreach.

Leading, transforming and Managing the Aerospace departmentMajor achievements and duties:• Redefined department strategies towards modern industrial trends and educational standards.• Established state-of-the-art labs encompassing all modern aerospace domains• Developed and currently managing the new Drone ‘Concentration’ Program that provides students with fundamental competencies in drone and related tech to enter the market with a competitive edge• Managed & oversaw the largest expansion in student enrolment and lab facilities in the history of the department.• Created a ‘Drone Culture’ within the department to reflect the relevance of drone technologies in modern digital economy• Incentivized students and staff to develop drone projects for research and experimentation.• Built partnerships with corporate and government organizations• Initiated and developed MoU’s with civilian entities like Lockheed Martin, KAUST, Saudi Space Commission, Saudi Federation for Cybersecurity, Programming & Drones.• Overseeing partnership with military entities like Royal Saudi Air Force, Strategic Missiles (Ministry of Defense) with mutually beneficial goals.• Ensured continued accreditation of degree programs from ABET and NCAAA while simultaneously revamping aerospace course structures and instructional procedures.

Doctor Of Philosophy (Phd), Aerospace, Aeronautical And Astronautical Engineering

Master Of Science - Ms, Aerospace, Aeronautical And Astronautical Engineering