PEOPLE

Get to know the passionate experts driving our mission forward. Our team is a diverse group of scientists, researchers, and innovators, each bringing unique skills and perspectives to our work. United by a shared commitment to excellence and impact, we collaborate to push boundaries, solve challenges, and make a difference. Meet the people who are turning ideas into breakthroughs.

Ghala Ashoor

MASTERS STUDENTS

MSc, Environmental Science and Engineering (September 2026 – December 2028)

Biography

Ghala Ashoor is a master’s student in Environmental Science and Engineering. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science, with minors in Chemistry and Italian Studies, from Franklin University Switzerland, where she graduated Magna Cum Laude with Honors. Ghala has academic and professional experience spanning environmental sustainability, applied research, and institutional sustainability. Her career includes roles as a Sustainability Program Officer at KAUST and as Head of Campus Operations for the Green Office at Franklin University Switzerland, where she worked on sustainability projects and institutional initiatives. Her research explores how environmental and social considerations can be integrated into urban systems to support more sustainable, resilient, and context-sensitive cities.

Research Interests

Ghala’s research focuses on sustainable urban development, biomimicry, environmental resilience, social life-cycle assessment (LCA), and climate change. Her work explores how environmental science and systems thinking can inform the design of more sustainable and resilient urban environments. She is particularly interested in how principles derived from natural systems can inform urban design and how environmental and social considerations can be integrated into planning and infrastructure decisions. By approaching cities as interconnected systems, Ghala seeks to explore solutions that balance environmental performance, resilience, and human needs while remaining responsive to local contexts.

Selected Publications

  • Ashoor, G., Costa, R.M., Alsaedy, Y., Abu Shairah, H., Alyafeai, Z., Ghanem, B., & Turkiyyah, G. (2026). Towards SDG 4: What if Every Student Had Their Own Tutor? Frontiers for Young Minds, 14, 1741837. https://doi.org/10.3389/frym.2026.1741837

Education

  • BSc, Environmental Science, Franklin University Switzerland, 2025

Professional Profile

  • 2025 – 2026: Sustainability Program Officer - Elevate Trainee Program, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia.
  • 2024 – 2025: Chemistry Lab Curriculum Development Assistant, Franklin University Switzerland, Switzerland.
  • 2022–2023: Head of Campus Operations of the Green Office, Franklin University Switzerland, Switzerland.

Awards

  • 2025: Presidential Leadership Award, Franklin University Switzerland.
  • 2025: Environmental Science Outstanding Student Award, Franklin University Switzerland.
  • 2025: Gerta Holman Award, Franklin University Switzerland.
  • 2025: Italian Studies Outstanding Student Award, Franklin University Switzerland.
  • 2024: Student Engagement Award, Franklin University Switzerland.
  • 2021–2025: Honors Grant, Franklin University Switzerland.

KAUST Affiliations

  • Climate and Livability Initiatives
  • Biological and Environmental Science and Engineering
  • Urban Lab

Research Interests Keywords

Sustainable Urban Development Biomimicry Environmental Resilience Social LCA
UrbanLab. Talent. Affirmations. Thought. Inspiration. Transmission. Knowledge. Meeting. Community. Future. Transition.