PEOPLE

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Sami Al-Ghamdi, PhD

FACULTY

Associate Professor of Sustainable Urban Systems

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Biography

Prof. Sami G. Al-Ghamdi is an Associate Professor at KAUST, specializing in Sustainable Built Environment and Climate Change Resilient Infrastructure. He holds a PhD in civil and environmental engineering from the University of Pittsburgh and has a LEED accreditation for green building design. As the founder of the Sustainable Built Environment Lab at KAUST, Prof. Al-Ghamdi leads multidisciplinary research focused on mitigating climate change, optimizing resource consumption, and enhancing quality of life. He has supervised numerous students and postdocs, secured over $8 million in funding, and published over 200 papers. His work has earned multiple awards, including the Qatar Sustainability Awards and the National Program for Conservation and Energy Efficiency Award.

Research Interests

Prof. Al-Ghamdi conducts multidisciplinary research on the complexities of the built environment to mitigate climate change and optimize energy, water, and material consumption. He works on the five pillars of the built environment: (Transportation, Water, Energy, Materials, and Indoor Environment) where he quantitatively assesses the impact of urban systems on the environment with aim of sustainability, resilience and decarbonization. He is developing computational models to understand the potential contribution to climate change, and many other environmental categories. Lastly, he works to enhance infrastructure resilience and communities' capacity to withstand, survive, thrive in, and adapt to natural and climate change stresses and shocks.

Education

  • Ph.D., University of Pittsburgh, Civil and Environmental Engineering, 2015
  • M.Sc., Western Michigan University, Civil and Construction Engineering, 2010
  • B.Sc., King Saud University, Architecture and Building Sciences, 2005

Professional Profile

  • 2022-present: Associate Professor, Environmental Science & Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Saudi Arabia  and Founding Faculty Member, Climate and Livability Initiative, KAUST
  • 2021-2023: Adjunct Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, Qatar
  • 2018-2021: Adjunct Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering Department, Texas A&M University, Qatar
  • 2021-2022: Associate Professor, College of Science & Engineering, Qatar Foundation - Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar
  • 2016-2021: Assistant Professor, College of Science & Engineering, Qatar Foundation - Hamad Bin Khalifa University, Qatar
  • 2010-2016: Research and Teaching Assistant, University of Pittsburgh Swanson School of Engineering, USA 
  • 2005-2008: Project Architect, Saudi Consulting Services - Saud Consult, Saudi Arabia
  • 2004: Trainee Architect, Omrania & Associates, Saudi Arabia

KAUST Affiliations

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