Dr. Assad Ahmed Al-Thukair
Business Address: Chemistry Department, KFUPM, P. O. Box 157,
Dhahran 31261, Saudi Arabia
Tel.: 966-55820490; Fax: 966-3-860 6216
E-mail: thukair@kfupm.edu.sa
Date of Birth: February 2, 1958
Gender: Male
1991 Ph.D. in Environment, specialized in Marine Ecology, Boston
University, Boston, USA.
Research focused on Arabian Gulf Marine Environment.
1985 M.Sc. in Environmental Ecology, Eastern Illinois University,
Charleston, IL, U.S.A.
Research focused on Chemical Analysis of Water samples.
1979 B.S. in Biology, Basra University, Basra, Iraq.
Over 13 years experience in management and executing research projects related to biology, marine environment as
well as coordinating workshop & activities pertaining to the same field.
MANAGEMENT
Good management and administrative skills were acquired from national, international, and current job exposure.
1998-Present Chairman, Chemistry Department, K.F.U.P.M
Managing department consists of more than 60 faculty and staff. Activities include routine administration work as well as preparing departmental budget, purchasing of equipment, evaluation of technical reports, departmental meetings, and correspondence with various organizations.
2000-Present Member of various committees
1996 & 1995 International Exposure to Management Techniques.
Participated in Battell International Program in R & D. Columbus, Ohio, USA. The program focused on different aspects of management in the R & D area, including principles of leadership, and other practices of R & D management.
Participated in Contract Project Management in R & D organized jointly by UNESCO and Arabian Gulf University, Bahrain. The program focused on enhancing abilities of senior scientists to manage different types of projects in R & D. It also provided good guideline to manage personnel.
1994-1996 Board Member of Air & Waste Management Association, Saudi Arabia Section.
Responsibilities include, organizing conferences and seminars, technical review, budget management, and periodical meetings with members.
1993-1996 Member of Faculty Evaluation Committee at KFUPM.
Involved in evaluating performance of faculty and renewal of faculty contracts.
Broad experience and exposure to scientific research, documentation, and all other technical aspects related to general biology, marine environment, oil pollution, and oil spill containment techniques.
1991-Present Principle investigator of projects
I have been heavily envolved in executing projects related to oil pollution, environmental impact assesments. Currently, I am the Principal investigator of two projects sponsored by King Abdul-Aziz City of Science and Technology (KACST). One project related to monitoring of pollution along the Red Sea. While the other is to cheracterize, and chemical analysis the discharge of sewage discharge along the Arabian Gulf.
1983-Present Possessed excellent knowledge on marine environment and oil pollution aspects.
Comprehensive experience through participation in several research projects related to the Gulf Water sponsored by National and International agencies, such agencies include Saudi Aramco, ROPME, IMO, NOAA Tokyo University, MEPA, NCWC, and UNEP.
1998 Clean-up activities
Participated as Chairman of H.H. Prince Sultan Committee for Clean-up of Coral Reefs in Jubail, and Azizia beach in the Eastern Province.
1992-1996 Co-Chair of the Scientific Publication Committee.
Participated as co-chairman of the Scientific committee at the Research Institute, K.F.U.P.M to review scientific papers submitted to various scientific journals.
1995 Effect of pollution and urbanization on mangrove habitats.
Participated in research project related to the effect of different kinds of pollution as well as land reclamation on mangrove habitat along the East Coast of Saudi Arabia, which is sponsored by UNEP.
1995-1997 NCWC activities related to Marine Sanctuary.
Participated in research project carried out in the Marine Sanctuary area in Jubail, Saudi Arabia to study the effect of oil pollution on marine habitats and different organisms.
1993-1994 Oceanographic Cruises carried by Tokyo University in Cooperation with ROPME.
Participated and executed two research projects on productivity of marine organisms and the long effect of the Gulf War on those organisms.
1992-1993 IMO activities
Participated as a Co-leader in related to selection of oil polluted sites and appropriates selection of clean-up methods.
1991-Present Aramco sustaining research projects studied the effect of environmental changes and oil pollution along the East Coast.
Participated as investigator to execute several research projects related to marine environment of the Arabian Gulf, sponsored by Saudi Aramco.
1991-1992 100-Day Oceanographic Cruise of NOAA Ship Mt. Mitchell in ROPME sea area.
Participated in two Legs (II, IV) as co-leg leader to execute research projects related to the Arabian Gulf environment and study the effect of 1991 Gulf War on the marine environment.
1991 ROPME monitoring programs
Participated in several studies on fate and distribution of contaminants along the Gulf sponsored by ROPME (Regional Organization of Protection of Marine Environment).
1983 Investigation of Potential Health Effect of Nowruz Oil
Spill.
Participated as a member of the marine task force committee
assembled by the Research Institute, K.F.U.P.M based on
request of the Ministry of Agriculture to investigate possible
health effects of oil pollution on fishes and fish stock.
Attain good administrative experience in organizing conferences, workshops, symposiums, and seminars. This includes theme selection, committee distribution, budget allocation, paper revision, speakers scheduling, and allocation of workshop/conference, guest accommodation and compiling publications and other logistic arrangements.
2000-2001 Organized two separate 4-days workshop, and conference in
K.F.U.P.M on Prepetory programs, and the First Saudi
Scientific conference on science.
1998 and 1996 Organized two separate 2-Day Workshops in Saudi Arabia on Biotechnology and Membrane Separation.
1998 Organized a 1-Day Workshop on Catalysis in K.F.U.P.M.
Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
1997 Organized a 2-Day Workshop on Marine Pollution in
K.F.U.P.M, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
1996 Organized a 2-Day Workshop on Water Reuse and Greening of the Desert in K.F.U.P.M, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
1995 Organized a 3-Day Conference on the Status of the Marine
Environment and long Effect of Oil Pollution in ROPME Sea
Area in Tokyo, Japan.
1994 Organized a 5-Day Workshop on Assessment and Remediation of Oil Contaminated Soil in Kuwait.
1993 Organized a 4-Day Workshop on the Effect of Pollution in
ROPME sea area in Kuwait.
PUBLICATION
Selected published papers in refereed journals, and books
Al-Thukair, A.A. Effect of Oil Pollution on Euendolithic Cyanobacteria of The Arabian Gulf. Envi.Microbiology. Vol.4 (2002), pp. 125-29.
Al-Thukair, A.A. Euendolithic Microorganisms Found to Bore Calcareous Sediment of the Arabian Gulf. Second International Conference Engineering for Calcareous Sediments. Bahrain, February 21-24, 1999.Vol. 1 (1999), pp. 291-299
Al-Thukair, A.A. and Golubic, S. “Characterization of Hyella caespitosa var. arbuscula var. nov. from shoaling ooid sand grains, Arabian Gulf.” Nova Hedwigia. , Beiheft. Vol. 112 (1996)., pp. 83-91.
Höpner, T., Yousef, M., Berthe-Corti, L, Felzman, H., Struck, H., and Al-Thukair, A. Cyanobacterial mats on Oil Polluted sediments-Start of a Promising Self Remediation Process? In: Amarine Wildlife Sanctuary for the Arabian Gulf. Environmental Research and Conservation Following the 1991 Gulf War Oil Spill. Ed. Krupp, F. et al National Commission for Wildlife Conservation and Development Publication. Riyadh and Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt. 85-95. 1996.
Al-Thukair, A.A., Khan, A. M and Al-Hinai, Khatab. “ Monitoring of Coastal line Changes of Tarut Bay, Saudi Arabia Using Satellite Images.” Proceeding of the 2nd Regional Conference, ASCE-SAS, Beirut, Lebanon. (1995), pp. 273-285.
Al-Thukair, A.A. and Golubic, S. “New Euendolithic Cyanobacteria from the Bahama Bank and the Arabian Gulf. II. Hyella racemus sp.nov. in Shoaling Ooid Sand Grains.” Journal of Phycology. Vol. 30 (1994)., pp. 764-769.
Al-Thukair, A. A., and Al-Hinai, Khattab,. “Preliminary Damage Assessment of algal Mats Sites Located in the Western Gulf Following the 1991 Oil spill.” Journal of. Marine Pollution Bulletin. Vol. 22 (1993)., pp. 229-38.
Fayad, N. M., S. Illias and Al-Thukair, A. A., Spectrophotometric determination of total phenolic compounds in some species of Arabian Gulf fish. In Marine Environmental Pollution. Eds. Halwagy, R., Clayton, D., and Bahbehani, M, U.K., Alden Press Ltd. 127-133. 1986.
Computer skills
Excellent knowledge of standard PC programs such as world, excell, office and other statistical programs including sigma plot, sigma scan. Also good knowledge in other sophisticated statistical analysis and 3D models package programs.
SIENTIFIC AWARDS & HONORS
2002 UNESCO Fellowship Bank Program
2000 Nominated for the Carlos J. Finly Prize for Microbiology, UNESCO.
1997 UNESCO MIRCEN fellowship award in Biotechnology.
1995 Fulbright Research Award.
1992 Regional Organization of Protection of Marine Environment Scientific Award 1992.
1988 Sigma Xi Society research grant.
1986-1991 Graduate Scholarship, Boston University, Boston, U.S.A.
1983-1991 Full Scholarship, University of Petroleum and Minerals for
Ph.D degree.
SCIENTIFIC ASSOCIATIONS
Member of the following scientific associations:
7. Saudi Arabian Biological Society (Member since 1980)