Qatar University Students Reap Top Awards in UREP Competition

Doha, March 21 (QNA) - Qatar University (QU) students and faculty from the College of Engineering (CENG) and College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) were 1st and 2nd place winners of the fourth annual UREP competition held by Qatar National Research Fund (QNRF) last Tuesday. This is the fourth time win for QU in the competition the organization placed first in the 1st and 2nd cycles and third in the 3rd cycle. The 1st prize team from CENG's Department of Civil and Architectural Engineering comprised students Mohannad Abo-Hassan, Mohamed Shehadeh, Ibrahim Dohair, Abdulfattah Shehadeh, Mohammad Alfar and Momen Anayeh supervised by Associate Professor of Civil Engineering Dr Khaldoon Bani-Hani. Their project "Wireless Sensors for Corrosion Detection of Post-Tensioned Tendons in Bridges" addresses the corrosion of steel reinforcement which is the main cause for the deterioration of concrete structures, in particular in Qatar and coastal gulf areas. In the study, a wireless system was used to predict and monitor the corrosion of post-tensioned (PT) strands in bridges. The experimental results were promising in the technology s early detection of corrosion progress. The study also showed the need for more investigation of such a system to consider on-site field results with severe environmental factors. The 2nd prize team from CAS' Department of Mass Communication comprised students Mariam Dahrouj, Shatha Farajallah and Sara Al-Khalfan supervised by Dr Andrew Mills for "The Qatar Online Oral History Project". The students produced the website QatarSwalif.org to identify everyday people who have deep roots in Qatar and want to have their stories recorded and preserved in an online audio archive. The oral history forum will provide the opportunity for people to make digital audio recordings of their life stories. It will form a growing portrait of which the people in Qatar really are and help them to connect to each other. The students hope that QatarSwalif.org will become an unparalleled online archive of sound recordings documenting life in 20th and 21st century Qatar. QU VP for Research Dr Hassan Al-Derham noted that the prize-winning projects were in fact two of 3 QU projects that were among the final 5 shortlisted in the UREP competition. "This is in itself a remarkable achievement for our students. It highlights the level of quality and excellence in research that underlines the teaching/learning environment at QU. Coming on the heels of the announcement last month of the award of over $1million we won in the 11th UREP cycle, these awards fill us with immense pride and strengthen our goal to become the leading institution for research in Qatar and the region. I congratulate the students and their supervisors on a job well done", he said. Responding to the news, CENG Dean Dr Mazen Hasna and CAS Dean Dr Eiman Mustafawi both expressed their delight and pride in the students' achievement. "They worked extremely hard and committed themselves wholly to the project and they are reaping the rewards of their passion and determination. The College of Engineering continues to support its students in their academic and research endeavors and we are very proud of this wonderful recognition", Dr Hasna said. "The College of Arts and Sciences is immensely proud of the achievement of our mass communication students in this competition. They embody the values of hard work, leadership, team spirit, and self-confidence that mark them as students of Qatar University. Their achievement is an inspiration to us all", Dr Mustafawi said. (QNA)