This Episode is our first episode in Arabic!

Born and raised in Cairo, Dr. Tarek Rakha did his Bachelor’s and Master’s in Cairo University. He started his PhD at Harvard Graduate School of Design and then transferred to MIT. After graduation, he worked in top-notch institutions like Rhode Island School of Design, Syracuse University, and Georgia Tech. Currently, he is the director of the Georgia Tech High-Performance Building Lab. During his time at MIT, he was pretty active in the Egyptian community, and he was the president of the Egyptian Student Association.

Dr. Ayman Ismail has more degrees than I can keep track of. He did a bachelor’s in Construction Engineering at the American University in Cairo (AUC) graduating 1995. In the same year, he started an MBA also in AUC and graduated in 1997. Then he did a master’s in MIT in City Planning. graduating 1999. For the following six years, he worked as a consultant in McKinsey, and then the world bank. He then went back to MIT, but this time, for a PhD in International Economic Development. 

Few years later he decided to go back to his hometown, Cairo. Today, he is the Abdul Latif Jameel Endowed Chair of Entrepreneurship and the founding director of AUC Venture Lab, and he is a co-founder, angel investor, or board member, of several fast-growing startups in fintech, microfinance, and logistics. 

In 2012, he was selected as a Young Global Leader (YGL) by the World Economic Forum (WEF).

In this Episode, Daniella Maamari talks about her journey living in different countries, working in two jobs simultaneously and maintaining deep connections with home regardless the distance.

Daniella spent her childhood between Lebanon, Canada and Saudi Arabia. After finishing her Bachelor’s degree in the Lebanese American University, she joined MIT in 2017 to pursue her Master’s and graduated right before the quarantine. Our guest likes to do many things at the same time. During her time at MIT, she visited five countries in relation to her work. 

Since her graduation, she worked as a researcher at MIT, and now she is the lead researcher in the MIT Future Hertiage Lab. Simultaneously, she is also working Full-time at Urban Designer in Canada. As a proud Lebanese, she was active in the Lebanese community in Boston. Even a few months after her graduation, she helped to organize the MIT Lebanon challenge. And when the devastating explosion took place in August 2020, she wrote a letter to the MIT community to spread awareness and help raise money for Beirut.

Our guest today did his bachelor’s of Engineering in Algeria. Then he went to Sorbonne University in Paris to pursue his master’s and PhD. He then joined MIT as a post-doc in Computer Science where he worked in the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab. He studied compilers for high-performance computing. Now he serves as an Assistant Professor at New York University Abu Dhabi. Meaning he lived in four countries on four continents! He is enthusiastic about giving back to the Algerian community by sharing his experience of studying abroad. In this episode, he will share invaluable career advice, in addition to some insight into his travel adventures.

Ahla w sahla, We're back! UnliMITed is returning with another season, this time featuring an episode in Arabic! Tune in on Tuesday, November 9th, to catch the first of these amazing interviews on your favorite podcasting app. Hosted by our very own Omar Obeya!

The Pi series is back with another incredible student, Zaina Moussa SB'21, who shows us just how many resources exist on campus. From the equalizing Pass/No Record system in place during freshman year and the student-run hands-on culture on campus to the amazing research opportunities and travel experiences available for students, there is so much to do when you're a student at MIT. Tune in to learn more about Zaina's experience and what life is like on campus!

Maya Nasr is a guest who truly embodies the spirit of our UnliMITed podcast. Breaking barriers and paving the way for others to follow, Maya Nasr SB '18, SM '21, and PhD '23 in Aeronautical Engineering has pushed the boundaries set for young Arab women by contributing to the latest NASA launch to Mars through the MOXIE project. Tune in to hear her story and learn about the unlimited opportunities available at MIT. 

Meet Omar Obeya!

Born and raised in Egypt, received his Bachelor’s and Master of Engineering degrees from MIT in 2018 and 2019, respectively. During his undergraduate studies, he studied Computer Science with a minor in Middle Eastern Studies. He was also the vice president of the Arab Student Organization (ASO). During his graduate studies, he conducted research in MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab (CSAIL) on parallel algorithms. Currently, Omar works as a software engineer for a hedge fund based in New York City. Since graduation, Omar has been trying to maintain his relationship with MIT through volunteering in the MIT Arab Conference, MIT Arab Alumni Association and the making of this podcast!

Kicking off our Pi series we have Areen Bahour SB ’16. Areen’s MIT experience showcases many of the opportunities available on campus to connect back with your heritage and learn some valuable leadership skills all while taking a heavy technical course-load.

Dana is a chemical engineer working in Saudi Aramco's newly establish Sustainability (ESG Strategy and Reporting) Team. Dana received a scholarship from Saudi Aramco to study at MIT where she majored in chemical-biological engineering and graduated with minors in biology, and entrepreneurship and innovation in 2020. 

During her time at MIT, Dana was President of the Arab Students Organization (ASO) for two terms, through which she founded the MIT Arab Science and Technology Conference (SciTech), now in its third year. Dana then interned at IHS Markit where in 2019 she coordinated the launch of the Arab Energy Innovation Initiative at CERAWeek, the world’s premier global energy conference. This led to her participation in the Oil and Gas Climate Initiative (OGCI) Stakeholder Dialogue during the 2019 New York Climate Week where she was invited to share her thoughts with the CEOs of 12 major energy companies. Additionally, Dana was a recipient of the Young Future Energy Leaders (YFEL) award in 2019 from Khalifa University in the UAE where she was invited to participate at the World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi. Dana is passionate about sustainable development and finding the path to decarbonization from within the Arab world.

Mamoun is head of Business Development at Arab Transit, a Shipping and Logistics company based in Jordan. He is a co-founder and the CEO of Arqflow, a cloud platform founded by MIT alums, that helps businesses streamline supply chain workflows while collaborating with their network partners. Mamoun has over 10 years of theoretical expertise and direct experience in Shipping and Logistics and has been involved in projects focusing on digitization and integrating processes. He holds a master’s degree in Supply Chain Management from MIT and a Bachelor of Commerce degree in Finance and Economics from the University of Toronto. Mamoun is part of the MIT Arab Alumni Association board, serving as the Treasurer.

Nour is an urban planner for Asakura Robinson, an award-winning US-based planning, urban design, and landscape architecture firm. Hailing from Aleppo, Syria, Nour has lived and worked in Kuwait, Montreal, and Boston and currently calls Houston home. She graduated from MIT in 2019 with a Masters degree in City Planning where her Masters thesis evaluated the state of public transportation in Kuwait and developed a framework to assess industry structure models for the regulation of public transportation for the Arab world. During her time at MIT, Nour was one of the founding organizers of the first MIT SciTech conference and was also Graduate Chair of the Arab Students Organization. She also holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Development and Sociology from McGill University.

Prior to joining the board, Nour was a volunteer with the AAA working on initiatives like the webinar series. She became a board member, serving as Director of Campus Engagement, to continue working on initiatives important to the Arab world, primarily through maintaining a strong connection between a renowned institution like MIT and the region. She genuinely believes that the AAA can make a difference in the lives of many and she hopes to be a part of that change. Her hope for the next two years is to build a brand for the MIT AAA that is synonymous with growth and innovation in the Arab world.

Talal has been involved in Information Technology (IT) for the last 35 years in the US and primarily in the UK. He sat recently on the CompTIA (Computer Technology Industry Association) Security+ cornerstone committee. He has served as a board member of ITTA (Information Technology Training Association), Vice chairman of the advisory board of the CompTIA Technology Learning Group, and board member of CompTIA.

Through previous companies, he served as the CEO/founder of a microcomputer mail order company based in the US, the CEO/founder of an IT Training Company, an IT Security company and more recently Entegraty Ltd focusing on IT managed services, CRM,IT learning and IT solutions. His current focus is advising and consulting on IT/IT Learning company start-up, management and Marketing.

Talal became a board member of the MIT Arab Alumni Association in 2008, President of the association from 2011 to 2013, and served as a board member from 2013 to 2016. Talal received his SB in CE from MIT, MEng and PhD studies from University of California at Berkeley.

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Mayce currently serves as Director at the American University of Kuwait. Mayce’s 10+ professional career covers various engineering and management disciples across multiple jurisdictions including Canada, the United States of America, and the Middle East. Mayce started as a structural engineer with a focus on high-performance structures and life cycle assessment of building materials. She then ventured into project management, with a heavy focus on educational structures. Her employers include Parsons Brinkerhoff (USA), SNC-Lavalin (Canada), and KIPCO Group (Kuwait).

Her first encounter with the board of the MIT Arab Alumni Association was in 2014 as a volunteer and main contact in Kuwait for the preparation of the MIT AAA Annual Conference. Having learned a great deal then, and wanting to contribute even further, Mayce then served as a member of the AAA Board of Directors from 2016 to 2020. With the Middle East and the World going through a very transformational phase, she stands as a bridge between MIT's breakthrough ideas and the region's needs for sustainable structures, policies, digitization, and positive change. While the MIT brand is well established around the world, and in the Arab region, we are still in need of strong proactive representatives that can deliver our pioneering visions to where they are most needed. Working with her colleagues on the Board of MIT AAA, Mayce is committed, not only to abide by the mandate to seek and develop budding bright minds and entrepreneurs but will also seek to expand the organization’s reach and horizon.

Mayce earned a B.Eng in Civil Engineering and Applied Mechanics from McGill University(2010) and an M.Eng from MIT (2013).

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Meet Hazem Zureiqat!

Hazem Zureiqat (SM'08) is a partner and transportation consultant at Engicon, a multidisciplinary engineering consulting firm based in Amman, Jordan. He is an alumnus of the MIT Transportation masters program and the former president of the MITAAA. He now serves as an advisor to the board and has a breadth of knowledge in the areas of transportation and entrepreneurship. Tune in to hear his inspiring story as well as some insights into the region!

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Meet Dana Erekat MCP '09

Dana is a Palestinian American architect and planner. She holds a Bachelor`s of Art in Architecture from the University of California, Berkeley (2001) and a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (2009). She has a passion for photography, arts, and baking sweets!

Dana was born in Kuwait, and grew up between Kuwait, the US, and Palestine. In keeping with her transatlantic spirit, Dana has so far spent her professional life also in the US, Kuwait, Palestine, and Jordan, where she has focused her career on human rights, economic development, poverty alleviation, and strategic planning in the Middle East.

She previously served as the Special Advisor to the Minister of Planning in Palestine on aid management and donors’ relations where she managed a ten-person team coordinating the portfolio of one billion US dollars in humanitarian and development funding between public institutions and international organizations, including varying branches of the UN. Dana’s previous positions also include consultancies with the Palestinian Museum, the Welfare Association, and PADICO Holding in Palestine. She also worked with the World Bank’s Middle East and North Africa region Sustainable Development Department in Washington DC where sheco-authored the report The Grain Chain: Food Security and Managing Wheat Imports in Arab Countries, as part of a regional food security study. Prior to her career in international development, Dana worked for seven years as an architect in San Francisco and Kuwait.

Dana is a Munich Young Leader Alumna, an MIT Humphrey SPURS fellow and was a Research Fellow at the Kenyon Institute in 2016 in Jerusalem where her research focused on planning and development in conflict areas.She is the author of several publications on international development and urban planning. Dana’s photography series Borders Crossing Bodies has been exhibited in Europe, Africa, the Middle East, and North America. She currently resides between Jordan and Palestine where she consults with non-profits and international organizations on sustainable development, fundraising, and economic development.  

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From Architectural Executive to Non-Profit Founder with Rudayna Abdo SB'90

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Starting off our ‘Meet the Board’ series, tune into a conversation with Salman Aldukheil SB’11 reflecting on his time at MIT and the lessons he learned along the way. Salman is our director of regional development, works in investment banking at HSBC and holds an MBA from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business.

Welcome to UnliMITed!