Israa Al Hussain Al Hassan Othman Receives Award in 鈥楨ngineering and Science鈥� Category at QUWA 5th Women in Research Forum听
A Khalifa University PhD student has won a grant at the QUWA 5th Women in Research Forum, in the top category of Science (Engineering and Science) for her project focusing on sustainable solutions for carbon capture and utilization (CCU).听
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Israa Al Hussain Al Hassan Othman, Doctor of Philosophy Research/Teaching, Graduate Studies, was one of 43 winners from over 900 applicants. The awards were presented during the 5th Forum for Women in Research, themed 鈥楺UWA: Together Innovating to Shape the Future鈥�. The winning projects were selected for their scientific rigor, community impact, novelty, and industry partnership potential.听
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Othman鈥檚 project is implemented with Khalifa University鈥檚 Department of Chemistry, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering, the Research and Innovation Center on CO2 and Hydrogen (RICH) Center, and the Center of Catalysis and Separation (CeCaS). Her research team included Dr. Mohammad Abu Haija, Research Scientist Dr. Nagy Torad, Professor Giovanni Palmisano, and Professor Fawzi Banat.听
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Representing a cutting-edge approach in materials science and environmental technology, the project offers a sustainable solution for emissions reduction and clean energy production through the nanocomposite, which also helps in resource utilization. Moreover, utilizing the metal organic frameworks (MOFs) under visible light makes the process environmentally friendly and energy-efficient.听
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Othman said: 鈥淚 am delighted to win this grant at this 5th Women in Research Forum and I am grateful to team whose collaboration and support have remained instrumental in this achievement. This project鈥檚 dual-function system 鈥� efficient CO鈧� capture and its conversion into valuable products 鈥� enables scalability and cost-effectiveness, making it a promising solution for real-world CCU applications.鈥澨�
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Currently, Othman is working on other projects focusing on CO鈧� conversion and sustainable energy. As part of her PhD, she has designed various QD-based nanocomposites for CO鈧� photocatalytic reduction under different conditions. Her team is also exploring photo-electrochemical CO鈧� reduction, aiming to enhance efficiency and selectivity for scalable carbon utilization.听
