Auburn faculty to participate in two-week fellowship program in Israel
Published: May 5, 2022 8:15 AM
By Cassie Montgomery
Two Auburn Engineering professors are preparing to take part in an academic exchange exploring Israel’s history, politics, culture and economy as part of the Jewish National Fund-USA’s 2022 Summer May-Faculty Fellowship Program. Maria Auad, the Charles Gavin Distinguished Professor and associate dean for graduate studies and faculty development, and Mark O. Barnett, professor of environmental engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, will join more than 30 other participants from universities and colleges across the country who will visit to Israel May 21 – June 3.
Participating faculty will have the unique opportunity to meet with Israeli professors from their respective disciplines and with similar research interests with the goal of developing collaborations, research projects, co-authoring articles and establishing exchange programs between faculty and students.
“As an environmental engineer, I am particularly excited to visit one of the most innovative water use and reuse countries in the world,” Barnett said. “Israel is an arid country with limited water resources yet still produces 20% more water than it needs. I have already communicated with an Israeli scientist on the potential use of his wastewater treatment technology in the Alabama Black Belt.”
The opportunities to build research relationships and potential collaborations on behalf of the Auburn Engineering faculty is one that Auad could not pass up.
“Our Auburn Engineering faculty are experts in their fields but they are always seeking to grow their expertise on behalf of their students and the academic community at large,” she said. “This program will allow us to open a dialogue and potentially form new partnerships with our Israeli research counterparts, thus expanding our body of knowledge and our college’s research prowess.”
Faculty Fellowship to Israel has more information about the universities and professors taking part in the 2022 Summer May-Faculty Fellowship Program, including lists of past participants and information on how to apply for future fellowships.
Media Contact: , cmontgomery@auburn.edu, 334.844.3668
Maria Auad and Mark Barnett
