![\"Elbashir-students\"](\"http:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7290\/8742668376_574ef2608e_z.jpg\")
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Don\u2019t ask Engineering Dean Chris Roberts<\/strong> about Auburn graduate students unless you\u2019re ready for a deeply devoted reply about the quality of research they conduct, the innovation and expertise they bring to campus, and their numerous contributions to the changing global economy as alumni. You really\u00a0shouldn’t\u00a0ask him about Nimir Elbashir<\/strong><\/a>, one of his early doctoral students, unless you have some time. Roberts\u00a0couldn’t\u00a0be prouder of his former student and colleague, and he is eager to highlight his accomplishments as an Auburn alumnus and fellow engineering educator. And they are many.<\/em><\/p>\n Elbashir, \u201904 doctoral graduate in chemical engineering, received a $100,000 award<\/a> during the third annual Qatar Foundation Research Forum held in October. His team was recognized as having the best program to conduct energy and environmental research for its work to advance Fischer-Tropsch reactors in gas-to-liquid processes, a technology he began pursuing as a doctoral student at Auburn. Today, Elbashir is an associate professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Texas A&M University at Qatar<\/a> in the Arabian Peninsula.<\/p>\n \u201cNimir was enthusiastic when he joined our department,\u201d says Roberts. \u201cHe came to Auburn with the industrial expertise and maturity to tackle big things, and he did.\u201d<\/p>\n Elbashir was born in Moscow, Russia, where his father was pursuing a master\u2019s degree in chemical engineering. Afterward, Elbashir\u2019s family returned to Sudan, his parents\u2019 home country, and his father took a job as a chemical engineer in the sugar cane industry. Sudan is one of the largest African sugar producers, following South Africa and Egypt.<\/p>\n \u201cI used to work in the sugar cane factories during summer breaks growing up, and that allowed me to learn about the industry and about chemical engineering,\u201d Elbashir recalls.<\/p>\n He attended the University of Khartoum, the largest and oldest university in Sudan \u2014 an extension of the British education system, modeled after University College London and Cambridge University. He studied chemical engineering and graduated with first class honors, going on to pursue a master\u2019s degree in the field at the Universiti Teknologi Malaysia in Johor, Malaysia.<\/p>\n His interests led him across borders again in 1998 when he joined King Saud University in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as a research scientist. His project sought to advance catalyst design to convert inexpensive gasses obtained from Saudi Arabia\u2019s crude oil fields into more valuable petrochemical precursors. He worked in collaboration with the Saudi Basic Industries Corporation, one of the world\u2019s leading manufacturers of chemicals, fertilizers, plastics and metals.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Continued…<\/em><\/p>\n It was there that Elbashir learned about the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering from one of his supervisors, Ahmed Abasaeed, an \u201987 doctoral graduate in chemical engineering, who spoke favorably about the Plains and about research being conducted in catalysis and reaction engineering.<\/p>\n \u201cI consider it the best advice I received in my life,\u201d says Elbashir.<\/p>\n He took to heart his colleague\u2019s advice, entering Auburn Engineering\u2019s doctoral program in August 2001. He selected Roberts \u2014 then a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering \u2014 as his adviser based on mutual interests in gas-to-liquid technology reactors<\/a> and synthetic fuels processing. Roberts had experience with these processes in the development of new fuels and energy technologies.<\/p>\n As a graduate research assistant, Elbashir was interested in using light hydrocarbons as supercritical fluids media in Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, a reaction that converts a mixture of carbon monoxide and hydrogen into liquid hydrocarbons. In addition to his coursework and research, Elbashir taught principles of chemical engineering, a course that explores the application of multicomponent material and energy balances to chemical processes involving phase changes and chemical reactions.<\/p>\n In 2002, he was awarded a graduate research fellowship, a recognition for superior work that he held through 2004. In addition, the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, or AIChE, and the Gordon Research Conference recognized the quality of his research work. It was a reflection not only of his superb work ethic, but also his ability to think outside the box and develop new processes in the lab.<\/p>\n \u201cHe was fearless with equipment,\u201d says Roberts. \u201cWith his background in industry, he had seen how innovation worked \u2014 how projects could evolve \u2014 and he took on impactful work beyond the norm. He was the sort of serious-minded graduate student who set aside typical, rudimentary catalysis in order to address current challenges facing industry.\u201d<\/p>\n Upon completion of his doctoral work, Elbashir served as a postdoctoral fellow at Auburn from December 2004 to July 2005, supervising the high-pressure reactor laboratory and co-supervising a research team in the fields of gas-to-liquid technology, green chemistry processes and hydrogen storage in liquid fuel carriers.<\/p>\n While Elbashir and Roberts knew each other first as mentor and student, they later became colleagues, writing award-winning research proposals and a number of articles and papers for peer-reviewed publications, such as the Journal of Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research and the AIChE Journal, published by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Continued…<\/em><\/p>\n Roberts was later instrumental in Elbashir\u2019s petition for permanent residency, which he attained based on his outstanding research at Auburn, where he was a proven asset in the advancement of ultra-clean fuels and utilization of coal and natural gas in energy markets.<\/p>\n Elbashir returned to industry for nearly three years as a researcher for BASF Catalysts, but ultimately set his sights back on academia and was named assistant professor of chemical engineering at Texas A&M at Qatar, a position he held from 2008 to 2012, when he was promoted to associate professor.<\/p>\n \u201cI found myself more connected to teaching, which led me to go back to academia and join Texas A&M at Qatar,\u201d he says. \u201cThe campus was only five years old at the time, in a small country that has a significant wealth of natural gas. I envisioned that this would be an excellent opportunity for me to make a real difference based on the experience that I garnered in academia, as well as industry, and to initiate research programs that could advance this technology further.\u201d<\/p>\n His interests during his time at Auburn have carried over to his current research on reactor technology and catalysts for the production of ultra-clean fuels and value-added chemicals from natural gas, for which he was recognized by the Qatar Foundation. Elbashir\u2019s team is investigating efficiency and influential environmental factors to improve the Fischer-Tropsch process \u2014 factors which could have a significant impact on energy markets. The Qatar Foundation is providing Elbashir\u2019s team with more than $5 million in research funding to support projects in collaboration with leading energy corporations and academic institutions, including Auburn University.<\/p>\n \u201cThe Qatar Foundation\u2019s emphasis on building a culture of research through the Qatar National Research Strategy enables projects such as this to flourish,\u201d says Elbashir. \u201cEnvironments like this, and at Auburn, encourage breakthrough ideas and recognize how international collaborations and industry partners are able to come up with solutions to real-world problems.\u201d<\/p>\n Elbashir\u2019s Fischer-Tropsch design operates in a reaction medium that has properties between the gas phase and liquid phase, known as supercritical fluids media. This conversion of natural gas into ultra-clean fuels and value-added chemicals has increased the use of gas-to-liquid technology in energy production, following an increase in the global demand for \u201cNimir\u2019s contributions to such an evolving industry are exemplary,\u201d says Roberts. \u201cHis award-winning research demonstrates a dedication to developing new technologies that can improve our world today, as well as tomorrow. He understands the significance of practical research applied to industry problem solving.\u201d<\/p>\n As a researcher turned industrialist turned academician, Elbashir understands the need for practical applications in energy and fuels research better than most, which is why he established the Nimir Elbashir and Family Annual Graduate Travel Award in Chemical Engineering at Auburn. His support of graduate student travel ensures that Auburn\u2019s outstanding students are afforded opportunities to present their groundbreaking research to peers and industry leaders.<\/p>\n Elbashir is much more than a classic Auburn success story; he\u2019s a product of the state-of-the-art education and training he received as an Auburn engineer.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever he sets his mind to, that\u2019s what he\u2019ll accomplish,\u201d says Roberts. \u201cHe is a prime example of what we hope for all of our graduate students to achieve \u2014 success by their own definition.\u201d<\/p>\n Don\u2019t ask Engineering Dean Chris Roberts about Auburn graduate students unless you\u2019re ready for a deeply devoted reply about the quality of research they conduct, the innovation and expertise they bring to campus, and their numerous contributions to the changing global economy as alumni. You really\u00a0shouldn’t\u00a0ask him about Nimir Elbashir, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[53,322,320,323,325,321,236,324],"yoast_head":"\n <\/div> ![\"Flickr\"](\"http:\/\/eng.auburn.edu\/images\/flickr.png\")
<\/a> view Auburn Engineering<\/a> on flickr ![\"Auburn](\"http:\/\/eng.auburn.edu\/images\/flicker-icon.png\"){kind=icon}
<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n![\"Elbashir\"](\"http:\/\/farm8.staticflickr.com\/7292\/8742668290_fe19553e83_z.jpg\")
<\/p>\n <\/div> <\/a> view Auburn Engineering<\/a> on flickr <\/a><\/div><\/div>\n![\"Elbashir](\"http:\/\/farm6.staticflickr.com\/5328\/8883047025_2f11773563_z.jpg\")
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\ncrude oil.<\/p>\n <\/div> <\/a> view Auburn Engineering<\/a> on flickr <\/a><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"