In a spectacular ceremony held at the Nahyan Auditorium, the Faculty of Engineering (FOE) at the University of Balamand, celebrated and honored for the third year running the exceptional achievements of its BS, BE and MS graduates and alumni who were awarded the prestigious 2023 Elma Maalouf Award and the Faculty of Engineering Award for Academic Excellence. The event brought together our most esteemed graduates recipients of the awards along with their proud family and friends, VP for Internationalization and Engagement and Dean of FOE, Professor Rami Abboud, faculty chairpersons, and theses supervisors to acknowledge and recognize the remarkable accomplishments of these outstanding students, now alumni.

The recipients of the Elma Maalouf Award were selected based on being amongst the highest thesis grade and either published a peer review paper or in the process of submitting one. This award highlights the students’ unwavering dedication, relentless pursuit of knowledge, and their ability to push the boundaries of engineering.

On the other hand, the Faculty of Engineering Award for Academic Excellence is presented to the top ranked graduating students with the highest academic average of each respective department of each discipline, highlighting their outstanding academic accomplishments.

With a captivating opening, Prof. Abboud emphasized the importance of engineering in shaping the world and praised the recipients for their exceptional talents and commitment to excellence. In his inspiring speech, Prof. Abboud stated “Today, I implore you to look back on your journey and recognize the strength that lies within you. You are not just engineers; you are creators, innovators, dreamers and most importantly, agents of change in the community. As you step out into the world as engineering graduates, remember that the world eagerly awaits the solutions you will engineer, the technology you will develop, and the impact you will make. While the majority of significant achievements that have changed the way we live in history it can be attributed in one way or another to engineering disciplines. The greater challenges lay ahead. Today, as your university ushers you into your future careers, my challenge for you is to change the world and make it safer, healthier, more sustainable, and most importantly, more like you”.

The atmosphere was filled with excitement and pride as the graduands took the stage to receive their awards. The podium illuminated with the brilliance of their collective accomplishments. During the ceremony, a total of 18 astonishing students were awarded trophies. The notable recipients of the Elma Maalouf Award included Rawan Ghanem (MS in Civil Engineering), Lara Saad (MS in Chemical Engineering), Elie Nicolas (MS in Computer Engineering), and Mateel Jammoul (MS in Engineering Management).

The recipients of the FOE Award for Academic Excellence have been recognized for their exceptional achievements in their respective fields. Among those holding an MS degree, Rawan Ghanem has been awarded both trophies for her outstanding performance in Civil Engineering. Additionally, Georgio Farah excelled in Chemical Engineering, Mira Adra in Computer Engineering, Saeed El Ghareeb in Electrical Engineering, Lynn Chalhoub in Mechanical Engineering, and Ayman Itani in Engineering Management.

For the BE degree, Salwa Chehayeb demonstrated excellence in Civil Engineering, Hanna Saade in Computer Engineering, Yolla Kkhaddaj in Electrical Engineering, and Mark Matta in Mechanical Engineering.

And for the BS degree, the Faculty of Engineering acknowledged the remarkable achievements of Anna Sophia Chahine in Civil Engineering, Sara Haidar in Chemical Engineering, Riwa Karam in Computer Engineering, Joanna Adra in Electrical Engineering, and Farah Kandalaft in Mechanical Engineering. Farah Kandalaft has also earned the prestigious Nicolas and Marie-Therese Mousallem Prize for achieving the highest cumulative general average among all students graduating with a Bachelor's degree from the Faculty of Engineering for the Academic Year 2022-2023.

The event concluded with a joyful celebration, bringing everyone together to enjoy a buffet and participate in the ceremonial cake cutting, where Prof. Abboud extended his heartfelt wishes for the awards’ recipients to continue to make groundbreaking contributions to the engineering profession and inspiring future generations to dream big and strive for greatness. ​