Osman Bakr, professor of material science and engineering
Professor Osman Bakr joined KAUST in 2009, not long after the university was founded. Having completed his undergraduate degree in material science and engineering at MIT, followed by a PhD in applied physics at Harvard, Bakr was enticed by the opportunity to study at a higher education institution that could offer independent career development and advanced infrastructure. As a Saudi native, he was drawn by the chance to return to his home country, particularly as KAUST is located near where he grew up.
A professor of material science and engineering at KAUST, Bakr undertakes research that centres on hybrid organic-inorganic semiconducting materials and how they can be used to improve solar cells or consumer electronics. The properties these materials exhibit have the potential to be deployed in applications such as sensors or displays, as well as in new technologies in the fields of high-energy radiation and catalysis.
Many of the materials that Bakr and his team are developing can be processed at low temperatures in very basic conditions, which could enable the development of advanced electronics using the same capital investment as traditional semiconductors. With the expected boom in devices connected to the Internet of Things, Bakr’s research could have a huge impact on the development of consumer-facing products over the next few years.
When Bakr is not exploring uses for semiconducting materials, his time at KAUST is a mix of teaching and research, and he enjoys the smaller administrative burden at KAUST when compared with other institutions. Each day is different, and Bakr’s students, with their unique interests, are a major part of this.
Find out more about Osman Bakr's research at KAUST.
