Curriculum Vitae
About me
I am a professor of geochemistry at the German Jordanian University in Amman, Jordan.
My research interests include geochemistry and pollution of groundwater in Jordan. I am particularly involved in the use of hydrogeochemistry in the resolution of issues such as water recharge, age and movement. I am also interested in the chemical nature and evolution of brines, particularly in the Dead Sea. Other interests include geoarchaeology and Quaternary geology, particularly the use of geological and archaeological data for climate reconstruction in the region. I am also interested in the study of archaeological materials (stone, pottery and glass) with the intent of determining provenance and production technology of these materials.
More details follow.
Personal
Education
Experience
Awards
Advisory functions
Training Courses
Editorial boards
Professional Societies
Conference committees
Grants
Publications
Graduate students
Personal
Date of birth: April 20, 1964.
Civil status: Married with two children.Here we are
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Education
Ph.D., 1991, North Carolina State University: Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (Geochemistry).
M.Sc., 1987, North Carolina State University: Marine, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences (Geology). Thesis
B.Sc., 1985, University of Jordan, Amman: Geology and Mineralogy.
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Experience
Current appointments
Professor, Department of Environmental and Water Engineering, German Jordanian University (2008-Now).
Director, Center for the Study of Natural and Cultural Heritage, GJU (2011-now).
Director, Consultations and Training Center, GJU (2015-now).
Member of the board of trustees for the Middle East University(2009-2010 and from 2013-now).
Previous appointments
Professor, 2003-2011; Associate professor, 1997-2003; Assistant professor, 1993-1997; Lecturer 1991-1993, Yarmouk University until 2011. Courses taught.
Dean of Scientific Research (2009-now); Acting Dean of Scientific Research (2008-
2009) and Dean of Graduate Studies (2008-2009) at the German Jordanian University. On loan from Yarmouk University.
Visiting professor, Al al-Bayt University, 2007-2008 (Sabbatical leave).
Chairman of the department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Yarmouk University, 2003-2005.
Visiting Associate Research Professor, Division of Hydrological Sciences, Desert Research Institute (DRI), 1999-2000.
Acting director of the UNESCO
Chair for Desert Studies and Desertification Control, 1998-1999. Yarmouk University.
Assistant to the Dean of Research and Graduate Studies, 1997-1998, Yarmouk University.
Teaching assistant, North Carolina State University, 1986-1991. Duties included teaching of introductory physical geology, historical geology and sedimentary petrology labs.
Nuclear research assistant, Nuclear Services Laboratory, N.C. State Univ., 1989-1991. Duties included sample preparation and data acquisition and analysis for the neutron activation analysis facility.
Consultant, Ingersoll-Rand Company, Rock Drilling Division, Intermittent from 1989-1991. Have prepared a number of reports evaluating petrography and mechanical characteristics for samples of interest to Ingersoll-Rand.
Hydrological Technician, ATEC Environmental Consultants, 1989. Duties involved acquisition of field data, sampling of cores and waters from monitoring wells and site assessments.
Hydrological Technician, USGS Water Resources Division, 1988-1989. Duties included lithological and geophysical well log correlation, core logging and literature assessment for various projects.
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Awards
International Center for Scientific Culture- World Laboratory. 1999-2000. Scholarship under the "Scholarships for Third World Countries' Students" program for partial funding of my sabbatical at the Desert Research Institute. Balance of the funding was from the Desert Research Institute.
Abdel Hamid Shoman Award for young Arab researchers (1997)
Special Achievement Award from the USGS (1989).
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Advisory functions
Participated in the workshop organized by the Ministry of Higher Education and the World Bank in preparation for the Higher Education Reform for Knowledge Economy
(HERfKE) project. I was a member of the focus group concerned with competitive funding aspects of the project from April to June, 2008. In February 2009, I was a member of a four member national core group that participated in finalizing the HERfKE documents which also included detailed recommendations for the reform of higher education in Jordan. Many of these recommendations were integrated into the
new Universities' Law (20-2009).
Expert witness in numerous court cases involving water supply and quality issues (2002-2008).
Member of the Scientific Research Council at Yarmouk University, 2006-2008. The council is in charge of formulating research priorities and strategies at the university level.
Member of the National Capacity Self Assessment team for Global Environmental Management (NCSA), Jordan. This was a UNDP funded project to assess national capabilities to implement the three Rio conventions and to suggest action plans to this effect. I was responsible to the policy assessment task. May to September, 2006.
Member of the advisory group for the museum exhibition planned for the Dead Sea Panorama complex, which is being implemented by the Ministry of Tourism with funding from JICA, September 2003- July 2004.
Member of the Jordanian National Committee for the International Hydrological Program as a representative of Yarmouk University (September 2001-January 2004).
Advisory group meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency on integration of isotopic techniques in effective water management. November 24-27, 1997, Amman.
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Training courses
Conducted a one day workshop on “Proposal preparation for administrators of external project units”, which was presented within a program for capacity building of the Jordan research community. This program was organized by the Higher Council for Science and Technology, Jordan. September 24, 2011.
Conducted a one day workshop on innovation in writing research proposals. This workshop was held at the Higher Council for Science and Technology on November 6, 2010. It was conducted as part of a project conducted by the HCST for building research capacities in Jordan for proposal writing and research
Speaker in the introductory workshop titled “How to write a successful proposal” held
at the Princess Sumaya University of Technology from October 7-8, 2009. This workshop was organized by the Higher Council of Science and Technology as part of a
project funded by the Scientific Research Fund of Jordan entitled “Workshops on writing research proposals”.
Speaker in the workshop titled “Vocational Seminar on Cultural Heritage Preservation” held at Yarmouk University from June 23-26, 2008. The workshop was organized by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece) at Yarmouk University as part of the activities of the TEMPUS project for establishing a Masters program in archaeometry at Yarmouk University.
Speaker in the workshop titled “Sustainable water resource development: the role of proxy records in understanding drought and it’s influence on reclaimed water resources” held at the Hashemite University from July 11-15, 2004. The workshop was organized by the Tree Ring Laboratory at the University of Arizona and funded by the International Arid Lands Consortium.
Nuclear techniques in hydrology. Gave five lectures at the course organized by the Arab Atomic Energy Agency in cooperation with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources and the Water Authority. 12-22 August, 1995, Amman.
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Editorial boards
Member of editorial board for the Jordan Journal of Earth and Environmental Science (2013-now).
Co-editor with Elizabeth Bloxam, Patrick Degryse and Tom Heldal for the volume
published by the Geological Survey of Norway titled "QuarryScapes. Ancient stone quarry landscapes in the Eastern Mediterranean", NGU Special Publication 12.
Member of the editorial board of Yarmouk Cultural Magazine (2005-2006).
Associate editor for Ground Water (Journal of the US National Ground Water Association) from 1996-1998.
Member of the editorial board of Yarmouk Cultural Magazine (2005-2006).
Member of the editorial board of the Jordanian Geologist Magazine (1992-93).
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Professional societies
The Geochemical Society
The Jordanian Geologists Association
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Conference committees
Organizer
Chair of the organizing committee for the 6th Jordanian Environmental Conference convened by the Jordanian Geologists Association in cooperation with the Center for the Study of Natural and Cultural Heritage at GJU under the title “Hot Environmental Issues”, which was held on June 5-6, 2012.
Chairman of the organizing committee for the workshop entitled “The role of research in water resources and it’s impact on the community” organized by the Jordanian National Committee of the IHP on the campus of Yarmouk University November 4, 2002.
Secretary of the organizing committee of the conference held by the UNESCO Chair for Desert Studies and Desertification Control entitled "Learning from the past: Global paleoclimatic changes", held from May 18-21, 1998.
Committee member
Member of the organizing committee for the workshop on "Water and Waste" which was held in cooperation between Yarmouk University and Lippe und Hoexter University (Germany). The workshop was from September 10-13, 2006 at held at Yarmouk University.
Member of the organizing committee for the workshop for GIS users in Jordan. This workshop was held on November 16, 2005 and was organized by Yarmouk University.
Member of the organizing committee for the Regional Workshop on Desertification, which was organized by the UNESCO Chair for Desert Studies and Desertification Control in June 20-21, 2005.
Member of the organizing committee for the workshop entitled “Geology and Tourism” organized by the Jordanian Geologists Association in cooperation with Yarmouk University. November 2002.
Member of the Conference Committee on Desertification in the Arab World, held at Mutah University from October 25-28, 1999
Member of the organizing committee of the conference on "Dimensions of Environmental Stress in the Region" held at Yarmouk University in October 26-27, 1998
Member of the organizing committee of the conference held by the UNESCO Chair for Desert Studies and Desertification Control entitled "Past, Present and Future of the Middle-East Deserts" between July 30 and August 1, 1996. Led the pre-conference field trip.
Member of the organizing committee of the Fifth Jordanian Geological Conference (Oct. 1994).
Member of the organizing committee of the regional conference on "Preconditions and requirements for successful environmental policies in Arab countries", which was held at Yarmouk University in May, 1993.
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Grants
External funding
Exploring and quantifying the effectiveness of ancient terracing practices for water harvest and agriculture. 2015. Support to Research and Technological Development & Innovation initiatives and Strategies in Jordan (SRTD II), Higher Council for Science and Technology, Euro 22,344.
Near-basement rock-water interaction as an indicator to understanding deep aquifer chemistry. 2015. The Abdulhamid Shoman Foundation, Amman. JD 14,920. (JD is fixed at 1.41 USD)
MEDSCAPES. Development of landscape character assessment as a tool for effective conservation of natural heritage of the eastern Mediterranean. 2014. Funded by the European Union as part of the ENPI-CBCMED program. Total budget 965,000 Euros. GJU share 81,000 Euros.
Research on preservation of Wadi Rum’s natural environment, archaeology and social fabric, 2012. Funded by the Consulting Engineering Center. JD 6,760.
Assessment of uncertainties associated with ground water potential, recharge and movement in NW Jordan: Towards sustainable ground water resource management in semiarid regions. 2008. Jordan Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research through the Scientific Research Fund. JD 232,300 (JD is fixed at 1.41 USD).
QuarryScapes. The characterization and protection of ancient quarries in the Eastern Mediterranean. 2005. This project is funded through the Sixth framework program of the European Commission. Total funding, 1,000,000 Euros; Yarmouk University share is 114,600 Euros.
Documentation and management of the shallow water resources in the Tulul al Ashaqif area, NE Jordan using GIS techniques. The Abdul Hamid Shoman Foundation, Amman. 2005, JD 7900 (JD is fixed at 1.41 USD).
Charactarization of building materials used at the ez-Zantur excavation site in Petra. Basle University, Switzerland. 2003, JD 1,300.
Study of the suitability of agricultural drainage waters in the Safi area for potash production. Arab Potash Company. 2002, JD 16,000.
The feasibility of water harvesting and storage in shallow aquifers in the eastern Badia of Jordan. International Arid Lands Consortium IALC, 2000. Joint project with the Desert Research Institute. Yarmouk University share US $38,800.
Potential role of shallow aquifers in water resource development in the Jordanian Badia. International Development Research Centre IDRC, 1999, US $ 65,000.
Natural Ground Water Recharge in the Jordanian Badia. Badia Research and Development Programme (BRDP), 1998. JD 5000.
Evaluation of the chemical and isotopic characteristics of the aquifers in the Hammad and Sirhan basins. Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization, 1997, US $ 18,000.
Paleoclimatic changes in the playas of the badia region. Badia Research and Development Programme, 1997, JD 8000.
Hydrochemistry of aquifers of the northeastern badia, Jordan. Badia Research and Development Programme, 1995, JD 7500.
Evolution of evaporite mushrooms in the Dead Sea. Arab Potash Company, 1995, JD 2700.
Hydrochemistry of aquifers in the Dead Sea area. Arab Potash Company, 1992, JD 550.
Internal funding by the Scientific Research Council at Yarmouk University.
(JD is fixed at 1.41 USD)
Study of recharge and groundwater movement in the upper Yarmouk basin using geochemical and isotopic techniques. 2005, JD 2980.
Land use and environmental change in Al Mazar Al Shamali subdistrict over the last 50 years. 2004, JD 2481.
A GIS-based hydrological decision support system for the Tulul al Ashaqif aquifers, NE. Jordan. 2003, JD 2210.
Geology of the Bargash cave system, N. Jordan. 2003, JD 1240.
Geology and geochemistry of materials used in the construction of ancient Gadara, NW Jordan. 2002, JD 1360.
Groundwater recharge in the northeastern badia, Jordan. Deanship of Research, Yarmouk University, 1996, JD 2860.
Hydrochemistry of northeastern Jordan. 1995, JD 1300.
Genesis of chert in the Amman Formation. 1992 and 1995, JD 1000.
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Graduate students
GJU (spatial planning)
Sami Tarabieh, 2015. Sustainable spatial planning constraints in Al-Me’raad watershed, Jordan.
Yarmouk University (Geology and Environmental Science)
Mohammad Qudah, 2007. Ancient chert quarries landscape and provenance study in the northern Al-Jafar basin, Southern Jordan.
Ahmad Jaradat, 2007. Use of radon diffusion in soil to estimate recharge in the upper Yarmouk Basin, Jordan.
Alaa’ Kharabsheh, 2006. Hydrology and hydrochemistry of the Upper Yarmouk river basin, northern Jordan.
Taher Al Jarrah, 2005. Changes in forest cover and land use in the Mazar district during the last 50 years.
Mohammad Khawaja, 2004. A GIS-based decision support system for ground water development at Tulul al Ashaqif, NE Jordan.
Deema Melhem, 2004. Geology of the Birgish cave system, NW Jordan.
Wael Azaizah, 2003. Hydrogeology of the shallow aquifer system in Wadi Ghussein, NE Jordan.
Khaled Bashaireh, 2003. Geological and geochemical study of building materials at ancient Gadara (Um Qais), NW Jordan.
Ma’moun Ismail, 2002. Shallow groundwater salination in the northern Jordan Valley.
Muheeb Awawdeh, 1998. Paleoclimatic variation at Qa’ Habbabiya, Jordan.
Nader Eraifej. 1997. Geochemistry and pollution of the shallow aquifers in the Mafraq area, northern Jordan.
Sana’ Bataineh. 1996. Provenance and technology of Neolithic pottery from Wadi Shueib, Jordan.
Ra’eda Quraan. 1996. Archaeogeology of Early Bronze pottery from the Abu Thawwab site, Jordan.
Osama Kofahi (co-supervisor). 1996. Evaluation of the lower part of the Hihi claystone formation as refractories and burned claybricks-Jordan.
Zaid Bani Sakher (co-supervisor). 1996. Facies analysis, paleoenvironment and paleoclimate of Quaternary sediments of the eastern shore of the Dead Sea.
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