KAUST recently hosted events for alumni, friends and family in New York, Denver and Oakland, California.
These events, organized by Alumni Affairs and co-hosted with Admissions and Student Recruitment, were about reconnecting with KAUST’s much-loved global alumni community. The first in-person gatherings with international alumni since January 2020, the events gave alumni the opportunity of connecting with each other, while also hearing from KAUST colleagues about ways to become more involved.
“The US is KAUST’s largest international alumni community, and it’s increased in size since our last visit with President Chan pre-pandemic in 2020. Alumni come to the US for professional or academic opportunities, and the events gave the KAUST team a chance to hear more about the impressive outcomes of alumni spanning 10 or more years,” said Lea Sublett, Manager of Alumni Affairs.
Among the guests at each event were several Founding Class alumni including Ahmad Showail (PhD ’16, MS ’10), in California this year while at UC Irvine as a Fulbright Scholar. Denver-based alumna Berenice Tellez Garcia (MS ’11) welcomed fellow alumni to an informal networking reception, and spoke about her very special KAUST connections.
Alumni Affairs looks forward to continuing its engagement with alumni in the US, and is currently working with volunteers to establish the North American Alumni Chapter (NAAC). “We’re excited about establishing the NAAC, which is a project we had to pause during the pandemic. The network of regional hubs connecting the NAAC ensure KAUST has a presence throughout North America, particularly in areas with critical mass and with active, enthusiastic volunteers,” said Sublett.
To hear more about future alumni events in Saudi Arabia or internationally, or opportunities to remain connected through global alumni chapters, visit https://alumni.kaust.edu.sa/
