Honors&Fellowships
Academic and Industry honors, scholarships, research fellowships awarded
2024 Forbes 30 Under 30 All-Star Alumni
Named in Forbes Magazine as one of the most impactful individuals in the community of young entrepreneurs and game-changers. Selection is by leading academic and industry scientists and magazine editors.
Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.)
Microbiology
University of California, Berkeley
Ph.D. conferred in 2022 from one of the highest ranked Microbiology departments and best global universities, based on a dissertation performed in the laboratory of 2020 Nobel Laureate Jennifer Doudna.
Basem and Jennifer
The National Society of Leadership and Success
Nominated to The National Society of Leadership and Success, Cal Alumni Association. Exemplary students are nominated by their college based on academic standing and leadership potential. Under 5% of students receive this honor
National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2017-2022
$138,000 Five-year Award for full academic research freedom at any US accredited University.
The NSF GRFP helps ensure the vitality of the human resource base of science and engineering in the United States. The program recognizes and supports outstanding graduate students in NSF-supported science, technology, engineering, and mathematics disciplines who are pursuing research-based doctoral degrees at accredited United States institutions, helping them become life-long leaders that contribute significantly to both scientific innovation and teaching. Currently, 42 Fellows have gone on to become Nobel laureates, and more than 450 have become members of the National Academy of Sciences. Past fellows also include U.S. Secretary of Energy Steven Chu, Google founder Sergey Brin, and Freakonomics co-author Steven Levitt.
2021 Forbes 30 Under 30
Named to the 10th Annual Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 list in the Science category. Selection by reporters, editors, and expert industry judges editors who pick the world’s most impactful community of young entrepreneurs and game-changers. In addition to the magazine feature, Forbes hosts an annual 30 Under 30 Summit.
Blue Flame Award, Addgene
Serves to congratulate researchers who have at least one plasmid deposited at Addgene that has been distributed more than 100 times, denoting the most highly requested plasmids on the platform.
Stanford-Berkeley-UCSF Next Generation Faculty Fellow
The Stanford.Berkeley.UCSF Next Generation Faculty Symposium is a platform designed to highlight the work of exceptional early-career scientists in the broad field of quantitative biological and biomedical sciences, with a track record of research productivity and demonstrated contributions to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in STEM.
2021 Arab America’s 30 Under 30
30 Under 30 is a celebration of accomplished young Arab Americans under the age of 30, who excel in their industry and are engaged in promoting their heritage and culture to empower their communities and make a difference. The program spotlights professionals in all fields and contributions to the Arab American community.
Chancellor’s Award for Public Service
Awarded to the COVID-WEB team for surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in municipal wastewater during the Coronavirus pandemic, acknowledging the team's exceptional commitment to advancing social change through public service and improving the quality of life in the community.
Mildred E. Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant, UC Natural Reserve System
Research grant for graduate students to establish independent research projects at UC Natural Reserves. Recipients gain experience submitting research proposals, writing progress reports, and managing grant budgets. Awardees present their findings at the Mathias Graduate Student Research Grant Symposium, held every three years.
1st Place, 2020 Genome Editing Symposium Lightning Talks, Texas A&M
Held virtually during the 2020 Coronavirus pandemic. Competitors explained their research in under 5 minutes using a maximum of 3 static PowerPoint slides. A committee of faculty judges scored the talks according to excellent oral competency and clear dissemination of knowledge, appropriate and innovative research methodology, and quality of content being cohesive, creative, relevant, and impactful.
NASA Ames Research Center Space Life Sciences Training Award
NASA Academy program: Selected to work closely with several renowned NASA scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research projects, attend technical lectures given by experts on a wide range of topics, and acquire the skills to conduct life science experiments in space.
President's Student Leadership and Service Award
In honor of outstanding undergraduate students for exceptional academic achievements, personal character, leadership qualities and contributions to the University of Minnesota.
2014 Tony Diggs Excellence Award
In recognition of an exceptional new student organization that has demonstrated significant success and development, particularly in their contributions to the University and meeting the mission and goals of their group within their first year.
The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Award (UROP)
Awarded by the University of Minnesota Office of Undergraduate Research
Gold Medal
Best Environment Project
Awarded by the International Genetically Engineered Machine Giant Jamboree of 2014
UMN BioTechnology Institute Undergraduate Fellowship: Independent Research
Fellowship awarded by the BioTechnology Institute to perform research of the student's design, administered with the Life Sciences Summer Undergraduate Research Program.
Michael Loveless Memorial Scholarship
In recognition of students who exemplify outstanding academic performance, community service, and student leadership on and off campus.
College of Biological Sciences Annual Scholarship
In recognition of outstanding academic achievements in the pursuit of a career in the biological sciences.
Bronze Medal
Awarded by the International Genetically Engineered Machine Competition of 2013
Howard Hughes Medical Institute Undergraduate Research Fellowship
Fellowship awarded by HHMI and the UMN College of Biological Sciences
Outstanding Achiever Award; Best Cumulative Score in Egypt Across 6 Subjects
Awarded by the University of Cambridge, UK
Excellence In Egypt Award
(2010, 2009)
Awarded by the University of Cambridge, UK
Goethe Institut "Schulen: Partner der Zukunft" Scholarship
The PASCH initiative ("Schools: Partners for the Future“) was founded in February 2008 by the German Federal Foreign Affairs Office. 60 students were selected based on German language proficiency scores from more than 2000 schools to pursue a course of study in Germany for 3 months. The goal of the program was to arouse and sustain young students' interest in and enthusiasm for modern-day Germany, German society and the German language, and develop their intercultural skills and experience Germany and its culture at first hand.
