Rawaz A Ahmed

I received a scholarship from Kurdistan to pursue a Ph. D in heterogeneous catalysis on the dry reforming of methane at Teesside University, UK, which was followed by a 1 year Post-Doctoral Fellowship in the hydrothermal conversion of poultry litter for nutrient recovery also at Teesside University. I won first prize for her poster at the Royal Society of Chemistry Conference in March 2011, and this work resulted in a patent application (P136962GB). I then spent 5 years as a lecturer at Kurdistan Institute for Strategic Study and Scientific Research (KISSR). Since October 2021 I am a Daphne Jackson Fellow funded by both the Royal Society of Chemistry and the Society of Chemists in Industry (UK) hosted by Professor Katherine Huddersman at De Montfort University, Leicester, UK.

Here I am focussing on the application of a heterogeneous catalyst in the esterification/transesterification of FOGs from wastewater for the production of biodiesel. The project I am in charge of is heterogeneous catalysts applied for converting Fats, Oils, and Greases (FOGs) from wastewater treatment to biodiesel production. Final products are characterized using GC-FID, NMR, FTIR, AAS, SEM/EDX, and XRD techniques. I have an experience and skills in heterogeneous catalysis and chemical reaction application in different chemical processes. During this role, I am involved in teaching students and supervising MSc and BSc student projects. My DMU contract role has been extended to November 2023, to the paid to supervise MSc students under the partnership of Synothmer Industrial Partnership.

However, I joined the team at Nottingham Trent University to help the MSc students in the module ENGG40281: Sustainable Energy Technology and Innovation 2022-2023.

I am lecturing on RETScreen clean energy management software.

The outcome of my Fellowship project includes the publication of four peer review papers and presentation of the work at international and national catalysis, biofuel conferences. My network is growing thanks to Daphne Jackson trust, who have given me this opportunity to return to my academic career and become involved in presentations and conferences. For instance, I networked with a chemical industrial partner, Synthomer, and they offered me a three-month P/T contract to lead a project carried out by M.Sc students where the students studied esterification reactions conducted at relatively low temperatures to provide decarbonization in terms of energy use. However, I have been very active in presenting my work/ideas at national and international conferences and being involved in other scientific events /workshops, which have led me to expand my networks and find industrial partners. I am currently a member of the SCI Energy Committee, SCI chemical material committee group, energy institute, IChemE, SCI, and RSC, and International Society of Engineering Science and Technology (ISEST). I am involved in reviewing papers with several journals. This taught me how to cooperate with others and focus on looking for industrial partnerships to lead the grant fund. When I taught the MSc students' Sustainable and Innovation module at NTU in 2022, I obtained expertise with RETScreen sustainable energy management software.

In addition, I have been registered as a reviewer in ELSEVIER, and I have currently reviewed a couple of papers: the first one with the title “The Renewable Energy in Jordan: Investigating Challenges and Opportunities of Using Domestic Solar Energy Systems” in the Journal of World Development Sustainability. The second one with the titled “Stability Improvement of Biodiesel: Recent Progress and Challenges” in, the Journal Environmental Science and Pollution Research. This helped my critical thinking in a similar field. In addition, I reviewed for the following Journals: Case Studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Resources, Conservation and recycling, Gas Science and Engineering, and International Journal of Biological Macromolecules.

More than 12 pre-review journal papers and contributions to a number of conferences are the outcomes of research works.

I have been a reviewer for a number of Journals in Elsevier, and I have reviewed more than 20 articles/papers /book chapters.

I have received a certificate for the presenting a research work, and moderator role in conference biofuel 2023 and CPD -certificate -2023