University of Kentucky College of Engineering doctoral students Makram Bou Hatoum and Alyssa Donawa have been named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Emerging Scholars. The program provides professional development and networking opportunities for current doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers who are considering careers in higher education. 

Established this year by the SEC Provosts, the Emerging Scholars program encourages top scholars, with attention to those from historically underrepresented groups, to seek out employment and mentorship within SEC colleges and universities.

Bou Hatoum is a civil engineer from Beirut, Lebanon, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Department of Civil Engineering in the UK College of Engineering, with an emphasis on construction management. His current research focuses on leveraging the use of technology on construction projects to benefit project teams and innovate industry practices. Bou Hatoum has worked on projects sponsored by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, yielding several publications. In addition, he has assisted in teaching several construction courses and aims to transfer his research findings into innovative learning material that aligns with the future direction of the construction industry.  

Donawa, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Computer Science in the UK College of Engineering. She works in the Network Reconnaissance (NetRecon) Lab under the supervision of Corey E. Baker, Ph.D. Donawa’s research focuses on attracting and retaining users in medical mobile applications. She builds iOS applications that typically serve sparse and intermittently connected networks with low user densities. The applications will be used to gather results in a delay-tolerant opportunistic network, allowing patients and providers to communicate when internet is limited or nonexistent.  

University of Kentucky College of Engineering doctoral students Makram Bou Hatoum and Alyssa Donawa have been named Southeastern Conference (SEC) Emerging Scholars. The program provides professional development and networking opportunities for current doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers who are considering careers in higher education. 

Established this year by the SEC Provosts, the Emerging Scholars program encourages top scholars, with attention to those from historically underrepresented groups, to seek out employment and mentorship within SEC colleges and universities.

Bou Hatoum is a civil engineer from Beirut, Lebanon, currently pursuing a Ph.D. in the Department of Civil Engineering in the UK College of Engineering, with an emphasis on construction management. His current research focuses on leveraging the use of technology on construction projects to benefit project teams and innovate industry practices. Bou Hatoum has worked on projects sponsored by the National Cooperative Highway Research Program and the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet, yielding several publications. In addition, he has assisted in teaching several construction courses and aims to transfer his research findings into innovative learning material that aligns with the future direction of the construction industry.  

Donawa, is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Computer Science in the UK College of Engineering. She works in the Network Reconnaissance (NetRecon) Lab under the supervision of Corey E. Baker, Ph.D. Donawa’s research focuses on attracting and retaining users in medical mobile applications. She builds iOS applications that typically serve sparse and intermittently connected networks with low user densities. The applications will be used to gather results in a delay-tolerant opportunistic network, allowing patients and providers to communicate when internet is limited or nonexistent.