IBDAA 2015 1

IBDAA 2015The International Biodiversity Day at AUBApril 30, 2015

Theme:

TECHNOLOGY AND ARTFor The Love of Nature

Organized by:American University of Beirut - Nature Conservation Center

In collaboration with:Munib and Angela Masri Institute of Energy and Natural Resources

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Index

Acknowledgements

IBDAA Organizing Committee

Award Categories

Preface

IBDAA Judging Committee

Participating courses

Participating professors

List of students participating outside the scope of a course

List of abstracts, grouped by courses

AGSC 292: Agribusiness Final Year Project AGRO-MULCHCreggiesFarmed’In TechnologiesQuinward FoodsZENNOrganic Basket: “From Farm to Plate”Money Cycle: Turn Trash into CashGrow-Op

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Min Day3itna COCORICO

CHEM 200/215: Basic Chemistry and Applications/ Analytical ChemistryHow to protect olive oil from fungus or bacteria in a chemical wayIs organic food really organic?Meat or Fetid: An Analysis of what Leads to Meat DecompositionOpen data When Nature SpeaksThe comeback of Lebanese train and tramway

CHEM 219: Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry forChemical EngineersVobotDetection of Ammonia in Lebanese BreadDetect, Reject, RecycleOlive Oil PuritySitTo Charger

The Flying ChargerEar clip sleep detectorFly HindererUV Light Towel Disinfectant in towel Roll DispensersArtEdetectorAudio ColorCooling and Lighting system for RefugeesVibTekSolar StoveSolar HeaterPedal-Powered electricity Generator

CIVE 501/502: Civil and Environmental Engineering - Final Year Project3D Concrete Printing: A Sustainability Study

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Assessing the Feasibility of Artificial Aquifer Recharge in a Pilot Study for the Hazmieh AreaGeothermal Pavements

EDUC 274: Science for Elementary Teachers IIIf You Litter, the future will be Bitter24/7Through the eyes of the Fraas’ LizardThe Bee that Saved the World Sailing to disasterGreen Spaces for a Greener Future - Biel Park Battery SaverOSB Goes Paperless

EECE 461: InstrumentationSmart Trash Unit (STU)

ENHL 242: Environmental Management Tools and ApplicationsEnvironmental Impact Assessment of the Planning and Re-organization of the eastern Wastani Zone in SaidaEnvironmental Impact Assessment of the East Marina Beach andYacht ClubEnvironmental Impact Assessment of a Municipal Solid WasteTreatment FacilityEnvironmental Impact Assessment of the Karantina Hospital ProjectEnvironmental Impact Assessment of a Medical Center

LDEM 248: Site Engineering II - Construction Material Charging WheelsE-CubeSolarWayURBAQUACoffee Greenery

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Contributing Students

List of donors

Notes

LEGROWGreen BoxCommunity BridgesA Compacted Escape

MECH 502: Final Year Project IIIntegrated Displacement centilation with M cycleIntegration of Seat-Mounted Suction Fan System to Enhance Personalized Ventilation

Students Participating Outside the Scope of a Course A Breath of Fresh AirImproving Fuel Efficiency with Optimum Driving Strategies

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Acknowledgements

The International Biodiversity Day at AUB, an AUB Nature Conservation Center initiative, has become a tradition throughout the years. We would first like to thank all the students and faculty members participating

Committee who volunteered in support of IBDAA 2015. The members also dedicated their valuable time to discussing all the involved projects, in order to select the winning teams. We would also like to mention our appreciation of the “Munib and Angela Masri Institute of Energy and Natural Resources” for their collaboration with the AUB-NCC in regards of their donations to IBDAA.

allowing us to expand IBDAA 2015, and embrace several more courses

Trust Bank Eco-Innovation Award by a monetary gift of $2,300 in addition to a second prize of $700. Furthermore, a great many thanks goes to our donors for their contribution and aid.

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Preface

In 1992, the largest-ever meeting of world leaders took place in Rio de

Development. A historic set of agreements was signed at the “Earth Summit”, including the Convention on Biological Diversity, which is the first global agreement on the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. Over 150 governments signed the document, and since then more than 175 countries have ratified the agreement. The Convention established three main goals in regard to nature conservation: the conservation of biological diversity, the sustainable use of its components, and the fair and equitable sharing of the benefits from the use of genetic resources.

The AUB Nature Conservation Center is an interfaculty center established in 2002, under the Office of the Provost. It is managed voluntarily by AUB faculty members, and provides an open platform for interdisciplinary academic activities. The Center’s mission is to promote conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity. This mission was generated for the sole purpose of enhancing the wellbeing of people and nature, by means of providing an open, innovative, and collaborative platform. This is achieved through research, education, community outreach, and knowledge dissemination.

The Convention on Biological Diversity

AUB-Nature Conservation Center

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The United Nations decreed May 22nd as the International Day for Biological Diversity (IBD) in order to increase the limited amount of understanding and awareness concerning biodiversity issues. Since 2007, the AUB Nature Conservation Center has been holding a yearly event entitled International Biodiversity Day at AUB (IBDAA) allowing students from all disciplines to partake in a full-fledged poster forum. The projects tackle biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization from various angles. They stimulate problem solving, critical thinking, and decision making processes. IBDAA creates an opportunity for students to present and share their work highlighting the innovative, creative, and leading role of the University community in addressing biodiversity conservation and sustainable utilization. On April 30th 2015, students display and explain their projects to peers, faculty, and visitors. The event constitutes an opportunity to raise awareness, promote biodiversity conservation, and advocate for the sustainable use of biological resources in Lebanon and in the region.

IBDAA, the International Biodiversity Day at AUB

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IBDAA Organizing Committee

Award Categories

Najat A.Saliba (NCC Director)Diane Audi (NCC Manager) Yara Beaini (NCC Volunteer)Tina El-Khoury (NCC Awards Coordinator)Serine Haidar Ahmad (NCC Volunteer)Sabine Khattar (NCC Art Director / Graphic Designer)Fadi Rayess (NCC Member)Sarah Shreim (Munib and Angela Masri Institute of Energy and Natural Resources Administrative Assistant)

Arts & HumanitiesBusiness PlanImproved Energy Efficiency & Renewable ResourcesProduct DevelopmentResearch

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Educational background: AUB Executive MBA and Advanced Management Program INSEAD. Rayess is a shareholder and board member of HST, one of the leading retail companies in the Levant, specializing in the distribution of international fashion apparel and footwear brands for the Levant region.Since 1994, he is the chairman and managing director of Global Finance & Trading; a company that develops and manages residential and commercial real estate projects in Beirut.Rayess has served as an Advisory Board member for the IBDAA and SAGE programs at the AUB-Nature Conservation Center since 2009.He is also co-founder of the Tamanna Foundation, which is dedicated to executing the wishes of children with critical illnesses.

Fadi Rayess

IBDAA Judging Committee

Judging Committee Moderator

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Co-founder and CEO of MMG Overseas Ltd, Maintenance Management Group (MMG), which is a regional facility management group present in 3 countries in the Middle East (Qatar, Lebanon and Syria) with more than 600 technical and administrative staff since 1999. Mr. Abillama is also a board member at Al Amir Holding, as part of a 3rd generation family business group. The group is involved in the automotive industry, elevator installation and maintenance, with several shareholding interests in banking and real estate projects.

Youssef Abillama

Judging Committee Members

Mahmoud Al-Hindi has over sixteen years of experience in the water and wastewater industry where he worked as a process engineer, project manager, technical and commercial director, executive director and general manager. Dr. Al-Hindi joined AUB’s faculty of engineering and architecture (FEA) in 2009 as an assistant professor in chemical engineering. His research interests include heat exchanger network synthesis, operation and optimization, process and energy integration, membrane and thermal desalination, water reuse and membrane bioreactors.

Mahmoud Al-Hindi

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In her various incarnations, she has worked as a film critic, a print journalist, and a documentary filmmaker, in the UK and the Middle East. Now, in her so-called retirement, she writes and edits. She authored

and she is the editor of a small gem “A Lost Summer, Postcards from Lebanon” about the 2006 war.”

Maureen Ali

Professor Neville Assad-Salha has worked and headed many art institutions and ceramic departments in various universities throughout Australia. He graduated from the South Australian School of Art, then went on to complete higher degrees at Monash University.During his career he has gone on to be recognized through various awards and been invited to judge and sit on many panels. His work has been widely published.Neville has exhibited widely both throughout Australia and internationally. He has travelled to many countries researching and producing ceramics. He is currently a professor at the American University of Beirut in the Fine Art and Art History Department.

Neville Assaad-Salha

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research and advocacy work focuses mostly on using evidence-based economics analysis to enhance the wellbeing of the most vulnerable groups in society. In 2014-2015 he served as the Lead Author of UNDP’s Arab Human Development Report 2015, a flagship publication authored by leading scholars working on the Arab countries. Dr. Chaaban holds a PhD in Economics from the Toulouse School of Economics (2004), a Master’s in Agricultural and Environmental Economics (2001) from the same university, an MBA from the European School of Management (2000), and a BA in Economics from AUB (1999).

Lina Choueiri currently teaches linguistics at the American University of Beirut, in Lebanon.She received her PhD from the University of Southern California in 2002. Her research interests center on the comparative study of Arabic dialects. She researches topics such as possession in noun phrases and in sentences, and their implications for the theory of grammar. She is interested in the documentations of all varieties of Arabic, including their grammatical innovations, as they come in contact with each other and with other languages and is currently involved in a project that studies the language of biodiversity in two rural villages in Lebanon.”

Jad Chaaban

Lina Choueiri

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Dr. Nabil Fahed is Vice Chairman and Treasurer of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Beirut and Mount Lebanon. He is also Chairman of the Board of GS1 Lebanon and Chairman of the Lebanese Internet Center. Additionally, Dr. Fahed is both the Chairman and CEO of Fahed Holding. He had previously held various positions. Some of which include: Investment Officer at the International Finance Corporation/ World Bank in Washington D.C, Managing Director of Middle East Capital Group, and Consultant for the IFC and the World Bank in Lebanon.He has been teaching Finance and Management courses at the Olayan School of Business and at George Washington University since 1992. He holds a Doctorate and Masters Degree in Engineering Management from George Washington University and a BE in Electrical Engineering from AUB.

Over 30 years of Experience in Banking. Mohammad has successfully delivered over 1,500 hours of training to professional bankers.He served as an Economist at ABL, and Senior Manager at BankMed and Fransabank: and he currently serves in the capacity of an Executive at

In addition, He worked as an Advisor to the Union of Arab Banks. Mohammad also served as Basel II Project Implementation Advisor to

Mohammad has been teaching Economics and Finance for over 25 continuous years at reputable universities in the USA (LSU) and Lebanon (LAU). Finally, Mohammad published over 25 articles, of those many are in

Nabil Fahed

Mohammad Fheili

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Dr. Mazen Al-Ghoul is professor of chemistry and Director of the graduate program in computational science. His research interests include theoretical and experimental aspects of non-equilibrium thermodynamics, pattern formation, solid-state chemistry and catalysis.

Mazen Ghoul

printing house.

joined the family business in 1990. The printing house consisted of 9 employees only. Today, 53Dots employs 170 staff.Over the working years, Wael proudly received several awards from the Ministry of Culture-Switzerland, Premier Print Award-USA; Dubai International Print Award-UAE, rewarded for the quality and performance of the printing house.The company is the preferred supplier for many institutions including:

The company is committed to enhance customer’s confidence in its food packaging through the development and implementation of the ISO 22000:2005 for Food Management System, requirements and practices, in addition to implementing premises for high standard in environmental friendly policies such as renewable energy and paper recycling.

Wael Jamaleddine

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Anwar completed his undergraduate education at AUB, and moved to the University of Westminster, London, UK, to earn his MBA there.With more than 30 years of experience in the banking and financial

headed the AML Compliance Committee, and was a Member of both the Credit and the Human Resources Committees while working in the capacity of Chief Banking Officer at CSC, in Lebanon.

a time, rising from Regional Foreign Exchange Manager to Deputy Regional Manager, Personnel & Purchasing Manager, Executive Director, Executive Deputy Chairman, and finally Chairman and General Manager.Finally, Anwar takes his Corporate Social Responsibility very seriously

Anwar A. Jammal

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Dr. Nadim Khouri has a PhD in Agronomy from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst (USA), an MSc from the Rural Economics Department of Wye (London), and both a BSc and MSc in Agronomy from the American University of Beirut (Lebanon). Dr. Khouri is the Deputy Executive Secretary at the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia (ESCWA). Prior to joining ESCWA, Dr. Khouri worked at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) from 2008 till 2011.For 20 years, Dr. Khouri worked at the World Bank in Washington DC from 1988 till 2008, and between 1979 and 1988 he worked as a Researcher at the American University of Beirut and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Nadim Khouri

Professor of landscape architecture, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. In research and professional practice, she adopts an ecological landscape planning approach that mediates community needs with ecosystem health, biodiversity protection and landscape heritage conservation. She serves as landscape planning consultant to projects that include postwar recovery in Iraq and Lebanon, urban greening and landscape master plan development for the cities of Damascus, Baghdad, Erbil and the historic towns of Najaf and Karbala. Among her publications is Ecological Landscape Design and Planning: the Mediterranean context, co-author Dr Gloria Pungetti (Spon, 1999) and co-edited The Right to Landscape, contesting landscape and human rights (Ashgate, 2012). She is honorary fellow at the Cambridge Centre for Landscape and People, United Kingdom.

Jala Makhzoumi

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Dr. Issam Srour is an assistant professor in Engineering Management at the American University of Beirut. His research focuses on the use of quantitative techniques and sustainability principles to solve real-world construction problems including information, labor, and material management. Dr. Srour is an active member of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the Lebanese Order of Engineers. Dr. Srour earned MS and PhD degrees in Civil Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin. He also holds a BE degree in Civil and Environmental Engineering from the American University of Beirut.

Issam Srour

A graduate in finance from George Washington University, Omar subsequently completed a two-year training program at the Philadelphia National Bank/Wharton Business School in the United States.He then worked as a fund manager at Foreign & Colonial Emerging Markets in London, where he structured and managed the first regional Middle East investment fund.In 1996 he founded Atlas Investment Group, one of the leading Investment banks in the Middle East and North Africa. In 2004 the Arab Bank acquired Atlas and established it as its investment banking arm (AB Invest). Omar became Arab Bank’s first Global Head of Investment Banking.Omar joined Edgo as a managing director in 2006. He is a board member of several local, regional and European public and private companies as well as financial institutions. He is a member of the Young Presidents’

the World Economic Forum.

Omar Masri

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“Albert Thoumy is a TV personality better known for his hit TV show MIN AL. During his career as a public figure, he has hosted several shows. AL conducted celebrity interviews during his coverage of international art festivals, and has produced social documentaries. As a producer, he has stood behind popular youth programs and such. His career behind-the-scenes is business-oriented: he is a communication & development consultant to local & regional brands. He is an active board-member in several companies and a passionate environmentalist who never misses an opportunity to promote sustainable development.Albert Thoumy holds an MA in Media Studies & Communication and is a Managing Partner at CAIMAN.”

Lina Tannir is currently Lecturer of Finance at the Olayan School of Business. She holds an MBA from the American University of Beirut, and is a CFA charterholder. She also is a managing partner in a local franchising company. She has publications in international academic journal, and has published case studies. In addition she has has extensive professional experience in both the public and the private sectors. She has worked as a financial consultant for the Lebanese Minister of Finance, the president of the Beiteddine International Festival. She has also worked with entrepreneurs on various initiatives such as MIT business plan competition, CITI women entrepreneurs program, The Darwazah Student Competition at OSB, etc. She serves on the board of various NGOs, and has recently chaired one of them, Assabil public libraries.

Albert Thoumy

Lina Tannir

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Milestone course for students in Agribusiness. Application of concepts, tools, and principles including management, finance, marketing, economic theory, and quantitative methods to applied agricultural decisions on selected agricultural and agribusiness projects that enhance team-building as well as written, and oral communication skills.

Introduces basic chemical principles and concepts and uses them to discuss selected contemporary applications and problems from the areas of materials, environmental, medicinal or biological chemistry. Introductory topics include the electronic structure of the atom, bonding and molecular geometry, stoichiometry, and reaction energies. Selection of modern applications in Chemistry.

An introduction to chemical measurements and modern instrumental methods of chemical analysis: sample preparation; error analysis; chemical separations; chromatographic; spectroscopic; electrochemical, and surface analysis techniques.

A course that covers fundamental analytical processes, including solution equilibria, titrations, electrochemical theory and applications, chromatography and spectrophotometric techniques.

AGSC 292: Agribusiness Final Year Project

CHEM 200: Basic Chemistry and Applications

CHEM 219: Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry for Chemical Engineers

CHEM 215: Analytical Chemistry

Participating Courses

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A chosen design topic and preparation of a detailed execution program for CIVE 502, through comprehensive research with the guidance and approval of the faculty.

A supervised project in groups of normally three students aimed at providing practical design experience in a civil and environmental engineering application.

A design course for complete instrumentation systems, including measurements, sensors, data acquisition, and component integration. Application areas and course projects include industrial control, laboratory measurements, automation systems, and the like. This course is completed with a set of laboratory experiments.

CIVE 501 Final Year Project

CIVE 502 Final Year Project II

EECE 461 Instrumentation

An in-depth study of science concepts and skills in pre-secondary science curricula.

EDUC 274: Science for Elementary Teachers II

A course that provides an overview of the general principles relating to environmental management tools and applications. Topics covered include environmental impact assessment, environmental auditing, and environmental regulations and standards. To provide students with practical experience, they are requested to conduct a community-based environmental health project. Emphasis is placed on investigating the problem and proposing management strategies.

ENHL 242: Environmental Management Tools and Applications

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This studio course serves as a capstone to Landscape Architectural Construction with emphasis on understanding and preparing complete sets of construction documents for landscape architecture projects. It includes methods and procedures necessary for transforming a design idea into a set of construction drawings that is accurate, precise, and clearly understood; and the principles, processes, and techniques of site engineering for the “hard” and “soft” elements of landscape architecture and surfaces, including wood construction, free-standing and retaining walls, pavement, steps, decks, lighting, and planting irrigation. Students will also implement their designs through hands on experience.

A course in which the student integrates his/her acquired knowledge to deliver the product researched and planned in MECH 501.

LDEM 248: Site Engineering II - Construction Material

MECH 502: Final Year Project II

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Kamel Abou Ghali

Ibrahim Alameddine

Makram Bou Nassar

Rachel Bahn

Ghassan Chehab

Imad El Hajj

Muatassem Fadel

Pierre Karam

Rola Khishfe

May Massoud

Wissam Melhem

Najat A. Saliba

Rayan Barhouche (Mechanical Engineering)Francois Fayad (Mechanical Engineering)

Nyambura Muriuki (Environmental Health)

Participating Professors

List of students participating outside the scope of a course

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List of Abstracts,Grouped by CoursesAGSC 292: Agribusiness Final Year Project

AGRO-MULCH

Ms. Rachel Bahn and Dr. Makram Bou NassarFAFS, Department of Agricultural Sciences, AgribusinessAmerican University of Beirut

Mariam Balhas, Leen El Ghali, and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Honoring the beauty of nature has never been so indulging. By introducing AGRO-MULCH, a mulch agribusiness plan, we aim to offer the ultimate in environmentally-friendly endeavors by producing and selling mulch throughout selected regions of Lebanon. Mulch is a byproduct of wood, produced by grinding recycled wooden pallets and coloring them using a non-toxic dye. This organic product, which is not unfamiliar to Lebanese agriculturalists, is used to aesthetically enhance gardens and landscapes, in addition to improving the condition of the soil by decomposing into organic matter, increasing water-holding capacity and infiltration of water, etc. The AGRO-MULCH business plan consists of gathering all kinds of otherwise discarded wood from different sources around the country. A transportation system will be designed to pick up these pallets and take them to the warehouse where the production will take place. The manufacture of the product, consisting of grinding, coloring and preparing the mulch, will be completed in a specified warehouse. AGRO-MULCH will then sell through wholesale and retail channels in selected regions of Lebanon, including Beirut, Mount Lebanon, Central Bekaa and South of Lebanon.

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AGRO-MULCH offers various benefits, including the reduction of wasted wood and the improvement of soil quality to promote the wellbeing of nature. To increase awareness of AGRO-MULCH’s products among our potential customers, we will market our product through different promotional channels such as online marketing, marketing via email, and direct marketing. Our company seeks to attract as many customers as possible by emphasizing the features and benefits of our product through promotional efforts and delivering the service in such a way as to exceed people’s expectations.

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Creggies

Hadi Hamasni, Rachid Chahine, and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Since the civil war ended in Lebanon, the population has grown from 2.5 million people to approximately 4 million, who are mostly millennials. One of the key characteristics of this generation is that it craves change. This tendency has played a role in the emergence of the snack industry catering to the new needs of this still young generation. Snack foods now exist to suit all different tastes, needs, and cultures, but a gap in the field persists. In this context, Choucri Hamasni SARL is proud to offer a new snack to its Lebanese market, called Creggies. Creggies – crispy veggies – are sliced vegetable chips (of different vegetable combinations) that will satisfy your snack cravings. Creggies is a unique product that combines the crunchiness of chips with the nutritional value of vegetables. It is low in carbohydrates and rich in nutrients which are naturally present in the vegetables, and hence healthier than any of its alternatives. Creggies is available in two handy snack-sized and re-sealable packages. Our packaging materials are recyclable and environmentally friendly, which reflects both the company values as well as the customer’s expectations. Our business plan builds on the existing foundation of Choucri Hamasni SARL, a family business established in 1880 and specialized in roasting nuts and coffee. By taking this approach, our product Creggies would be benefiting from the existing success of Choucri Hamasni, its access to a large factory and machines, and its relations with suppliers and buyers. Creggies will be sold in restaurants and supermarkets across Lebanon, as well as in Choucri Hamasni retail shops. By using our factory and its machines efficiently, and by providing our product in eco-friendly packaging, we would be offering our customers a delightful snack which both they and nature could enjoy.

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Farmed’In Technologies

Tarek Cattan, Nadine Taha, Nay Nseir, and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Farmed’In Technologies is a start-up business based in Beirut, Lebanon, with three agribusiness graduates at the base of its innovative concept. Our goal is to explore indoor agriculture and develop sustainable, self-maintained agricultural structures with up-to-date systems and sustainable architectural designs. Farmed’In Technologies will offer customers the convenience and freshness of hydroponic window gardens in their own homes. As Lebanese urbanization is constantly expanding, our agricultural lands and ecosystems are in critical condition, as less and less lands are available for agricultural use, mass production methods such as GMO’s which are still controversial are compromising the quality of the soil and consequently water cleanliness and climate consistency, in order to keep up with demand. As a start, Farmed’In Technologies will work on a vertical hydroponic kit for residential and - in the long run - commercial use. Our project best suits people who care about their health and the quality of food they consume, as they will know where their herbs and some of their fruits and vegetables come from (in their own home!). The kit components will be made of FDA-compliant materials, safe for contact with food. Moreover, the materials will be engineered to remain unaffected by prolonged exposure to UV radiation. Farmed’In Technologies offers installation of window gardens, a selection of beautiful garden designs, and at-home delivery of replacement plants to allow for changing weather and tastes. It will operate from offices in Beirut, reaching customers throughout the city and Mount Lebanon. Our kit-production facilities will be located in Aschrafiyeh, Beirut, with sources of plants located nearby. This environmentally-friendly concept raises food safety awareness and presents nutritional and educational benefits. Farmed’In Technologies’ objective is to empower citizens to responsively innovate an improved urban quality of life and more sustainable cities.

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Quinward Foods

Abdallah Bacha, Aya Jizi, Alice El-Habre, and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Quinward Foods aims to become the first initiative in Lebanon and the Middle East to locally produce high-quality quinoa seeds. Our first goal is to produce, harvest and process quinoa while maintaining a pesticide and herbicide-free environment to ensure sustainability of land and nature in general. To do so effectively, we plan to arrange contracts with farmers in the Bekaa region, an area with optimal atmosphere for quinoa production, and to train them in the proper techniques of planting of quinoa. We aim to process the yielded seeds, pack them and deliver them to supermarkets, grocery shops and restaurants around Lebanon. The name of the firm “Quinward Foods” emerged from merging the word “quinoa” and the suffix “-ward” that indicates a certain direction. Quinward Foods aims to employ this movement towards the production of quinoa in order to expand the Lebanese agricultural sector, as this grain is considered a super seed, being high in fibers and protein and low in carbohydrates, making it extremely nutritious. In addition, this would also encourage consumers to make healthier food choices. In fact, consumers, i.e. human beings, are often overlooked as a part of nature, which in reality is not limited to land, animals and plants alone, and hence caring for human health will impact the wellbeing of nature positively.

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ZENN

Joey El Mendelek, Dany Zarka, and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Our business project will introduce ZENN hard apple cider as a new product in the Lebanese market. Hard apple cider is an alcoholic beverage made from the unfiltered juice of apples. It is a popular drink in the United States and Europe, and forecasted sales and growth are expected to increase in the years to come. However, it is not locally produced in Lebanon, although one brand is imported from Belgium and available in Carrefour Hazmieh. In addition, there is a substantial market opportunity in Lebanon, taking into consideration its nightlife, which is considered one of the best in the world as every week end thousands of Lebanese people consume alcoholic beverages in pubs, nightclubs, and even restaurants. Secondly, our supplier of apples from the Bekaa Valley can harvest up to 80,000 tonnes of apples in a good season, which is more than sufficient to produce a year’s worth of apple cider. The name ZENN reflects the atmosphere in which we want people to consume our hard apple cider. ZENN means relaxation and meditation in

the moment. The main goal of this project is to introduce a new product in the alcoholic beverage market in Lebanon, and potentially make it the cornerstone of all alcoholic beverages in Lebanon. Our primary customer base will be people between the ages of 18-24, but we expect people of all ages to enjoy ZENN cider. If everything goes to plan, we expect to break even in approximately two years, and generate profits from then on. This project can financially help farmers in the Bekaa Valley by consuming the overwhelming surplus of apple production and increasing their revenue.

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Organic Basket: “From Farm to Plate”

Ghassan Rashid, Maher Najjar, and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Organic Basket is a non-profit and non-governmental organization that aims to improve farmers’ livelihoods in rural areas, preserve the environment, and protect human health by adopting organic agriculture as a key strategy. It will do this by delivering a weekly basket full of fresh organic fruits and vegetables purchased from local certified organic farms around Lebanon. By choosing to participate in this program, customers will not only be taking care of their health but also promoting environmentally friendly agriculture practices in Lebanon. Organic Basket will have a shop in Hamra and will offer many organic products besides fruits and vegetables. In order to make the Organic Basket an effective program and maximize the social and environmental impact of the project, there will need to be an extensive marketing campaign. Our plan is a low cost all-round marketing strategy that includes a social media campaign, creation of a website, and making our presence known in the community through brochures and pamphlets and by attending weekly food festivals. The team at Organic Basket will be composed of two full time agricultural engineers, a full time driver. The customer can order online or by phone at least 24 hours before the delivery date. The basket is completely customizable and comes in multiple sizes (small, medium, and large) including a small basket specialized for babies and pregnant women. We will finance the marketing plan through a Kafalat bank loan. The loan will also help maintain liquidity. This project should cover startup costs between 9 and 15 months. Any additional income will be re-invested in the community by sponsoring events that promote a healthy living, environmental sustainability, or the welfare of farmers.

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Money Cycle: Turn Trash into Cash

Abbas Tarabay, Nader-Alan Sabbah and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Our company will be working toward three correlated goals, being to ensure the financial wellbeing of our company, provide customers with top quality recycled products so that they may benefit from otherwise wasted garbage and be encouraged to recycle, and provide municipalities with an eco-friendly and economically supportive alternative for the disposal of their waste. Environmentally friendly, eco-friendly, nature-friendly, and green are all titles given to actions someone takes to reduce or even undo harm done to the environment or ecosystem. Nowadays, this is employed as a marketing strategy that many companies use to promote the retailing of their goods and services. One major problem Lebanese citizens are facing today, especially in rural areas, is the disposal of garbage. Pur vision is to start a company that will take advantage of this situation by recycling and reusing the garbage for a better cause. In fact, a new machine which transforms garbage into a construction material or compost/fertilizers has been developed. We plan to buy this machine from Mr. Ziad AbiChaker, an agriculture engineer who has manufactured his own machine. Our plan is to get into contact with the municipalities in various areas in Lebanon and establish an agreement that will enable us to collect the garbage they accumulate. The garbage we collect will first be separated into categories. One category contains the wastes that can be resold directly into the raw material market (such as glass and metal). The other category contains the wastes that can be transformed to create our products. We will be providing three types of products, each with its own targeted market. We will be selling glass and metals directly as they are. The products we will be producing from the incoming garbage are fertilizer and construction material. The three main markets we will then be targeting are the raw material, construction and design, and

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agriculture markets. Our aim is to help the whole Lebanese community by getting rid of their wastes efficiently and effectively. In addition, we will be helping our targeted customers by providing them with a newly innovated, high-quality product that they can substitute with their original inputs. If the business plan goes as expected, Mr. Carlos Eddé will be financing our project. He will invest in our company by proving us with the machine and with land near the villages that we will be hoping to collect the garbage from. We conducted three methods to examine the financials of the company; an optimistic, a moderate and a conservative approach. In the optimistic approach break-even sales should amount to $791,924 and will be reached in 2.548 years. In the moderate approach break-even sales will equal $928,968 and will be reached in 3.319 years. In the conservative approach break-even sales will be $1,079,366 and will be reached in 4.557 years.

IBDAA 2015 33

Grow-Op

Omar Baassiri and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Grow-Op is an entrepreneurial agribusiness which divides itself between pre-harvest and post-harvest operations. This business aims to produce and market table-grapes, both in the domestic and international markets. We are here to grow for your fancy and grow by your taste. Here at Baassiri Grow-Op, we strive to deliver top-quality, highly diversified, and nutritious table grapes to all residents of the Middle East. As a new company, we are seeking to satisfy at most 0.5% of the Lebanese market within the next 4-5 years; to a producer, this means capping production at 550 tons after the agribusiness is fully set up and can make reliable estimates regarding the quantity of production to be effectively yielded. In all mannerisms of business, the most important aspect is customer satisfaction. The sometimes extreme fluctuation of table-grape prices reflects the abundance of choices consumers have in buying their grapes. We are here to show first the Lebanese people why our Muscadine grapes are a finer choice of table grapes. We are also here to replace international competition with local competition which is just as competitive.

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Min Day3itna

Hassib Safieddine, Jami Bitar, and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

Unfortunately, many of our beloved Lebanese citizens lack the exposure to genuine Lebanese moune products. As compensation, citizens living in coastal cities tend to buy industrially manufactured moune products as means to quench their need to consume homemade ones. On the other end of the story, small producers living in rural areas who have extensive experience in producing genuine, high quality moune products are finding a hard time selling the products they know best. As means to abolish the gap that exists between the small producers/farmers situated in the rural areas and the Lebanese city dweller, we have established Min Day3itna. Min Day3itna is a business that operates by buying moune products from the different small producers situated in rural areas, packaging them and selling them in major hypermarkets strictly along the coastline. The reason Min Day3itna only serves citizens situated along the coastline is because people outside this area of concern have access to high quality moune products, either from their relatives or close friends who happen to produce such products on a seasonal basis.

IBDAA 2015 35

COCORICO

Jimmy Iskandar, Malek Raad, and R. Bahn, M. Bou Nassar

The project consists of building a chicken farm named COCORICO in the district of Koura. In fact, the Koura region is a perfect medium for such projects. However, with the rising cost of fresh chicken in that market and the high cost of transport, it has become more feasible to establish a local chicken farm to supply North-Lebanon and its vicinities. The chicken farm is assumed to have a total area of 104,000 meters squared with a farm of 10000 meters squared including the slaughterhouse. The initial investment for the project is estimated at $2,156,000 that includes 3 different housing buildings, $1,150,000 in construction including the automated machines and feeders, $75,000 in heaters, $11,000 in automatic drinkers. A $700,000 fully automated slaughterhouse including refrigerated rooms. Other costs are on the electricity engine and 4 refrigerated pickups. The farm has a capacity for 45,000 chickens, which are purchased 1-day old and are distributed between broilers, layers and breeders. The business is selling chicken meat cuts, and egg boxes. The projections are taken over a period of 4years. The Chicken farm is expected to provide a net profit of $ 521,501 in year 1 reaching up to $1,186,687 by year 4, where the company will break even in 2 years. COCORICO’s goal is to achieve a brand name in the market by its all natural products with the best client services and food safety standards.

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CHEM 200/215: Basic Chemistry and Applications/ Analytical Chemistry

Is organic food really organic?

How to protect olive oil from fungus or bacteria in a chemical way

Dr. Pierre KaramDepartment of Chemistry, FASAmerican University of Beirut

Sara Hatoum, Yara Zoghaib, Marilyne Papazian, Elsa Hallab, and P. Karam

Hussein Yassine, Ahmad Shahrour, Sarah Yassine, and P. Karam

We are going to test the presence of nitrogen in this food since the presence of isotopes of nitrogen in food indicates that it is an organic one. Also, we will be discussing the presence of synthetic pesticide residues in organic food to check if they contain any inorganic compound. Moreover, we will be discussing how an inorganic and organic substance of the same species differs under certain conditions.

Our project is to find where we should store olive oil so we can maintain the quality of the oil. In our project, we will conduct different experiments and tests after formulating some hypothesis that could help us. Specifically, we are studying the effects of temperature, light, oxygen, and storage in plastics on the quality of oil.

IBDAA 2015 37

Meat or Fetid: An Analysis of What Leads to Meat Decomposition

Rida Farhat, Sama Hajj Deeb, Louay Ali Hassan, and P. Karam

We all know that once an animal is killed, the cells in its meat start to break down and cannot be replaced by new cells. Oxygen is a major component that ruins food since it affects a deteriorative effect on fats, vitamins, flavors…Molds that grow on meat are usually a result of high humidity causing bacterial spoilage by Gram negative aerobes such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, and Maroxella. These 3 are exclusive spoilage agents. It is usually spoiled when surface loads exceed 107.Odors are a result of the release of short chain fatty acids and the production of volatile compounds like acetoin, diacetyl and H2S.Finally our purpose is to check for the presence of these specific bacteria trying several techniques one of them might be the Electrophoreses in such way that we can detect their presence with the belp of the DNA strands.

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Open Data

When Nature Speaks

Bassel Eldin Makki, Yasser Makki, Maya Baajour, Noor Briteh, and P. Karam

Ezzat Al Barazi, Hassan Baalbaki, Mustafa Saad, Sabrine Ghadieh, and P. Karam

Nowadays, the problems of insufficient national Data and data limitation are getting serious creating a blockade to the nation’s progress and development. Such obstructions can lead to goalless researches and outdated articles. Our idea is to create a holistic website concerned with cumulated data taken from Governmental associations (e.g. Ministries), NGOs, UN, Colleges, Schools, Researchers, and Surveys. This website can be eco friendly contributing to environmental solutions when companies or governments acknowledge certain factors connected to our nature. Adding that, the website can result in financial gain through universities and schools’ subscriptions as well as data access fees.

Our play’s title is “When Nature speaks”. We are going to present the nature by personifying it within Sabrine who will be shown to the audience as harmed whenever the citizens, Ezzat, Hassan, and Mustafa, will hurt it. They are going to present different categories from society as a scientist, a farmer, and an engineer. They will not get aware of the nature’s damage until the end of the play when something will happen that will make them realize that they are doing a bad thing. We are willing to show to the audience that nature is harmed by people from different statuses especially the educated ones who should be a good reflection of society and present a beautiful picture but unfortunately they are not. Plus, we will work on our outfits and the music that will show every needed sound to our play.

IBDAA 2015 39

The comeback of Lebanese train and tramway

Emelda Abbo, Suzanne Hejjaoui, Farah Nassereddine, Lea Bou Fadel and P. Karam

In Lebanon, pollution is a key issue that concerns every resident in the country, and its main contributor was recognized as that emitted by the numerous means of transportation. As the world’s population is exponentially growing, the demand for modes of transport is increasing as well. In Lebanon, the issue is magnified since the use of public, as compared to private transportation, is still minimal. As a matter of fact, “100,000 additional new and used cars [are] being sold in the country every year”(AUB air pollution study). Pollution isn’t the only drawback of private transportation. Accidents, traffic, stress and many other problems arise too. One solution to reduce these negative consequences is to bring back the tramway in Beirut, the latter being known as the polluted pole of the country, as well as the train on the Lebanese coasts. A tramway or a train will not have the common problems of public transportation, such as unscheduled and long unanticipated stops that result in undesired delays. By covering the main roads of Beirut and the road extending from the north to the south, the insane traffic that invades the city during rush hour would be decreased instantly. Once traffic decreases, the stress caused from driving and the risks of accidents would drop as well.Moreover, as multiple citizens would travel together, the emission of polluting gases would be divided per individual.The drawbacks are not numerous, yet they are very important to be taken into consideration. For instance, although it is costly to install a train and a tramway, these new public ways of transportation would generate revenue to the government in the long run. As households would not be using transportation for free, their contributions would help decrease their economy’s deficits.Furthermore, if Lebanese from the south and the north ought to use

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the train, they would have to park their vehicles in an area facing the train station. Hence, the government should provide parking spaces for which they could charge the citizens on monthly or daily basis, thus generating additional revenue.In the context of the preservation of the planet, as roads are cleared, more space would be available in the city. This space could be converted to green environmental-friendly areas.In a nutshell, eliminating the use of a large number of private cars by replacing them with the use of tramways and trains results in many positive effects. This revolutionary change would require effort and time, but the consequential decrease in pollution, stress and accidents, along with the increase in the governmental revenue in the long run would be an incredible payoff.

IBDAA 2015 41

Vobot

Lama Miri, Amani Koubar, Vana Kassardjian, and N. A. Saliba

Dust allergies are very common – they make it difficult to breathe and may trigger asthma symptoms, such as wheezing, coughing, tightness in the chest and shortness of breath. Dust allergies start “at home” where nearly 90% of the dust comes from people and fabric, whether it be flakes of skin or barely visible fiber. These particles are immobile as long as they’re not exposed to any air movement however, they constantly rise and settle as people move around or doors are swung open and shut. The best way to prevent dust allergies is to ensure a constantly clean home environment. Even though it is nearly impossible to completely eliminate dust from a household, it can be greatly limited by using a robotic vacuum cleaner which will automatically carry along its task for as long as needed. The Vobot 1.0 is a perfect fit to our fast-paced lifestyle. Not only does it require minimal maintenance, but it also takes care of house chores with no supervision. Indeed, its built-in sensors enable it from not falling off a table side for instance. Discrete, it silently completes its task without disturbing the household and saving its owner time and effort. Our long-term goal is to build a much more advanced robot which would be able to map the area it’s cleaning. For a higher efficiency, it should also be able to detect the amount of dust present and hence, allocate a sufficient amount of time for that area to be completely cleaned of its dust. Furthermore, we would like to add to it a UV sterilization feature to ensure an even cleaner and safer environment.

CHEM 219: Analytical and Instrumental Chemistry for Chemical Engineers

Dr. Najat A. SalibaDepartment of Chemistry, FASAmerican University of Beirut

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Detection of Ammonia in Lebanese Bread

Rasha Atwi, Alaa Bahsoun, Hussein Kassem, Nourhan Mheidly, and N. A. Saliba

Ammonium Sulfate [(NH_4 )_2 SO_4 ] is an inorganic salt used in the food industry. In the baking of bread, it provides the yeast with extra Nitrogen for nourishment and promotes product consistency, volume, crumb quality and shelf life. It also provides a browning of the bread’s color and a salty taste. According to the FDA, the maximum level of Ammonia allowed is 0.15 percent of the total bread weight. This regulation was passed due to the fact that Ammonia might have dangerous effects on our health. Low consumption might not cause any harm, but an extensive amount or a small amount on a regular basis for a long period of time might cause serious damage. One of the effects of Ammonia consumption is digestive problems and gastrointestinal irritation. The aim of our spectrophotometer is to detect the presence of Ammonia in bread, measure its amount, and therefore evaluate the safety of our bread. We are envisioning a simple, portable and cheap tool that has an impact on our health. We intend to measure the absorption of light by Ammonia using a spectrophotometer. The project will be a black box containing the sample and a photo-detector. The samples to be tested include two types of bread: brown and white, in addition to a reference Ammonia sample. The absorption of light will occur in the visible region at a wavelength in the range of 655 nm. A high absorbance of light at the specified wavelength signifies a high value of Ammonia and vice versa. Since we cannot at present know which bakeries use Ammonia and which do not, its use is ambiguous. Hence, this detector can be employed by the Ministry of Health as well as households that wish to confirm that the bread on the market is safe to eat.

IBDAA 2015 43

Detect, Reject , Recycle

Dana Malaeb, Mohammed Hamdan, Layal Jbara, and Dr. N. A.Saliba

Recycling is a desperate need in Lebanon. Recycling bins provide simple, yet effective methods of separating materials and facilitating future recycling processes. Nevertheless, people disregard the importance of such practices, discarding objects randomly. To avoid this indifference, we aim to modify recycling bins with our Detect, Reject, Recycle device. It will detect metallic objects thrown in plastic or paper recycling bins and eject them, so that they are disposed of properly. The Detect, Reject, Recycle device will mainly detect cans, which are almost entirely made of aluminium. The device will be installed inside a recycle bin and work as a metal detector by transmitting an electromagnetic field from a coil onto the thrown object, which will be held temporarily on a plate. Any metal object within the electromagnetic field will become energized and will consequently retransmit an electromagnetic field of its own, creating a small electric current. This current will eventually be analyzed by a sensor, which will eject the object and generate a display/noise to alarm the person that a metal object has been thrown in the wrong bin. Consequently, the person will discard the metal object in a metal recycling bin. In case the thrown object is non-metallic, it will not generate an electromagnetic field and will be discarded into the recycle bin. Besides the hardware implementation, a programming code will be needed for the display and the mechanical output.To sum up, the aim of our project is to spread awareness among Lebanese citizens, mostly youngsters and teens, to be environmentally active by making recycling a morally responsible decision when discarding garbage. This device will ensure people are doing their part to keep the environment clean. By monitoring the proper use of recycling bins, our project will play a role in reducing pollution and minimizing the load on Lebanon’s landfills.

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Olive Oil Purity

Omar Daouk, Ali Shouman, Fatima Moussaoui, Mohamad Abu daher, and N. A. Saliba

With the variety of contaminants that can be added to olive oil and the risk of oxidation that can occur, buyers and distributors of this oil need a test to check the purity of the oil, hence the basis of the idea of our project: a spectroscopy-based test for the amount of pure olive oil in the given sample. The type of fat consumed affects every aspect of health (mood, mental clarity, circadian rhythms, fluidity or stiffness of joints, cells’ ability to resist cancer, cardiovascular health…) and contaminated olive oil can have adverse effects on the body such as increase in systemic inflammation, immunosuppression, promotion of free radical damage, etc Pure olive oil is known to have a maximum absorption in the visible range between 390 and 410. Due to our limited budget, we are using only one visible light source, being a laser of wavelength 405nm and requiring a 4.5 voltage source to work. It is directed towards a tube that holds the sample (Sample Holder). The sample will absorb the light and then emit a visible light. In front of the sample holder, there is an LDR resistor connected to the 4.5 voltage source. This LDR will have different values of resistance depending on the intensity of light emitted. We test this resistance three times for a pure olive oil (100% purity) and we record the value. Then we do the same for a mixture of pure and non-pure and finally for a non-pure sample (0% purity). After recording the values, we draw a calibration curve to determine the percentage errors and the confidence interval of the measurements. The process will take place inside a black closed box where no light can enter from outside in order to ensure that the emitted light is due only to the absorbance at the wavelength 405 nm. This can be applied locally as quality assurance for olive oil distributers and buyers.

IBDAA 2015 45

SitTo Charger

Hassan Awada, Razan Badran, Mohammad Lameh, Ola Srour, and N. A. Saliba

Producing energy from green sources has been the aim of many scientific researches over the years. We have seen many systems that make use of natural phenomena to create eco-friendly energy sources as alternatives to the ones that harm the environment, the most successful of which have been wind mills, tidal systems, geothermal systems, among others. In our project, we are trying to generate electricity from the human body, through harvesting the heat dissipated during microcellular activities based on the temperature difference between the body and the ambient environment. The harvested clean energy can then be used to charge a cell phone or an electronic device. In order for that to happen, a peltier cooler is installed into a chair; this device can produce electricity depending on the difference in temperature across its sides. When connected to a suitable circuit, the electricity produced by this thermoelectric generator can be used to charge a phone for instance. The environmentally and financially-friendly product is designed for domestic and corporate usage and can hence be implemented in homes, classes, offices, and stadiums or any other place where people sit for considerable periods of time.

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Photosensitive Protective Jacket

Eddy Ammar, Ramzi Harb, Elie Berbari, And N. A. Saliba

Companies have created inflatable helmets, jackets, and neck protectors to prevent severe injuries from accidents while engaging in activities such as bike riding or running. They work based on shock sensors that trigger gas release on impact. We would like to improve this inflatable set of protective gear by using light detection in order to activate airbag system before the user makes collision. In fact, falls account for 25% of all hospital admissions, and almost 40% of all nursing home admissions. This is why it is our aim to come

physical damage, and hopefully reduce those numbers.

transmitter and receiver. The airbag system embedded in the jacket gets activated as soon as the user’s body is close to the ground. The transmitter sends out continuous IR signals at a steady state. Consequently, as soon as the user’s torso is facing the ground and the user is about to fall, the signal will be reflected off the ground and will travel back to the receptor. This receptor, which accepts only a certain frequency of IR, will open the electrical valve that allows the compressed gas to escape and fill out the airbag before contact with the ground.

Materials:1- IR transmitter2- IR receptor3- Voltage source4- Electric wires5- Electrical valve

6- Compressed gas containers7- Inflatable nylon jacket (MEA life jackets)8- Microcontroller

IBDAA 2015 47

The Flying Charger

Gabi Altabash, Vincent El Ghoubaira, Rachid Klaimi, Emile Atallah, and N. A. Saliba

Nowadays, smart phones are widely used and can be found everywhere. However, their battery life is limited and often tends to run out at inconvenient times. People who travel frequently experience this more commonly as they sometimes spend a long time walking around the airport, especially in larger complexes like the ones in Dubai. Such individuals do not need to waste time in the airport in order to charge their phones as a device has been designed in order to tackle this problem. This device is composed of a wheel which will contact the ground and convert its mechanical energy into electrical energy through a dynamo. This electricity will then be stored in a rechargeable battery. After charging the battery, the battery pack could be taken out and used to charge the phone whenever it needs that. A phone can be placed in small hole at the top of the back and thus be connected to the rechargeable battery. However, having this setup fixed on the bag is not a convenient method especially if there is a malfunction, in which case the person would need to change their bag when a failure occurs to the setup in the bag. Therefore, unlike all other charging devices, a newly designed device can be placed and removed on any bag at any time with a portable rechargeable battery. Special wiring is connected to the setup and to the rechargeable battery placed at the top of the bag. High quality sticks should be used to ensure that the setup is well connected to the bag. Also, these sticks are made so that the setup can be easily removed when charging is not needed. This project will enable travelers to have an eco-friendly rechargeable source for their devices without fear of their battery dying at the airport.

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Ear clip sleep detector

Dina Chemaaya, Lea Dechadarevian, Michele Fadous, Wissam Husseiki and N. A. Saliba.

Drowsiness is one of the major causes for car accidents. Hence, a field of research has already been launched for sleep detector development. In certain vehicles, an image-processing computer equipped with an infrared camera is used to evaluate the duration and frequency of the driver’s blinking. If a micro-sleep cycle is detected, a sound is produced to wake the driver up.But what about everyday situations, that do not involve using a car? Haven’t you ever worried about falling asleep during an important meeting or a key lecture? Inspired by these worries, we aim to create a sensor that accompanies the user on a daily basis and at all times. We have developed a user-friendly, wearable sleep detector in the form of an ear clip. This ear-piece will contain a sensor that monitors the wearer’s heartbeat and sets off a buzzer if the beat detected corresponds to the user’s sleeping heart rate. The sensor has a built in Arduino code, programmed to measure the user’s heart-beat. The idea behind this sensor comes from the need for such a device. In addition, it was very important for us to create the least complex set up possible: a clip on a ear piece. These two factors make the apparatus’s success on the market more of a certainty than a conjecture.

IBDAA 2015 49

Fly Hinderer

Maher Makarem, Karim Maksad, Mohamad Najem, Hady Saleh, and N. A. Saliba

Trash bins and allocated garbage disposal sites in Lebanon, especially in the overpopulated city of Beirut, pose a soon-to-be significant and considerable biological hazard. Not only is the trash a host to bacteria and protozoa, but it also provides a haven for flies that inhabit the vicinity, reproduce rapidly, and carry harmful microorganisms, subsequently spreading them and posing a threat to the surrounding ecosystem. A method to limit the outbreak of such flies would hence prove useful in this context. Methods currently employed to reduce fly populations, mainly in households and public areas, involve either mechanical methods such as glue sticks and fly swatters, or chemical methods like pesticides. Available spectroscopic techniques rely mainly on lights to attract flies and electrocute them. However, such techniques target a relatively minute number of flies, rather than the source. Since flies breed in organic matter and garbage, exposing them continuously or even intermittently to lethal wavelengths can relieve us from their burdens. Previous experimental applications of lights of different wavelengths directed at colonies of fly species show that short wavelengths with corresponding high intensities, or number of photons, help reduce the copulation and other activity of the flies. This is because the high-energy light is absorbed by the flies. A simple monochromator that allows selection of the desired wavelength and functions at the required intensity may be employed to project the light onto the source. The latter device will take as input a visible spectrum and, through a grating and a couple of mirrors, direct the output light to areas and materials vulnerable to fly infestations, most notably organic matter.

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UV Light Towel Disinfectant in Towel Roll Dispensers

Lea Farah, Nadim Frenn, Reina Kassem Youssef, Maria Khouri, and N. A. Saliba

The purpose of our project is to replace the paper towel dispensers used in public restrooms with environmentally friendly cloth towel roll dispensers. The main advantage of using a cloth towel is that it is less wasteful in addition to being more absorbent and hygienic than paper tissues. Meanhwile, what is currently available in public bathrooms varies between cotton towels that remove 68% of bacteria, paper towels that remove 55% of it or hot air dryers that remove only 9%.Since cleanliness and hygiene are crucial to the success of this technology, UV light is used as a disinfectant for the towel roll dispenser. This technique provides a quick and economical method for people to dry their hands. UV light has been used in a variety of applications to kill microorganisms and bacteria such as in medical sanitation and for water purification in filtration systems. In fact, 99.9% of bacteria can be removed with UV. In our project, we plan to use the same technology by installing a source of short wavelength UV light inside a closed plastic box which contains the unsanitized portion of the towel. The clean part extends outside of the closed compartment in order to be safely used by a person without risking exposure to the harmful UV light. As for the expected results, the lamp should eradicate most of the germs and bacteria residing in the towel. However, since the lamp is not powerful enough to ensure instantaneous disinfection, the cleaning process will take around 10 minutes for completion. Finally, our ultimate goal is to develop a new hygienic hand drying technique that is both environmentally friendly and practical enough to be implemented in public places such as restaurants and malls as well as in homes.

IBDAA 2015 51

ArtEdetector

Pierre Mecattaf, Nassim Mohtar, Cyril Nasr, Jana Trad, and N. A. Saliba

In order to exterminate rodents, snakes, insects as well as wild dogs, municipalities and citizens in Lebanon are using a variety of poisons like Lanette and tar (Qetran) as a killing tool by mixing them with food. Owing to the lack of awareness and the risk of using such hazardous poisons, many pets, especially dogs and cats, are accidentally dying after consuming these toxins. In contemplation of resolving such a nightmare for pet owners, one may attach a detector of naphthalene, which is a primary volatile component of these venoms, to the circuit of an electrical collar. When the sensor detects naphthalene, an electric discharge is sent to the collar; hence, the pet will repel away from the poison. As a result, ArtEdetector will definitely help in decreasing the chance of such fatal accidents. An infrared sensor can reliably detect naphthalene gas. The essential components of an IR system are a source of IR radiation, an IR radiation detector and a path to the gas to be detected located between the detector and the source. When naphthalene gas absorbs energy from the source, the detector receives less radiation than it normally would. This reduction in radiation shows and assures the presence of naphthalene in the ambient atmosphere.Our long-term goal is mainly making ArtEdetector an affordable collar found in every pet store in Lebanon and worldwide. The collar consists of an embedded detector and a GPS tracker connected to a phone that will locate and help trace back the location of the poison.

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Audio Color

Pamela Assaf, G|ina Hneine, Alaa Saade, Mohamad Chaker El Samad and N. A. Saliba

Color vision deficiency or colorblindness is an inherited disease that causes failure of detection of some colors by an individual. 5% to 8% of the men and 0.5% of the women of the world are born colorblind. Most colorblind individuals are able to see things as clearly as other people but they are unable to fully see red, green or blue light. There are different types of color blindness and there are extremely rare cases where people are unable to see any color at all (their world is full of only white and black images!). Don’t you think it is only fair to try to help them discover the beautiful world that they have been missing out on?AudioColor is an instrument that specifically targets the colorblind. It detects the frequency of the color in front of it, interprets it and finally translates it into an audible sound. This will allow any individual with colorblindness to “listen” to the colors he/she is not able to see. The experimental setup of this instrument is a color sensor which will read the frequencies of the sample and a microphone which will be linked to a LabView code where the translation from color frequencies to audible frequencies will take place. To be more specific, the color sensor, after detecting the color of the object observed, will register its frequency. This frequency will then be sent to LabView. The designed code will assign a specific note to the frequency received. The colorblind individual, or anyone else, can then hear this sound through headphones.

IBDAA 2015 53

Cooling and Lighting System for Refugees

Maya Helou, Ryan Mouawad, Lana Tounsi, Michael Serhan, and N. A. Saliba

In Lebanon, 97% of the primary energy resources, mainly petroleum, are imported. In fact, in order to fulfill its need in 2008, 92 thousand barrels were required. In this context, rural areas in Lebanon where most refugee tents are located are facing a critical energy problem due to the unavailability of power generation units and grid power supplies. On the other hand, these refugee areas exhibit around 300 sunny days per year with considerable irradiation intensities and hot summer days. Such climatic conditions provide considerable leeway to switch towards solar energy that can be used to cool these tents during the hot days and provide lighting during the night.The project aims at providing the electrical needs for a sample tent in a refugee camp using a solar renewable energy system. The basic components for the renewable energy system are a photovoltaic (PV) array, storage batteries, a system controller (energy management system), and dump loads, along with the fan and light source. The proposed project will attempt to supply the electrical power for running a cooling fan and charging a standby battery during the day as well as providing lighting during the night. In order to do so, the dump load will consist of a cooling fan powered by the PV cell during the day. Meanwhile, it will consist of a limited number of saving lamps powered by the battery during the night. Furthermore, to ensure an efficient use of power, the energy management system (EMS) will control the amount of energy delivered to the fan and the battery. Security-wise, the project will take into account all the necessary safety measures as small kids and inexperienced individuals are present in these tents.

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VibTek

Hind Arab, Yasmine Baghdadi, Mohammad Koteish, Chaza Rammal, and N. A. Saliba

In a world where conventional energy sources dictate our every move, it is necessary to design devices that reduce pollution and promote a healthier environment. VibTek is a mechanically-designed staircase that converts the wasted kinetic energy of footsteps into usable electric energy. It can be integrated in various locations such as playgrounds, mall entrances or other crowded public areas. Specifically, VibTek will be implemented for AUB’s graduation ceremony to generate electricity sufficient to power cooling fans or lighting on the stage. The interior of each step consists of a dynamo, rotar, spring, rack and pinion system, and a series of gears. The continuous stamping of feet exerts a force on an upper board. This force descends to the rack placed on the spring. As a result, the rack systematically rotates the series of gears that provoke the dynamo to produce an electric current. The generated electric energy can be either used directly to operate a device or can be stored in a lithium battery for later use. Moreover, a single tread can generate an average of 10 volts. The amount of power generated can be further augmented by increasing the intensity of vibration, the size or quantity of gears. Replacing regular staircases by VibTek can be considered a revolutionary ecofriendly move towards a more sustainable environment with lower carbon emission.

IBDAA 2015 55

Solar Stove

Sahar Ataya, Rasha Kassem, Noor Al- Sadiq, and N. A. Saliba

Nowadays, with the growing demands on the energy and increasing environmental concern, finding alternatives to the use of nonrenewable and polluting fossil fuels has become extremely crucial. One such alternative is solar energy. Solar energy is unique, clean and infinite source of free power. Because of its efficiency, availability and its environmental friendly, we decided to build an instrument powered by solar energy.The aim of our project is to build solar stove, its importance lies in the fact that it is nature friendly, it relies on renewable emission free source of energy; in addition it can be suitable to be used by homeless and poor refugees and by scouts. Our solar stove would be portable, reliable, relatively cheap and efficient. Since our purpose is designing an environmentally friendly and economic solar stove, we dealt with the project taking in consideration: Cost, reliability, size and efficiency. Thus the mean features and properties we considered were: - Maximum focus of sun rays: By using glass, lenses, highly conductive metal: Aluminum -High efficiency: by entrapping heat inside the stove by covering the outer aluminum by special rubber that prevent heat from leaving the aluminum and adding a bottom layer which will contain hot stones to induce more heat.- High Economic Advantage: by using cheap materials.Thus it mainly consists of aluminum coated by outer layer of insulating material which will insulate the system and a bottom layer contains hot stones which will be in contact with the aluminum surface. Therefore high temperatures can be attained. Our instrument will prove to be useful for outdoor cooking, it can be used by scouts and most importantly it is useful especially for the poor or homeless refugees because of its low cost and free power source.

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Solar Heater

Alma Abou Said, Dima Abdul Khalek, Salam Hassan, Jad Nasr, and N. A. Saliba

The domestic heating load has been traditionally modeled to work on electric power, or by burning fossil fuels which are both costly techniques. Thereby, refugees in Lebanon have neither a proper house nor enough money to provide an adequate source of heat during cold weather.We would like to take advantage of Earth’s greatest heat source (the sun) and create a heater that will absorb solar power, and hence provide heat to refugees at minimum expense.We plan to accomplish this by building a heater that takes advantage of both infrared and UV lights emitted by the sun. To carry out the project, we intend to use a black box which will absorb infrared radiation, with a layer of solar cells on top of it to absorb the ultraviolet radiation and transform it into electrical power. Infrared rays will be directly stored as heat, while the electric power obtained from the UV will be dissipated as heat by means of a resistor. Moreover, a fan will serve to circulate heat inside the shelter.This design will thus run with minimum cost and no output of noxious gases, as well as provide proper heating to refugees unable to obtain traditional heating.

IBDAA 2015 57

Pedal-Powered Electricity Generator

Zahra Malli, Jad Hammoud, Nidal Khalaf, Nazih Harb, and N. A. Saliba

There are many ways to convert and use energy. Energy arises from two basic forms; potential energy, and kinetic energy that come from the movement of things. This includes the energy from human body to do work. As opposed to utilizing our own potential energy, our advanced society has changed to utilizing energy collected from different sources, for example, fossil fuels. One arrangement that gives power by using human energy is rotating pedals of a stationary bicycle that run on human power. The intention of this project is to build a human powered electricity generator from pedals of a bicycle and use it to power small appliances. This project will help one develop engineering skills while learning about a clean way of generating electricity. Pedal power is basically using human power on a bicycle to do work and generate electricity. Since energy is conserved, the chemical energy in the person’s body is converted into mechanical energy in the bicycle and then to electrical energy in the motor. The electricity generated could be used to charge a battery and be stored, or could be used directly to power appliances. An inverter is used to convert to direct current to alternating current, since most of the home appliances are powered by alternating current electricity. Using this device will generate free electricity and is completely clean with zero-emissions of pollutants. Thus it is eco-friendly.

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3D Concrete Printing: A Sustainability Study

Nader El-Zarwi, Hussein Hachem, Toufic Maalouf, Zeina Malaeb, Adel Tourbah, and M. Fadel

3D concrete printing is an innovative construction method that promises to be highly advantageous in the construction field in terms of optimizing construction time, cost, design flexibility, error reduction, and environmental aspects. The concrete is extruded through a nozzle to build layer-by-layer structural components without the use of formwork or any subsequent vibration. The contribution of this study is to identify and resolve its various design and execution constraints which are of vital importance for future development of this construction technique. This paper broaches the topic in two different phases: designing the printing machine on one hand, and designing the concrete mix to be used on the other. In addition, the paper presents an environmental analysis of the printing technology comparing its embodied energy, waste production, and CO2 emissions to those of the traditional method. Moreover, a financial analysis is carried out relating the 3D printing method’s costs to the traditional method’s with regards to the construction of a 100 m2 hollow square room. Experimental results are presented concerning the mix design and the tests performed to determine the fresh and hardened concrete properties. An optimal mix is obtained and analyzed in terms of certain

CIVE 501/502: Civil and Environmental Engineering - Final Year Project

Dr. Ibrahim Alameddine, Dr. Ghassan Chehab, Dr. Muatassem FadelDepartment of Civil and Environmental Engineering, FEAAmerican University of Beirut

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set criteria. Results of the sustainability analysis showed that the technology provides potential environmental improvements over the traditional construction method. According to the financial study’s results, this technology became more viable as the number of houses printed increases beyond a certain number. Being the first of its kind, the results might be invaluable to the future of 3D printing in the Middle East. The role of 3D printing in reducing greenhouse gas emissions give this new technology a stronger position in the construction industry. Such a technique can easily be used in developing countries, which are in need of a suitable, low-cost and fast building construction method. It may lend itself to become the blueprint for future bigger-scale projects such as creating whole buildings using 3D concrete printers.

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Assessing the Feasibility of Artificial Aquifer Recharge in a Pilot Study for the Hazmiyeh Area

Jason Joe Bejjani, Alaa Hayek, Roy Audi, Licha Bechara, Paul Gharzouzi, and I. Alameddine

In this study, three alternatives are investigated to devise a strategy for aquifer recharge and consequently mitigate saltwater intrusion into the aquifers of the Greater Beirut Area (GBA). The feasibility of recharge is explored within the study area of Hazmiyeh and its surroundings in terms of the three potential alternative water sources. The first option envisions rainwater harvesting (RWH), which offers a supplementary water supply and decreases stress on aquifers. Results of potential volumes of harvested rainwater indicate that RWH contributes between 7% and 100% in reducing the deficit in water supply according to the building size. The contribution of RWH alone in reducing the water demand appears to be insufficient. The second explored alternative is the construction of an infiltration basin within the study area to collect and store runoff water. The feasibility of this option is assessed by estimating the runoff volumes, designing an appropriate infiltration basin with the aim of increasing natural infiltration, as well as properly sitting the basin. The third alternative that is considered looks at using the water of the Beirut River for recharge. This option involves building multiple small-scale check dams along the river bed. The contribution of this option is evaluated in terms of the volume of water stored as well as the amount of water that can naturally percolate. The study concludes by proposing an optimal combination of these three alternatives, in an effort to reduce stress on the aquifers. The evaluation of each alternative is done using strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (S.W.O.T) analysis. The analysis covers the legal, environmental, economic and social aspects of these options. Finally, the three proposed recharge options are compared with the existing national water plan for the Greater Beirut Area that envisions carrying water from the Bisri Dam to Beirut.

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Geothermal Pavements

David Habib, Emile Daou, Hagop Harfoushian, Jawad Chukrallah, Joseph Ballouz, Lala Dakessian, Marwan Imad, Omar Kabbani, Sarah Saliby,

William Saad, and G. Chehab

In moderate to hot climates, asphalt pavements exposed to the sun can reach temperatures as hot as 70 degrees C. Such high temperatures shorten the lifespan of the pavement due to rutting and bleeding. This heat will also radiate back to the environment causing a rise of temperature known as the Urban Heat Island Effect (UHIE). This research examines the topic of geothermal pavements, which is a system of embedded pipes within the pavements under streets, parking lots, driveways, or any paved surface where circulating water gets heated while cooling the pavement. The system cools down the asphalt, thus increasing its lifespan and lowering the UHIE; which in turn lowers the energy demand for air conditioning. The hot water can be supplied to domestic, commercial, or industrial units for usage. The system under study consists of a 1.6x0.8x0.16 meter slab connected to a 100 liters reservoir and a pump. The latter is operated by a temperature controlling device which takes input from thermocouples in both the water and the pavement. A computer model is also generated to simulate the experiment using a software called ADINA, using an approach known as the Finite Element Method. The model is first verified using the experimental data and then used as a flexible system to obtain the most efficient configuration for supplying a required quantity of water to meet demand. Thus, the length of pipe determines its supply capability which is evaluated against the demand (which depends on the number of people per household and the number of houses along the roadway) to determine the required length. The system’s constructability and economic feasibility will be studied, and eventually the proposed system can be installed on roads and ensures sustainability of the pavement with an increased durability, along with generating hot water using renewable energy.

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If You Litter, the Future will be Bitter

Rania Choucair, Samah El Sayed Ahmad, and R. Khishfe

Linking arts to nature isn’t an easy task and finding something in common to both is even harder. We live in a world where resources are scarce (like water, gas and oil) because of nature’s inability to renew its resources. In addition, humans are greedy enough to never think about the consequences of abusing nature. They cut trees, reduce green areas, and most importantly, pollute the air, the land, and the sea. Recently, one of the issues discussed on the Lebanese media are the devastating actions of Sukleen. Sukleen is a company in charge of waste disposal while keeping the roads clean. As we have witnessed, Sukleen alone cannot keep our country clean. Most importantly, Sukleen has no active role in cleaning our sea. In addition, a clear issue in Lebanon is the high level of pollution in our sea which is caused by the continuous dumping of wastes into it. Unfortunately, our public beach is contaminated, yet people swim in it. This certainly would lead to many diseases. We all know that recycling and raising awareness on the issue are probable solutions to the pollution problems in Lebanon. To educate a society, we need to start with educating its younger generation. Hence, we decided to create a story/activity book targeted at children that

EDUC 274: Science for Elementary Teachers II

Dr. Rola KhishfeDepartment of Education, FASAmerican University of Beirut

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24/7

Ghida Abdel Sater, Namir Chahine, Lama Halimeh, Sarah Mekhitarian and R. Khishfe

For our project, we chose to launch an electricity awareness campaign, which will consist of a short video and a set of posters. The issue of electricity has been a problem that we have been dealing with for a long time in Lebanon with no solution in sight. We keep relying on polluting ways in order to be provided with electricity. From ships in the sea, to generators all over the country, our air and water and nature are getting polluted extremely.As a first step in our campaign, we will be focusing only on Beirut, as it is the capital and the largest and most populated area in Lebanon. In order to get more insight about the issue and to report it accurately within our campaign, we will be interviewing citizens around the capital. Through our video, we’re hoping to highlight the water and air pollution caused by the production of electricity, whether through government provision or through generators.Furthermore, we want to show the alternatives we have that will lead to electricity being provided at all times, with no cuts, and with less pollution.With Electricite de Zahle recently providing the area they cover with 24/7 electricity, we can see that there are alternative ways for our country to use its natural resources to provide electricity for all of Lebanon. Let’s rely on natureto save nature.

explains the reasons and the consequences of pollution (especially land and water littering) in a simple way. In addition to helping Sukleen in keeping our country clean, the purpose of the story/activity book is to elevate the level of awareness among children and to educate them in aim at controlling the level of pollution in our country. When our environment is unpolluted, the future of Lebanon will certainly be brighter.

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Through the Eyes of the Fraas’ Lizard

Nassir Dada, Lilal Knio, Youmna Kreitem, Tania el Kadi, and R. Khishfe

The Fraas’s lizard, a species of lizard in the Lacertidae family, is a native of the rocky areas of the Mount Lebanon Range in Lebanon. It is currently threatened by extinction due to habitat loss. In our children’s book, we will look at things through the eyes of the Fraas’ Lizard. Through illustrations, we will look at the journey of a Fraas’ lizard and the difficulties it has to deal with due to the destruction of its habitat for reasons explained in the book. Our idea relates to the chosen theme as we will be using art to indicate how the absence of one species can greatly impact the ecosystem and nature. We learn about the Fraas’ lizard through thorough research, and then try to simply the information in order to be able to present it to children in an animated book. Our finalized children’s book should allow its readers to learn about the Lebanese native Fraas’ Lizard and how it is threatened by habitat destruction and what can be done to prevent its extinction.

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The Bee that Saved the World

Sakhr Munassar, Azza El Masri, Poliana Geha, Hani Katerji, and R. Khishfe

We aim to address colony collapse disorder (CCD), a syndrome defined as a dead colony with no adult bees or dead bee bodies but with a live queen. It is the abrupt and inexplicable disappearance of colonies of honeybees, a phenomenon that is still largely affecting European honeybees. Recent studies have shown that honeybees in Lebanon are starting to showing these symptoms. In 2008, bees were declared the most invaluable species on the planet. Why is this an important matter in nature to shed light on? the honeybee is a pollinator, therefore when it collects nectar from flowers to make honey, it also moves pollen from the male to female flowers to accomplish fertilization. More importantly, 80% of our fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, herbs and flowers are pollinated by honeybees. Monocultures and pesticides have robbed bees from their natural habitat and food, and therefore has led to an increasing destabilization of the bee’s natural routine, essential to the survival of many species. The project will be in a form of a children’s pop-up book, to make it more accessible. Knowing that kids are more interested in animals and storytelling techniques our project aims to educate them in an entertaining/appealing way. As children will grow up with these notions of conservation and sustainability, they will become part of their daily interactions, and as leaders of the future, they will ensure that matters related to climate change, sustainability, and the environment be at the forefront of policy discussions. Furthermore, a pop-up book is catchy, eye-grabbing, and very fun. The illustrations and drawings will make the idea more accessible to children, and the format will serve in both entertaining and informing children as it is highly interactive.

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Sailing to Disaster

Amal Maayeh, Carla Salamoun, Dina Amin, Mais Maqdah, and R. Khishfe

Possibly the greatest environmental danger threatening Lebanon currently is the disastrous state of the foundation of life. As we all know, this catastrophe is not limited to Lebanon but is a worldwide problem. Pollution occurs when pollutants contaminate the surroundings; which brings about changes that affect our normal lifestyles adversely. There are different types of pollution; air, water, noise, etc. We will focus our research on water and noise specifically. Water pollution is not very familiar to the Lebanese society but everyone should be aware of it. With the exception of waters at high altitudes, all Lebanese waters are exposed to pollution due to the lack of a system for the evacuation of solid and liquid residues and the lack of control for water-protection system. A cycle forms when we dump our wastes in the water: fish find it and eat it, and then people catch the fish to have for dinner. This is very dangerous to our nutritional diet. Water pollution does not only affect us as human beings but also affects plants, animals and organisms living in these bodies of water. As for noise pollution, the main issue that we have noticed in residents in Lebanon is that they do not even notice the noise pollution happening around them; it has become a part of their daily lives. Construction, continuous car honking, generators, fireworks, angry citizens yelling are only some of the daily noises emitted from all sides of the country. Chronic exposure to such noise pollution can cause aggression, high stress levels, hearing loss and other harmful effects. In order to raise awareness of this issue, we have chosen to shoot a short video that focuses on water and noise pollution in Lebanon and try to find various solutions to limit these issues wherever possible.

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Green Spaces for a Greener Future – Biel Park

Tiffany Boumerhi, Thomas Chekaiban, Tamara Jebaï, Lara Younes, and R. Khishfe

The problem our idea addresses is: “We do not have enough green spaces in urban areas in Lebanon and specifically in Beirut.” This problem is capital as the current state of things creates an unbalanced environment where cement, car and pollution have annihilated our lifestyle. In fact, the scale of the issue is gigantic as over 1 million people live in Beirut and do not have places to escape from pollution. However, opportunities and solutions are present in Lebanon. Areas are available but the use of spaces has been the same for the last decade (bars, roads, parking lots, buildings, etc.). The need for new spaces dedicated to leisure and art have slowly emerged (Beirut by Bike, Beirut Art Fair, etc.). Undertaking this particular project would continue the trend: create green spaces in the heart of Beirut would help people appreciate their leisure time and contribute to a cleaner urban air. The green spaces will also create economic activity via shops and eventually drive restaurants to implement themselves in these particular areas. The extent of our project is to make Beirut a place where walking and going to parks is not anymore impossible but plausible. The people will also have more time for their hobbies (near Beirut by Bike) and for their cultural activities. The goal is to change mentalities and thrive to create a better urban life for citizens. The contributing factors of the current problem are the lack of laws in Lebanon to tackle environmental issues. Moreover, the education in Lebanon is not able to create awareness. Environmental issues are linked to root cultural causes as Lebanese are not ready to make deep efforts to react accordingly to this matter.

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Battery Saver

Nadine Inja, Laian Hammoud, Nehme Hamadeh, and R. Khishfe

With the increasing trends in technological innovation, the general public heavily relies on technology in all aspects of their social and professional lives. Such technological items have limited life spans, requiring people to constantly replace them with newer and more improved products. The issue is that as people replace their technological items, they dispose of the old product in a hazardous way. An integral part of these items is the battery, which is composed of hazardous substances such as acid, lead, nickel, lithium, cadmium, alkaline, mercury and nickel metal hydride. These dangerous chemicals are not biodegradable but eventually break down due to erosion and harm the environment through the contamination of soil and pollution. Our solution is necessary for a nation such as Lebanon as there are few, if any, of such intermediaries and thus we would be catering towards a need. Therefore, we wish to play the role of an intermediary between the general public and technology companies. We aim to collect such technological products from businesses as well as general consumers and give them back to the original manufacturers of these products for recycling. In this case, our three main contracting parties are the businesses that provide their employees with mobile phones, laptops and projectors, the general public and the manufacturers of these products. Our revenue stream will come mainly from the annual contracts with the businesses and manufacturing companies for our services. We will further incentivize manufacturers of these products by asking them to provide us with promotions which will be passed on to the businesses. These businesses will be more encouraged to recycle as they benefit from such promotions and the manufacturers will be able to guarantee future revenues from these businesses. This guaranteed relationship enables us to generate revenues from both contracting parties.

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OSB Goes Paperless

Dalia Sweiss, Lara Inja, Ralph Zakhia, Jennifer Muller, and R. Khishfe

“OSB Goes paperless” is inevitable. With the issues of global warming affecting us all, it seems to be our duty as students to try and overcome this for the sake of sustainable development. Our plan aims to decrease intensely the use of paper and the destruction of trees by moving forward and catching up with the current technology. Given that AUB is amongst the top universities in the Middle East, and given our pride as students, we feel responsible to help make this happen. In this business plan, we will explore pragmatic ways to transform OSB from a major paper consumer to a paperless school. In this process, we will start by understanding exactly how much paper we do use and try and find the best possible technological solution to reduce it. Finally, a very important concept that we will be taking into consideration is the fact that we want to make this a seamless operation with low switching costs and higher advantages, we want it to be seamless.”

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Smart Trash Unit (STU)

Karim Ramadan, Abdel Wahab Turkmani, Ibrahim Youssef, Khalil Fakih, and I. El Hajj

So far, recycling has been a topic of paramount importance as it greatly helps the environment by segregating garbage according to materials, allowing it to be reused or disposed of in a safer manner. Measures have been taken such as raising awareness on the importance of recycling and placing trash units for glass, paper, and plastic. These recycling garbage disposal units can be seen all around but are still used much less than the general garbage bin, mainly due to indolence. The Smart Trash Unit (STU) is a two-stage garbage bin that will, thanks to smart recognition and implemented sensory functions, automatically discern the type of trash thrown in it. When items are disposed in it, the first stage, with aid of sensors and specifically developed software which accounts for the difference in physical properties such as light permittivity, infrared radiation, etc, identifies the type of waste introduced. The next stage appropriately places the material in the respective chamber assigned to its category. Additionally, sensor circuits continuously attempt to measure the level of fullness of the waste bags, and only indicate that the waste chambers should be emptied when the amount of waste in them is maximal, so as to save on plastic bags. STU will thus have a landscape benefit by abolishing the necessity of having several trash cans for recycling aligned next to each other and also will make recycling a passive act that requires no additional effort; one simply throws their garbage as they would in a regular trash can, and STU takes care of the rest.

EECE 461: Instrumentation

Dr. Imad El HajjDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering, FEA American University of Beirut

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Environmental Impact Assessment of the Planning and Re-organization of the Eastern Wastani Zone in Saida

Farah Madi, Rawan Kharfan, and M. A. Massoud

The proposed project aims to urbanize one of Saida’s last remaining green areas and connect it with the other parts of the city; thus, enhancing its social and economic status by attracting investors. While this step responds to the growing pressures for buildings and different facilities, the Municipality believes that this should be conducted in a framework that respects the long-term ecological, social, and economic sustainability of the city. The project for reforming, re-planning, and urban plan reorganizing Al Wastani Zone in Saida will play an important role in the development of Saida’s cultural, social, and economic profile. This project will provide residential buildings which are needed due to the continuous population growth in the city; however doing so, it will still protect a great deal of green and historical areas which are included in the pooling and subdivision of the chosen zone. The positive and negative impacts of the project during the construction and operation phases will be assessed. Mitigation measures and management plan will be formulated to ensure the prevention and/or reduction of the potential impacts of the new project.

ENHL 242: Environmental Management Tools and applications

Dr. May MassoudDepartment of Enviromental Health, FHSAmerican University of Beirut

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Environmental Impact Assessment of the East Marina Beach and Yacht Club

Sara Harb, Sara Kaddoura, Hassan Zantout, and M. A. Massoud

The Eastern Marina Development is a project of the Waterfront District. Eastern Marina Village is conceived as a relatively high density, low-rise waterside urban village, with small-scale residential and mixed-use development set in context of small pedestrian walkways and squares opening out onto waterside seafronts from different sites of the designed project with a clear 360° view of the Mediterranean Sea. The significant impacts of the project will be assessed and evaluated according to six impact characteristics: duration, timing, extent, reversibility, magnitude and uncertainty. After assessing and evaluating the impacts in the three phases of the project to identify the significant impacts, mitigation measures will be proposed to those significant impacts in order to prevent, reduce, or compensate for the impacts accompanied by the different activities. A management plan that includes monitoring, controlling, prevention, documentation (reporting), evaluation and emergency plans for the identified significant negative impacts will be proposed.

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Environmental Impact Assessment of a Municipal Solid Waste Treatment Facility

Environmental Impact Assessment of the Karantina Hospital Project

Aida Nawam, Shaden Yaghi , Zahra Saad, and M. A . Massoud

Amena El Harakeh, Hadil Borji, Lama Katerji, and M.A . Massoud

The main objectives of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study is to identify and assess the potential environmental, social and economic impacts that could arise during the construction and operation phases of the sorting and solid waste treatment facility. The location of the center was chosen by land availability in the area. The significant impacts will be assessed according to six impact characteristics: magnitude, extent, time, duration, reversibility and uncertainty. Feasible and contextualized mitigation measures to prevent, minimize or compensate for these impacts and increase the environmentally acceptable outputs will be scrutinized. An appropriate follow-up process with requirements for monitoring, management, audit and evaluation will be proposed to ensure environmentally sound and sustainable development.

The new Karantina Hospital will be located in the wide parking lot of the existing Karantina hospital and its area will be 8500 m2. It is designed to uphold about seventy beds and will constitute of four floors two of which are underground floors. The objectives of this study are to provide sound ground for decision-making for the design of the project in an environmentally sustainable way. Accordingly, the environmental impacts will be identified, assessed and analyzed so thatyare reduced as much as possible and in the most cost-effective manner. Correspondingly, mitigation measures for the significant impacts identified which are parameters that must be considered to achieve the maximum reduction of the impacts will be recommended.

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Environmental Impact Assessment of a Medical Center

Reem Al Aaraj, Christophe Hage, Nabiha El Khoury, and M. A . Massoud

extending on 8.5 Km2, contains more than fifteen medical centers, and

one of the institutions of the Congregation of the Lebanese Maronite

some beds. It is to be constituted of multiple departments including laboratories, chemotherapy, a maternity ward, medical imaging, a morgue, other out-patient clinics, and not more than 20 beds in cases of a need for emergency stays. This environmental impact assessment study aims to present the adverse environmental, social and health impacts that could arise during the construction and operation phases of the project. Mitigation measures will be proposed in order to avoid these impacts or reduce their severity to the best possible extent. Also, an environmental management plan will be proposed for the assurance of the implementation of the mitigation measures, as well as the compliance of the overall project with the existing legislations.

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Charging Wheels

Rani Chamseddine, Hiba Dahcheh, Tala El-Aridi, and W. Melhem

Due to the facts that the number of AUB students is increasing year after year, increasing the shortage in the amount of available electric outlets, we are planning to construct an outdoor unit equipped with 2-3 bikes which will be used to generate electricity. Using a dynamo, the energy produced from paddling will be transformed to electricity. Furthermore, charging wheels will encourage people to spend more time outside while they paddle or watch others generate power by turning the unit to a closed system of exchanging energy. The structure will be an outdoor activity where AUB students can charge their phones, laptops, and other devices simply by paddling. Its importance lies in the fact that the amount of calories burned is turned to electrical energy that rewards the users. Charging Wheels unit is made up of 4 wooden slabs, 3 plugs, 3 bikes, 3 dynamo, 3 batteries, a digital scale, a Voltmeter, and two scoreboards.Finally, this unit will benefit the AUB campus through saving energy by transforming energy to electricity used to charge many devices in outdoor space and providing an outdoor activity which is considered important for maintaining physical fitness.

LDEM 248: Site Engineering II - Construction Material

Dr. Wissam MelhemDepartment of Landscape Design & Ecosystem Management, FAFSAmerican University of Beirut

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E-Cube

Nour Hajjar, Maya Zeid, Noor El Jundi, and W. Melhem

E- Cubes are 40 x 40 cm cubes having photovoltaic sides. These sides absorb the light and transform it to energy in the form of heat or electricity. A few years ago, photovoltaic panels were added to bags and to cellphone covers in order to produce energy. However, it is not yet very common in Lebanon. The E- Cubes are not only structured to save energy, but to be aesthetically pleasant and enhance sceneries by being placed on walls, tables and benches. As landscape designers, our aim for this idea is to get people to go outside more frequently by providing more outdoor facilities (electricity to charge phones or laptops, provide lighting…). E-Cubes are around 15 kg cubes over which a person can sit since they hold about 100 kg. They basically consist of an aluminum base to which photovoltaic panels are added. These panels absorb radiation during the day and store it in a battery to be used later in the form of electricity or light. E-Cubes can produce a minimum of 8 hours/day of electricity (240 watt), during which they can be enjoyed. Thus, a student can go sit outdoors on these structures, plug his/her laptop and finish his/her assignment rather than sit in the library or be forced to stay near a plug to charge indoors. Moreover, children and adults might also like to transform these cubes into a small playground or into a stage on certain occasions to spend time in public spaces.

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SolarWay

Maysa Sarieddine, Mona Zein, Christelle Moussa, Loubna Sasso, and W. Melhem

A common problem that most AUB students have to face is the tiring and long promenade from the lower campus to the upper campus and vice versa. The lack of bus services over time for “environment preservation” and other issues is a source of frustration for students. The solution is an eco-friendly railway, with 2-seater carts, that passes through most of the campus and takes members of the AUB community to different target destinations. It will function by making use of renewable energy using solar photovoltaic panels as a way to avoid polluting the environment. This system will be an effective transport medium that will resolve the transportation issue while serving the environment. Furthermore, and as a Landscape Architects, our aim is to allow people to sit and appreciate the surrounding nature during their ride. As for safety measures, the carts will be enclosed and located on the edge of the road to prevent excessive and dangerous exposure to the main road. The overall design is simple as to serve the purpose straightforwardly and potentially be used in other areas that might have transportation-related issues such as Hamra, Gemmayzeh, etc…

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URBAQUA

Lara Baitarian, Mazen Demachkieh, Jawad Souhaid, and W. Melhem

Lebanon has been struggling with one of its worst water shortages, which is becoming a major cause for concern. In the winter of 2013-2014, the precipitation level was 431 mm, which was half the amount of the previous year (905.8 mm), and much lower than the average of 812 mm. Lebanon’s water resources are insufficient to support the needs of its growing population and there is talk of plans to import water from other countries such as Turkey. However, considering the amount of unexpected storms and flooding we experience, there is a more efficient alternative way of getting water. UrbAQUA, water-collecting urban furniture, is the solution to water shortage problems in Lebanon. It is a way of both enhancing the city aesthetically and functionally, providing the busy streets with necessary amenities, and taking advantage of the rainfall at the same time. The furniture includes a bench and a structure that can be used as both a bus stop and shading device, making it suitable for sidewalks and parks. There are two types of water collection systems: the first is through a pipe that connects the different furniture together and directs the water into one big storage tank. This option is for areas that can easily sustain such infrastructure. The second type is the urban furniture itself acting as a water storage, where water is used or taken out directly after the rainfall. Each pergola collects around 2,064 liters of water during the rainy seasons. Therefore, having 10 pergolas along a long stretch would easily provide us with 20,640 liters of water a year. Each bench would collect around 784.3 liters of water during the rainy season, so having a stretch of 30 benches would collect around 23,527 liters of water a year. Therefore, a well UrbAQUA-furnished street would be able to collect around 44,167 liters of water a year.

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Coffee Greenery

Mariam Bazzi, Dana Haakeh, Mariam Yehya and W. Melhem

Many people consume at least one cup of coffee or tea per day. Many of these cups are the paper ones used at coffee or tea shops such as Caribou, Starbucks, Abou Naji, Naim and many others. These cups, however, quickly end up discarded in trash bins and only some might get recycled.For the purpose of re-using these paper cups in an environmentally friendly way, we decided to do what follows: Used paper cups will be transformed into planters. A structure that can hold these cups will be present somewhere near the aforementioned drinkers, whereby they will be able to:

The soil will be a bit moist to help the seeds grow and the suggested plants won’t be in need of huge amounts of water to grow. With time, the plants will grow and blossom and passers-by will be able to choose and take whichever plant they like home. This way, people will be introduced to easy, creative ways of planting and feel encouraged to be part of the fun planting activity.

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LEGROW

Farah Ghoury, Ghida kharfen, Lara Badreddine, and W. Melhem

After the increased incidents of food corruption all over the world, one must think of nutritious alternatives to lead people to a healthier lifestyle. One way of achieving such a lifestyle is through growing and processing our own food. However, most people might find it challenging to keep up the maintenance of these plants. As landscape architects, we came up with LEGROW, a simple unit that is filled with the necessities of growing your own vegetables, fruits, herbs and even aesthetic plants. This unit is a Lego module, with a variety of shapes and sizes. It is available in supermarkets where it comes with a wide choice of seeds, catalogues and some fertilizers to make sure your plants grow well and healthy. These Lego units are made to create hundreds of structures that can be grown in homes, offices, malls, etc… LEGROW is an appealing feature that makes growing plants fun, enjoyable and easy.

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Green Box

Tina El Chaer, Yasmina El Khouri, Nathalie Estephan, Aya Itani, and W. Melhem

One of the struggles of urban life is unconsciously losing contact with our environment, especially with the lack of green public spaces and growing concrete jungles. Modern technology has come a long way as demonstrated by the development of countless inventions, which however very often neglect to incorporate what is indispensable to our survival: nature. In our design, we aim to bridge the gap between technology and nature, involving the user in a practical and interactive way. The end product, the “Green Box”, consists of a system that combines an alternative apartment-friendly planting technique, an engaging plant response, and a customized functional element. Using clay pellets as a growing medium creates as a lightweight, simple, dirt-free hydroponic system that changes container-planting as we know it. Each planter is designed specifically for different types of spaces, providing unique additions specific to each of our daily lives. This multifunctional approach facilitates plant-care for apartment-dwellers, without the hassle of worrying about maintenance, which would be a click away. The “Green Box” is designed to be an original way to green your apartment, bringing the outside inside. Aesthetic, practical, productive, functional, and beneficial, its purpose is to recreate the lost connection between nature and people in their own homes. Combining science, nature, and the art of design in an innovative way is one of the first steps towards an environmentally-conscious community.

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Community Bridges

Raya Rizk, Jana Tabbara, and W. Melhem

Beirut city lacks areas designated for public transportation as well as public green spaces (approximately 2.2%) and infrastructures. The overcrowded and uninviting sidewalks make it harder for transportation services to pick up passengers without affecting traffic circulation. Hence, this problematic has intrigued us to find a solution. The purpose of our project is to create public nature-shelters in strategic and spacious areas of Beirut traffic hubs. In order to avoid obstructing sidewalks and circulation, we decided to create these shelters with a ramping overpass that would not hinder the pedestrian flow, thus creating gathering points for the community. Moreover, while illustrating the identity of Beirut, the design of the green overpass will promote local vegetation, sustainable and self-sufficient technologies, as well as an artistic program that will capture the spirit of each stop.First, the environmental motivation of the project favors that it have green walls. Second, sustainability is key to this project: it will have a storm water system. Lastly, the project would invite the community to express their creativity on the facades of the shelter (murals, paintings, etc.), generating a sense of engagement with the community which would be a discouragement to vandalism and destruction of the shelters. To make this project work, we aim to cater for everyone, making it as user friendly as possible by creating easy access to children, handicapped, elderly and cyclists.

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A Compacted Escape

Razane Hanna, Audrey Kurkjian, Tamar Sarkissian, Lea Zaytoun, and W. Melhem

Beirut, being such a dense city, leaves little space for green public areas as demonstrated by the ratio of only 0.8 m2 of green space per person compared to the minimum of 9 m2 per person recommended by the World Health Organization. One of Beirut’s busiest districts, Hamra, is a lively commercial and cultural hub. However the area has become overly crowded and compacted with buildings as well as vehicular and pedestrian traffic, leaving no room for a green urban respite. The concept behind “A compacted Escape” emerged from the rarity of open spaces despite their vitality for the well-being of the people living within urban landscapes such as Hamra. Our aim is to remediate the deficiency in Hamra through the design of installations scattered around the area and which will act as resting points to escape the chaotic surroundings. They would be designed to be sustainable and to following the compact character of Hamra, all the while implementing green technologies (vertical planting, solar lighting etc.). They would also be placed in strategic locations (near the commercial line, along the busiest and calmest streets), offering a freedom for the users to choose between different settings. These resting points will be interconnected, not only via their design, but also through a smartphone application available via a barcode placed on every installation and offering a number of different features: a mapping of all the installations, alerts regarding the state of the urban growth, pollution & other local environmental issues, notifications and updates on the area such as talks, festivals, exhibitions etc. The application would connect the users to the surrounding environment, bringing them closer to their city and allowing them to connect with the little green fragments left of nature by utilizing the same object that is separating them from it: a smartphone.

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Integrated Displacement ventilation with M cycle

Anthony BouKarim, Jane Sarkis, Rhea Nassif, Lamia Zoghzoghy, and K. Abou Ghali, N. Ghaddar

Displacement ventilation (DV) system incorporated with a Novel Evaporative Cooled Ceiling, the Maisotsenko cycle (M-cycle), is a passive technique used to enhance the load removal in spaces. Our project aims to evaluate the performance of this combined system to attain thermal comfort in a typical office in the city of Beirut. The displacement ventilation system differs from the actual air conditioning system since the air is supplied at the floor level. This configuration increases the thermal comfort inside the room and it is energy efficient since it should cool the space up to a certain level called the stratification height. However, due to the constraints imposed on the inlet conditions of the air supplied (maximum velocity of 15m/s, minimum temperature of 18 degrees), the DV system alone is only able to attain a maximum cooling capacity of 40W/m2. For that reason, it would be beneficial to combine it with the Maisotsenko cycle. The combination of the M-cycle with the displacement ventilation system enhances the cooling capacity of the DV system while meeting the best space indoor air quality. The M-cycle operates on a heat recovery process using the atmospheric air and evaporation in a heat exchanger. Its addition brings major improvements to the DV system and other cooling systems. First, this innovative setup saves up to 80%

MECH 502: Final Year Project II

Dr. Kamel Abou Ghali, Dr. Nesreen Ghaddar Department of Mechanical Engineering, FEAAmerican University of Beirut

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of energy since it doesn’t use a compressor but instead a fan-driven evaporation to remove heat energy. Second, the system is CFC-free since it takes advantage of the cooling properties of water to produce a comfort zone. Third, the indirect-direct system uses a minimal amount of water to provide cooling. Finally, an combined evaporative cooling system has a very competitive initial cost, however, it leads to real long-term savings at no additional costs. Our main work will focus on optimizing the system’s performance through experimentation to provide the best conditions for operating the combined Evaporative Cooled Ceiling/DV. Our team will develop a numerical model of the combined system using Matlab that simulates the real life application. We will have to modify its parameters until it gives accurate prediction. Moreover, we will be testing the system experimentally until we reach a cooling capacity of at least 50 W/m2 and approach the dew point temperature as much as possible. The experimental results will be compared with the theoretical ones to validate our developed model. This proposed system will enhance the air quality and thermal comfort in office spaces in Beirut at lower cost and energy consumption by improving the cooling capacity of the DV system through the addition of a chilled ceiling operating on the Maisotsenko evaporative cooling cycle.

Integration of Seat-Mounted Suction Fan System to Enhance Personalized Ventilation

George Chebli, Assaad Helou, Michel Moufawad, Joseph Samneh, and K. Abou Ghali, N. Ghadar

One of the most important issues we face daily without noticing is trying to remain comfortable in regions of uninviting climate. To solve this issue, we chose the project entitled “Integration of Seat-Mounted

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Suction Fan System to Enhance Personalized Ventilation”. Through our project thermal comfort and enhanced air quality is achieved at efficient energy consumption.Our project aims to ameliorate the usage of energy for ventilation by limiting the space of ventilation to the vicinity of the occupants. Instead of tuning and ventilating the whole space to the requirements of the occupants by using conventional mixing ventilation systems, a microclimate is provided by Personalized Ventilation that generates personal vented and cooled space close and around the occupant at regions near the breathing zone or up to his breathing level.Our system works as an enhancement of the ceiling mounted single axial jet system where we use displaceable suction fans mounted on a chair to create an air curtain around. Thermal comfort and air quality are tested using a thermal manikin that simulates a human being seated in a typical work space. The manikin allowed us to determine the thermal comfort of each body part at different flow rates and temperatures. In addition to that the thermal manikin is a breathing manikin that is used to test carbon dioxide percentages which replicates the effect of the fans on the quality of the air at the breathing zone.After performing several preliminary runs of our experiment and acquiring different results of velocity, temperature and CO2, we tested these results on our CFD model on ANSYS. The CFD simulations validated our experimental results after which we studied and assessed its effect on thermal comfort and air quality. The procedure will be repeated several times on different fan heights and speed to determine the optimum performance parameters of the system and compare these results without the implementation of our fan system.For now our calculations revealed good improvement in both thermal comfort and air quality with our fan system where thermal comfort is enhanced by 15% and air quality by 17%. These results will be further tested and enhanced in our later experiments and simulations to prove the system’s effectiveness.

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Students Participating Outside the Scope of a Course

A Breath of Fresh Air

Nyambura Vania MuriukiEnvironmental Health

American University of Beirut

This project is a solution targeting air pollution in Beirut through phytotechnology and integrated management. According to a study done by Najat Saliba, the Associate Professor of Atmospheric and Analytical Chemistry as well as the director of the Nature Conservation Center for Sustainable Futures (IBSAR) at the American University of Beirut, the levels of different particles in the air that adversely affect human health exceed guideline levels set by the World Health Organization (WHO) by upto 50%. These particles could either be carcinogenic or contribute to airway inflammation, allergies, contracting asthma, and chronic bronchitis with greater effects on children. The study also revealed that indoor levels of pollution were higher. This pollution could be attributed mainly to dust from Beirut’s construction boom, carbon emissions related to the increase in the number of cars, and the high level of tobacco and nargileh smoking. Tackling the air pollution problem proves difficult because it is largely linked to individual lifestyles and habits, and as Lebanon is a developing country, the resources, enforcement, and regulation required to curb this growing problem would be a challenge. Phytotechnology is the use of plants as living environmentally sound technologies (ESTs) that provide services in addressing environmental issues. The proposal is to target the individual, having professionals, practitioners, politicians, and the general public united to plant tree canopies, shrubs, and bushes on the streets and squares in Beirut

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as well as indoors targeting the cleanup of toxic airborne particles. This vegetation would control fugitive emissions, improve air quality and sequester greenhouse gases. In order to enhance this integrated approach, each tree would be dedicated to a person who died during any kind of conflict in the country. People would be asked to plant a tree in memory of a family member, and the campaign would run using the tree as a symbol of unity in Lebanon. The benefits of phytotechnologies such as relatively low capital costs, high community acceptance, aesthetic and ecological value, and their sustainable nature reinforces their potential to reduce exposures within resource-constrained public health contexts.

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Improving Fuel Efficiency with Optimum Driving Strategies

Francois Fayad, Johnny Khalil, Rayan BarhoucheMechanical Engineering

American University of Beirut

Nations are more aware about the problem of limited energy resources. Research and development are carried out to move towards a greener future where renewable and clean energy will have the biggest percentage of types of energy consumed. In the field of transportation, cars empowered by renewable energy are still undergoing development. However, for now it is clear that there is no direct substitute for thermal energy provided by fuel to power cars. It is crucial to use technology to understand that fuel efficient vehicles are the vessel that will carry this generation en route for the green future they seek. Our team is researching engines and power transmission efficiency as our final year project. In fact, not only the most efficient engines and systems will be researched, but also a study on those components will be carried out to come up with the best driving strategy to ensure fuel efficiency. In order to get the best strategy, the team will run tests on the engine to obtain the fuel efficiency map. After the map is obtained, the aim of the team is to inform the driver of his location on the efficiency map and how he can get to the point where best fuel efficiency occurs. The team has been working on this project from September. The engine has been ordered and the concept on which the solution is based is agreed upon. Technical drawings about the experimental setup as well as drawings and schematics on the electric sensors have been made. The team plans to implement the solution on the car by mid may when the semester ends. The same tests could be applied to any car, providing more data to the drivers helping them drive in the most fuel efficient spots of the engine.

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Contributing StudentsEzzat Al BaraziEmelda AbboGhida Abdel SaterDima Abdul KhalekMohamad Abou DaherAlma Abou SaadReem Al Aaraj

Dalia Al SuwaisLouay Ali HassanGabi AltabashDina AminEddy AmmarHind ArabNoor As SadiqPamela AssafEmile AtallahSahar AtayaRasha AtwiRoy AudiHassan AwadaMaya BaajourHassan BaalbakiAbdallah BachaRazan BadranLara BadreddineYasmine BaghdadiAlaa BahsounLara BaitarianMariam Balhas

Rayan BarhoucheOmar BassairiMariam BazziLicha Bechara

Elie Berbari

Hadil BorjiLea Bou FadelAnthony Bou KarimTiffany Bou MerhiRhea Bou NassifNour BreitehTarek CattanNamir ChahineRachid ChahineMohamad Chaker El SamadRani ChamseddineGeorges ChebliThomas ChekaibanDina ChemayaaRania Choucair

Nassir DadaHiba DahchehLala DakessianEmile DaouOmar DaoukLea De Chadarevian

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Mazen DimachkiehTala El AridiTina El ChaerLeen El GhaliVincent El GhoubairaAlice El HabrAmena El HarakehTania El KadiYasmina El KhouriNabiha El KhouryAzza El MasriSamah El Sayed AhmadNader El ZarwiNathalie EstephanMichelle Fadous

Karim FakidLea FarahRida FarhatFrancois FayadNadim FrennPoliana GehaSabrine GhadiehPaul GharzouziFarah GhouryDavid HabibHussein HachemChristophe HageSama Hajj DibNour HajjarLama HalimehElsa Hallab

Nehme HamadehHadi HamasniMohammed HamdanLaian Hammoud

Razane HannaDana HarakehRamzi HarbSarah HarbNazih HarbHagop HarfoushianSalam HassanSara HatoumAlaa HayekSuzanne HejjaouiMaya HelouAssaad HelouGhina HneineWissam HusseikiMarwan ImadNadine Farah InjaLara Sabine Inja

Aya Itani

Omar KabbaniSara KaddouraVana KassardjianHussein KassemRasha Kassem

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Hani KaterjiLama KaterjiNidal Khalaf

Ghida KharfanRawan KharfanMaria KhouriRachid Klaimi Lilal KnioMohamed KotaishAmani KoubarYoumna KreitemAudrey KurkjianMohammad LamehToufic MaaloufAmal MaayehFarah MadiMaher MakaremBassel Eldin MakkiYasser MakkiKarim MaksadDana MalaebZeina MalaebZahra MalliMais MaqdahPierre Hani Rene MecattafSarah Mekhitarian

Nourhan MheidlyLama MiriNassim MohtarRyan Mouawad

Michel MoufawadChristelle MoussaFatima Moussaoui

Sakhr MunassarNyambura MuriukiMohamad NajemMaher NajjarCyril Nasr

Farah NassereddineAyda NawamNay NseirMarilyne PapazianMalek RaadGhassan RachidKhalil RamadanChaza RammalRaya RizkMustafa SaadZahra SaadWilliam SaadAlaa SaadeNader SabbahHassib SafieddineLoubna Saksouk dit sassoCarla SalamounHadi SalehSarah Saliby

Maysa Sarieddine

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Tamar SarkissianMichele SerhanAhmad ShahrourAli Shouman

Ola Srour

Nadine TahaAbbas TarabayLana TounsiAdel TourbahAbdel Wahab TurkmaniShaden YaghiHussien YassinSarah YassineMariam YehyaLara YounesReina Kassem YoussefIbrahim YoussefRalph ZakhiaHassan ZantoutDany ZarkaLea ZaytounMaya ZeidMona ZeinYara ZoghaibLamia Zoghzoghy

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