Celebrating the dedication of the Dr. John I. Makhoul Conference Room at MSFEA
June 2, 2023
The American University of Beirut (AUB) celebrated the dedication of the Dr. John I. Makhoul Conference Room at the Maroun Semaan Faculty of Engineering and Architecture (MSFEA) on June 1, 2023. Former dean of engineering at AUB and Makhoul’s good friend and former classmate, Ibrahim El Hajj (BE Electrical Engineering ’64), and his spouse Rosangela Silva, former head of AUB’s Academic Computing Center, were among the family and friends who attended the small dedication ceremony.
Makhoul (BE Electrical Engineering ’64), who also earned academic degrees in electrical engineering at Ohio State University (MS 1965) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (PhD 1970), is globally recognized for playing a vital role in advancing the technology of speech and language processing. He is currently chief scientist at BBN Technologies and adjunct professor at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts. Makhoul has made a number of philanthropic gifts to support his alma mater over the years focusing especially on supporting engineering students. During the ceremony, Makhoul spoke about the scholarships that he had received that enabled him to complete his education at AUB. “In gratitude, I am delighted to establish an endowed scholarship to help the next generation of students, and, through this naming opportunity, to provide immediate discretionary funds to the dean of MSFEA to help in retaining and recruiting top-notch faculty,” he said.
“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Makhoul for his extraordinary generosity” said MSFEA Dean Alan Shihadeh, who was among the attendees on June 1. “Since I first encountered him while I was a student in Boston more than 25 years ago, I have known John as someone who was an instigator of good things and a strong supporter of students and higher education generally. I was delighted but not surprised when news of his generous gift reached my desk. Especially in these challenging times, I urge all our alumni to follow his lead in supporting an institution that continues to provide remarkable life opportunities to remarkable students.”
“Dr. John Makhoul has been a strong and generous supporter of his alma mater for many years,” said Associate Vice President for Development Walid Katergi. “I am delighted that there is now a space at his faculty that bears his name.”