Marking the fifth consecutive year of celebrating excellence, the Faculty of Engineering (FOE) at the University of Balamand has proudly recognized the outstanding achievements of its BS, BE, and MS graduates during a distinguished award ceremony held at the Nahyan Auditorium. On July 24, 2025, the event honored top-performing students from the Class of 2025 with some of the faculty’s most prestigious awards.

Among the accolades presented were the Elma Maalouf Award, the FOE Award for Academic Excellence, and the Nicolas and Marie-Therese Mousallem Prize.

The ceremony gathered award recipients, their family members, FOE faculty and staff, and university leadership. In attendance were Professor Rami Abboud, Vice President for Internationalization and Engagement and Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, and Dr. Hanna Nakat, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, along with department chairpersons and thesis supervisors. The event served as a moment of pride for the faculty and a celebration of the graduates’ remarkable accomplishments.

In his opening address, Professor Abboud commended the graduates for their academic achievements and contributions to student life, encouraging them to confidently step into their role as the future generation of leaders and innovators stating:

“As you step out into the world as our graduates, remember that the world eagerly awaits the solutions you will engineer, the technology you will develop, and the impact you will make. While the majority of significant achievements that have changed the way we live, history can be attributed in one way or another to the engineering disciplines; we engineers are at the center of everything. Most importantly act with humbleness and with integrity as engineering as a profession can only succeed if we behave ethically”.

A total of 17 outstanding students were honored. Notably, three awards were accepted by family members/faculty members on behalf of the recipients, and one other was announced in absentia due to work commitments.

Highlights of the Awardees:

• • Elma Maalouf Award:
  • o Lara Shamoun (MS in Civil Engineering)
  • o Pauline Zaatar (MS in Chemical Engineering)
  • o Antonio Makary (MS in Computer Engineering)
  • o Joanna Adra (MS in Electrical Engineering)
  • o Raghid Andraos (MS in Mechanical Engineering)
    This award was granted to students who achieved the highest thesis grades and contributed to academic research through peer-reviewed publications or submissions.
• • FOE Award for Academic Excellence (MS level):
  • o Georges Najem – Civil Engineering
  • o Pauline Zaatar – Chemical Engineering
  • o Rana Massouh – Mechanical Engineering
  • o Youssef Batour – Electrical Engineering
  • o Ania Naghi – Engineering Management
• • FOE Award for Academic Excellence (BE level):
  • o Christy Marouni – Civil Engineering
  • o Hussein Saydah – Electrical Engineering (in absentia)
• • FOE Award for Academic Excellence (BS level):
  • o Carla Melki – Civil Engineering
  • o Katia Melki – Chemical Engineering
  • o Joe Kareh – Computer Engineering
  • o Mira Fatfat – Mechanical Engineering
  • o Degualle Rapahel – Electrical Engineering
• • Nicolas and Marie-Therese Mousallem Prize:
  • o Mira Fatfat (BS in Mechanical Engineering), for achieving the highest cumulative average among all FOE BS graduates (94.72%)

The event concluded with a celebratory reception, including a buffet and ceremonial cake cutting. Professor Abboud expressed his heartfelt congratulations to the graduates, encouraging them to continue shaping the future of engineering and inspiring others to strive for excellence. ​​