Scholarship created in the memory of Maktoum Al Seiari, a 2019 chemical engineering graduate
AMES, IOWA (24 February 2022) – With a charitable gift from the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates in Washington, D.C., Iowa State University has established a study abroad scholarship in the memory of Maktoum Al Seiari, a 2019 chemical engineering graduate.
The endowed Maktoum Al Seiari Scholarship for Excellence in Cultural Understanding and Global Citizenship will enable students who otherwise would not have the financial means, to travel to the UAE through the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ study abroad program. The program provides students the opportunity to experience another culture and develop as global citizens.
“Study abroad experiences enhance students’ college education and view of the world in so many ways. This scholarship will ensure College of Agriculture and Life Sciences students have the opportunity to learn about economic diversification in the United Arab Emirates and make connections between Middle Eastern and U.S. cultures,” said Daniel J. Robison, holder of the Dean’s Endowed Chair in the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences. “We are so grateful to the Embassy of the United Arab Emirates for making this scholarship possible in memory of Maktoum Al Seiari. The warm and welcoming hospitality he and his family showed our students during their time in Abu Dhabi will not be forgotten.”
“Maktoum Al Seiari’s passion for sharing Emirati culture with others was truly inspiring. This scholarship will preserve his bright legacy and strengthen the bridges built by Maktoum and all of the future students it will support,” said Yousef Al Otaiba, UAE Ambassador to the United States.
Described by his peers as a kind and generous soul with a permanent smile on his face, Al Seiari was an outstanding and beloved member of the Iowa State community. In addition to his studies in chemical engineering, Al Seiari was a member of the Iowa Alpha Chapter of Tau Beta Pi, the engineering honor society.
He was passionate about enhancing understanding between cultures and was one of the first United Arab Emirates students to actively participate in Iowa State’s study abroad program to the UAE. He continued his involvement with the program after graduation, contributing time and resources to the pre-trip orientation and welcoming nearly 30 students and faculty members into his home in Abu Dhabi. Iowa State students who visited his home through the program were amazed and delighted by the level of generosity he and his family exhibited. After receiving his degree from Iowa State, Al Seiari worked for the Abu Dhabi National Oil Company in the United Arab Emirates. Al Seiari tragically died in a car accident in 2020 at the age of 22. His death was a great shock and monumental loss for all who knew him.
The United Arab Emirates in Washington, D.C. made its charitable gift through the Iowa State University Foundation, which is a private, nonprofit organization committed to securing and managing gifts that benefit Iowa State University.
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