top of page

Welcome

and thank you for visiting myWebsite

 

My name is Waled Suliman (وليد سليمان/in Arabic), pronouncing my first name is like "Oualead" or "Walead"; it is an Arabic name meaning Newborn :)

 

I am currently a postdoctoral research associate at the Composite Materials and Engineering Center in Washington. Here, I help with the center’s goal of “developing new bio-based materials from a range of recycled and virgin resources”. I was a research assistant in the Biological Systems Engineering Department and the Soil Science Department at Washington State University, in which I received the Excellence Award for Outstanding Performance. As always, I enjoy collaborating with scientists from different disciplines to develop new skills and solve new challenges.

 

Last year, I received my Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Washington State University (WSU), where I specialized in biochar chemistry, along with soil and environmental microbiology. My Ph.D. dissertation entitled Toward an Understanding of The Role of Biochar as an Agro-Environmental Tool: Potential for Control Water Release, Bacterial Retention, and Greenhouse Gas Emissions. I studied the structure and composition of biochar at micro- and nano-scales as a function of production conditions and feedstock selection. I also explored ways to understand and enhance its capability in sequestering carbon, retaining soil water, and attenuating pathogen transport through sandy soils as well as cleaning water from microbial and chemical contaminants. 

 

I was pursuing this research with four professors; Prof. Manuel Garcia-Perez in the Biomass Thermochemical Conversion lab, Prof. Ann-Marie Fortuna in the Soil Microbiology lab, Prof. Nehal Abu-Lail in the Bio-Engineering labs, and Prof. James Harsh in the Soil Chemistry lab.

 

 

A little from the past

 

I grew up in Gaminus city, Libya, and studied Biological Sciences as an undergrad at Botany Department, Garyounis University, from 1995-1999. During that time, I spent several summers working on the field of microbiology in research Laboratories at the college of science, mostly as a volunteer or an undergard research assistant. I worked with many graduate students, researchers, and professors specifically on general microbiological techniques from media preparation to microorganism isolation and identification. 

 

At the same department, I joined the group of Prof. Haider working on a new approach to single cell protein production called Ag-wastes for Single Cell Protein and Lipid (Ag-SCPL). I used the leftovers of Date syrup manufacturing as a carbon source for growing Sacromyces cerevices (an unicellular yeast) and Penicillium sopi (a multicellular fungus). For this study, I examined several growth conditions and nitrogen sources to maximize the production of fungal cell protein. Before grad school, I spent a summer at the Centeral Medical Laboratory (CML), Benghazi, training on Diagnostic Microbiology after took five classes in Microbiology and an advanced lab-training course on the laboratory techniques in applied microbiology with Dr. Rajab Tobjee. 

 

After two years, I started my Master program in the same department. My Master's thesis research was a site-specific survey of macro-fungi that focused mainly on fungal taxonomy and ecology. For this study, I collected many samples from the northeastern region of Libya, and I identified them based on their morphological, microscopical, and chemical characteristics.

 

I think the study was one of the most in-depth examinations ever made of the Libyan fungal communities. I was blessed to identify about 21 species which never found before in the region. I’m sure that some of my collected samples are even new to the world, simply, because the area, where I worked in, is still unexplored.

 

After obtaining my M.Sc. degree, I decided to make a very sharp move to the field of biomass thermochemical conversion by joining the lab of Prof. Manuel Garcia-Preze at Washington State University.  I was so lucky to have the opportunity to work closely with Prof. Manuel who was always ready to share his immense knowledge in field of Bioenergy Technology. 

 

 

If you want to reach out or have questions,

please do not hesitate to connect with me.

 

Thank you for joining me on my journey,

 

 

 

Waled Suliman, PhD

 

Department of Biological Systems Engineering,

1935 E. Grimes Way

Smith Hall, room 104

Washington State University

Pullman, WA 99164 

 

bottom of page