Article by Sarah Whitesel, ORMC Graduate Assistant | March 3, 2020
In Ali AlDawood’s world, design and motion are beautiful things. A senior mechanical engineering major, AlDawood has dedicated the past several years to studying the real-world impact of physics, and as he describes it, it has been a time of tremendous growth and learning.
In a few months, AlDawood will graduate and receive his diploma, but the triumph of that moment will be made up of many small steps along the way, beginning with his budding interest in mechanical engineering at a young age.
“Applying physics concepts into real world applications grabbed my attention since middle school and shaped my interest to pursue mechanical engineering,” he explained.
This early interest in mechanical engineering held throughout the years, and after finishing high school in Saudi Arabia, AlDawood left for UD, with his first stop being at the ELI. For one year, AlDawood studied English at the ELI before he advanced UD to begin his undergraduate studies.
Now in his final semester as an undergraduate, AlDawood has found ways to harness his personal and academic growth from the past four years and develop it into something he can share with others. In January, AlDawood returned to the ELI to give current students a presentation on his senior research project. During the project, he made a positive impression on those listening, as described by Special Programs Advisor, MariaJose Riera.
“Despite being a Friday after a long day of classes, the students were engaged, interested, and asking lots of questions,” Riera explained.
For AlDawood, the presentation was a culmination of much academic and personal growth. AlDawood explained that throughout his four years of study at UD, he learned the importance of “planning macro-level goals while living micro-tasks.”
Just as the designs AlDawood now makes are informed by mechanical engineering principles, he has also gained principles that guide his approach to life and learning.
“I deeply recognize and appreciate the fact that learning is not just about the classroom; it is a never-ending process and a dynamic lifestyle,” he explained.
After graduation, AlDawood will work as a mechanical engineer for SABIC, and he also plans to start a business incorporating art and engineering. Yet, as AlDawood starts to look to the future, his impact from sharing with others will remain.
“I want everyone to remember that academic, social, and personal progress and accomplishment are iterative processes,” he explained. “Owning failures and turning them into success is not just cliche; it is a piece of powerful advice for a promising future.”