DASNR
International
Student of the Week
Home Country:
Lebanon
Lebanon, officially the Lebanese Republic, is a small, largely mountainous country in the Middle East located at the eastern edge of the Mediterranean Sea. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. The flag of Lebanon features a cedar in green against a white backdrop, bounded by two horizontal red stripes along the top and bottom. Due to its sectarian diversity, Lebanon follows a special political system, known as confessionalism, meant to distribute power as evenly as possible among different sects. Lebanon has a total area of 10,452 square kilometers, making it the 166 th largest country in the world. Most of that area is mountainous terrain, except for the narrow coastline and the Beqaa Valley, an integral part of Lebanon's agriculture.
Lebanon has a moderate Mediterranean climate. In coastal areas, winters are generally cool and rainy whilst summers are hot and humid. In more elevated areas, temperatures usually drop below 0°C during the winter with frequent (sometimes heavy) snow; summers, on the other hand, are warm and dry. Although most of Lebanon receives a relatively large amount of rainfall annually (compared to its arid surroundings), certain areas in north-eastern Lebanon receive little rainfall, due to the fact that the high peaks of the western mountain front block much of the rain clouds that originate over the Mediterranean Sea.
In ancient times, Lebanon housed large forests of the Cedars of Lebanon, which now serve as the country's national emblem. However, centuries of trading cedar trees, used by ancient mariners for boats, and the absence of any efforts to replant them have depleted Lebanon's once-flourishing cedar forests.
Pauline Aad
March 2007
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From the Department of Animal Science....
This weeks International Student of the Week is Pauline Aad. She is a PhD student in the Department of Animal Science and her concentration is Animal Breeding and Reproduction. Pauline is from the country of Lebanon and speaks fluent English, Arabic and French. Lebanon is a very small country with an area of about 1/10 the size of Oklahoma with a larger population. It is an old country and is famous for its “Cedars of the Gods”, which is mentioned in the Bible several times. The Lebanese people are descendants of the Phoenicians Canaanites who spread the Alphabet around the world. Pauline is the President of the Lebanese Student Association and is a representative for the Animal Science Graduate Student Association and the Graduate and Professional Student Government Association. When she is not busy with research and school she enjoys surfing the net, reading, working on puzzles, swimming and skiing. She came to the United States because she believed that she could get PhD in a field of animal science and eventually go back home to improve the animal industry and education. She chose Oklahoma State University because in 2002-2003, she was a Fulbright Visiting Research Scholar and worked at Dr. Leon J. Spicer’s lab. She was so impressed by his research program that she decided to continue her education here being advised under him. She finished her MS in 2005. She is very close and proud of her family who all reside and work in Lebanon. Her father Youssef is a professor of Arabic Literature at Lebanese University while her mother, Afafe is a grade school teacher. She also has four siblings, her oldest brother Faraj is a basketball coach and physical education teacher while her younger sister Roula is an Agricultural Engineer specializing in landscape. Her youngest brother Charles is a Computer and Communications Engineer while her youngest sister Marie-Lise just graduated with a BS in Acting and Production. Her future plans are to receive her PhD and plan to go back to Lebanon where she believes she can help students be better prepared for an animal science career. Also, she believes that change is needed in the Lebanese animal industry, and wishes to create a change in the field. “Perseverance and hard work are key to the future. Language or cultural barriers should not stand in the way of international students to succeed in their field. I do hope though that international students be more determined to go back home since that is their countries’ ticket for change,” said Aad. Her advisor is Dr. Leon Spicer Interview by Taryn Fast
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Beirut, Lebanon, as seen from the sky.
