QF partner Tamuq picks 'Alumnus of the Year'

Ali Dashti from the Class of 2008 has been named the 2024 'Alumnus of the Year' by Texas A&M University at Qatar (Tamuq), a Qatar Foundation partner university.The award was presented to Dashti during the university’s annual alumni reunion.Dashti is the ninth Alumnus of the Year named by Tamuq. Previous recipients are Muna al-Mohannadi ’10, Yousef al-Jaber ’07, Mariam al-Meer ’12, Dr Nayef Alyafei ’09, Mariam al-Bishri ’12, Bassam Ahmad ’11, Abeer Abuhelaiqa ’11, and Azhar Khan ’13.Dashti said: "As an Aggie, I've always cherished the values of excellence, integrity, and leadership instilled in me while at Texas A&M University at Qatar. Winning the Alumnus of the Year Award is not just an honour, but a testament to the enduring impact of Aggie Spirit in shaping individuals and communities."Since graduating from Texas A&M with a degree in chemical engineering in 2008, Dashti quickly climbed the industry ladder. In RasGas, he started his career as a process engineer and was then promoted to production engineering specialist followed by head of maintenance, then head of operations and finally operations excellence manager. In 2021, he became asset manager at QatarEnergy LNG, becoming one of the youngest people to assume this position, demonstrating resilience and exceptional leadership in the highly competitive environment of QatarEnergy LNG.Dashti also obtained a master of science in data science and engineering from Hamad Bin Khalifa University in 2020. For several years, Dashti has also served as a member of Tamuq’s Chemical Engineering Industrial Advisory Board. Dr Cesar Octavio Malave, dean of Tamuq, said Dashti has served as a great ambassador for the university.