US university names innovation programme after Algerian physicist

The University of Massachusetts Lowell (UMass Lowell) in the United States has named a permanent innovation programme after an Algerian physicist.

Algérie 360 reported that the programme is named after Noureddine Melikechi, dean of the Kennedy College of Sciences at UMass Lowell.

Its full name is "Dean Noureddine Melikechi Endowed Kennedy College of Sciences Faculty Innovation Fellowships". It is meant to support research and innovation at the college on a lasting basis.

The programme is funded by a donation of several million dollars from donor John Kennedy.

An initial investment of $2.5m was added to it.

The programme has two parts. The first supports teacher-researchers at different stages of their careers.

It helps them develop their research and accelerate their innovation projects.

The second part supports science PhD students who combine a PhD with a master in business administration (MBA).

This gives them both scientific expertise and management skills.

The programme is for teacher-researchers and science PhD students at the college.

Melikechi comes from Thénia, in the wilaya of Boumerdès. He works in quantum optics, spectroscopy and laser technology.

He took part in the NASA missions Mars Science Laboratory and Mars 2020.

His work included developing and processing data from the ChemCam instrument on the Curiosity rover and SuperCam on Perseverance.

His research also covers medical uses of laser technology. It includes early diagnosis of some diseases, among them ovarian and prostate cancers.

Before joining UMass Lowell, he founded and directed the Optics Research Centre at Delaware State University.