Ahmad Kabbani, a lecturer in materials science and nanoengineering (MSNE) at Rice and a “kind and helping person,” died in September.
“Ahmad was a chemist, interested in fundamental inorganic chemistry and thermodynamics. He was not active in research at Rice but taught courses in MSNE on topics including electrochemistry, polymer science and nanochemistry,” said Pulickel Ajayan, the Benjamin M. and Mary Greenwood Anderson Professor of Engineering and chair of MSNE.
He was a visiting professor at Rice starting in 2006 and a research scientist in 2007, teaching graduate-level crystallography/diffraction courses. Kabbani joined the Rice faculty in 2019 and taught such courses as heterogeneous catalysis and polymer electronics. His son Mohammad Kabbani earned his Ph.D. in MSNE from Rice in 2016.
Ahmad Kabbani earned his B.S and M.S. in chemistry from Lebanese University, Beirut, in 1972 and 1973, respectively. He earned a second M.S. in chemistry from American University of Beirut in 1974 and his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of California, Davis, in 1979.
He joined the faculty of Lebanese American University in 1987, retiring in 2019 as a professor of chemistry. He served from 1995 to 2012 as chair of the Department of Natural Sciences.
“He was a kind and helping person who was always ready to step in to help. He loved students. Teaching and mentoring them made up his academic life. He was an outstanding teacher and the students loved him,” Ajayan said.