
Syrian Women at the Heart of the Revolution
These women are not just names in the memory of the revolution, but rather a foundation for building a free Syria. Their struggle is a living testimony that change begins
Dennis Sciama (1926-1999)
One of the Fathers of Modern Cosmology
Born in England to Syrian Jewish parents who traced their roots to Aleppo, Dennis was one of the world’s leading physicists. He is known for the huge role he played in the renaissance of British physics in the post-WWII era, both through his own work and that of his extremely influential school of students which he created.
He mentored and supervised over 70 PhD students, of whom were: Stephen Hawking; George F. R. Ellis; Brandon Carter (formulator of the Anthropic Principle in cosmology); and David Deutch (the founding father of quantum computing).
Jerrier A. Haddad (1922-2017)
Co-developer of IBM’s First Commercial Scientific Computer
The son of the prominent Syrian writer Abd al-Masih Haddad, Jerrier was a US-born pioneer computer engineer at the multinational technology company of IBM, he co-developed and designed IBM’s first commercial scientific computer, the IBM 701 Electronic Data Processing Machine, which was also its first mass-produced mainframe computer.
He was also the co-developer of IBM 604, the world’s first mass-produced programmable electronic calculator. During his journey, he secured 19 patents in the computer and electronics fields.
Frank Harary (1921-2005)
The Father of Modern Graph Theory
Born in the US to a Jewish family originally from Syria, Frank was widely recognized as the father of Modern Graph Theory, a theory he helped found and popularize through the 700 academic papers he wrote and/or contributed to, in addition to 8 books he wrote or co-authored.
Among other things, Harary is credited with the invention of the signed graph, a type of mathematical structure in which each edge is assigned a positive or negative sign. This concept has proved to be a useful tool for sociological and psychological research, in addition to being useful for the fields of physics and chemistry.
Jorge Sahade (1915–2012)
First Latin American to Become President of the IAU
An Argentine-born internationally recognized astronomer who was the first Latin American to become the president of the International Astronomical Union (IAU) from 1985 to 1988, a union in which he had held many other prestigious positions. In the Argentinian Capital, he established the Institute of Astronomy and Physics of Space within the University of Buenos Aires and was its first director.
Sahade was extremely dedicated to the promotion and development of astronomy in Argentina and Latin America, his efforts eventually led to the establishment of the Latin American League of Astronomy.
Ayah Bdeir (born in 1982)
One of the World’s Leaders of the Open Source Hardware Movement
Born in Lebanon to a Syrian family, Ayah is an entrepreneur, inventor, and interactive artist. She is the founder and CEO of LittleBits, an open-source library of electronic modules that enables users to explore and learn about electronics through prototypes. Ayah’s LittleBits has had a huge impact on millions around the world. Having written curricula that are used in more than 20,000 schools worldwide, LittleBits is an industry leader with over 20 million users. Ayah received numerous recognitions & awards, in addition to her inventions being included in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).
Dina Katabi (born 1970)
One of the World’s Most Influential Women Engineers
A Damascus-born professor of electrical engineering and computer science at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, recognized as one the world’s most innovative researchers in the field of wireless networks.
Among many other achievements, she co-developed a faster technique for carrying out the Fourier transformation, a mathematical technique for handling continuous data flow that is fundamental to the functioning of various technologies such as digital medical imaging, Wi-Fi routers, and 4G cellular networks.
Rolando Chuaqui (1935-1994)
A Mathematician Who Shaped Chile’s Scientific Legacy
A Chilean mathematician whose family emigrated from Homs, Syria, who became one of the most influential figures in the advancement of formal sciences in Chile in the twentieth century through his development efforts. He played a pivotal role in establishing and developing mathematics departments at multiple universities throughout Chile.
Fawwaz Ulaby (born 1943)
Designer of the World’s First Radar to Fly in Space
Damascus-born professor of electrical engineering who is known for his abundant and groundbreaking contributions to the fields of Terahertz technology and Microwave remote sensing. In the 1970s, he designed the world’s first radar to fly on satellite for Skylab, the first US space station.
In addition to serving as the founding director of a NASA-funded Center for Space Terahertz Technology at the University of Michigan, he has also led many large interdisciplinary NASA projects aimed at the development of high-resolution satellite radar sensors.
Hunein Maassab (1926-2014)
Developer of the Nasal Spray Flu Vaccine
As an immigrant from Damascus to the US, Massab was a world-renowned epidemiologist who persevered for more than 40 years to develop the Live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV), a vaccine now sprayed into the noses of millions around the world every year to protect them from influenza. The vaccine is known by its brand name, FluMist.
These women are not just names in the memory of the revolution, but rather a foundation for building a free Syria. Their struggle is a living testimony that change begins
Najeeb Halaby was a Syrian-American pioneer in aviation with an extraordinary journey. He was the first to make a nonstop jet flight across the US and led the largest American
Syrian artists like Marwan Barakat remind us of the cultural and social wealth that Syrians have to offer to the world, and inspire us to express ourselves and our talents,