Congratulations to Dr. Abdalaziz Hamdan

Dr. Hamdan received his PhD from Memorial University in August, 2022, under the supervision of Dr. Scott MacLachlan, for a thesis entitled, Finite-element methods for fourth-order problems and smectic A liquid crystals.

A key goal of applied mathematical research is to use mathematical tools to improve our understanding of physical and industrial processes in the world around us, particularly at scales where classical theoretical and experimental science fail to yield clear answers.  Dr. Hamdan’s thesis does just this for the class of “smectic” liquid crystals that possess a unique layering structure that has been hypothesized to be useful in assembling nano-scale devices, such as photonic crystals.  While mathematical models of smectic liquid crystals were first proposed in the 1970’s, much of their structure remains hidden to us, due to their extremely small length scales that can only be imaged indirectly.  Dr. Hamdan’s thesis focuses on the development of computational tools to accurately simulate the structure of smectic liquid crystals in equilibrium, allowing physicists and engineers to better understand these materials and how they can be used in physical and industrial processes.

Congratulations to Dr. Hamdan and we wish him lots of success in his career ahead.