Alia Sabur
Encyclopedia
Alia Sabur is an American
materials scientist
. She holds the record for being the world's youngest professor
.
at the age of 14. She had left public school in 4th grade, was admitted to State University of New York at Stony Brook
at the age of 10 and graduated summa cum laude at 14. She also received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do
at the age of 9.
After Stony Brook, Sabur attended Drexel University
where she received her M.S.
in 2006.
Alia is recipient of the 2007 Dean fellowship from Drexel University.
In 2007 she took a temporary position at Southern University
in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
.
“Alia was recruited by the most competitive graduate schools in the country. She is a tremendous addition to our rapidly growing program,” said College of Engineering Dean Selçuk Güçeri. “She is a fast learner and a creative thinker.”
since 1717.
She was a professor in the Department of Advanced Technology Fusion at Konkuk University
in Seoul
, South Korea
. Sabur, who signed a one-year contract with Konkuk University in February 2008 and began teaching there in June 2008, returned to her hometown of New York early 2009, without renewing her contract.
to illustrate her idea, which BP
considered as an option to help alleviate the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
in the Gulf of Mexico
.
"But that was when I grew disillusioned with the science world. I saw bad conduct and realised that some professors weren’t motivated by a love of science. I fell out with the adviser who was supervising my PhD. I sued Drexel University in a civil lawsuit and the case has now gone into private, binding arbitration. I believe my adviser applied for grants and patents using my ideas, and took credit for them. He denies this and has accused me of stealing his work. Even though the university has cleared me of plagiarism it has still refused to award me my PhD.", says Financial Times article.
This is the second lawsuit involving the Sabur family. In the previous one Alia Sabur's "parents brought suit on behalf of their daughter and alleged that defendants board of education, its members, and the school district failed to provide their daughter with appropriate educational services in violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" (excerpt from reference; case 203 F. Supp. 2d 292 US District Court For the Eastern District of New York, decided May 8, 2002) . The case was dismissed.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
materials scientist
Materials science
Materials science is an interdisciplinary field applying the properties of matter to various areas of science and engineering. This scientific field investigates the relationship between the structure of materials at atomic or molecular scales and their macroscopic properties. It incorporates...
. She holds the record for being the world's youngest professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
.
Early life and education
Sabur became known after being accepted into graduate schoolGraduate school
A graduate school is a school that awards advanced academic degrees with the general requirement that students must have earned a previous undergraduate degree...
at the age of 14. She had left public school in 4th grade, was admitted to State University of New York at Stony Brook
State University of New York at Stony Brook
The State University of New York at Stony Brook, also known as Stony Brook University, is a public research university located in Stony Brook, New York, on the North Shore of Long Island, about east of Manhattan....
at the age of 10 and graduated summa cum laude at 14. She also received a black belt in Tae Kwon Do
Taekwondo
Taekwondo is a Korean martial art and the national sport of South Korea. In Korean, tae means "to strike or break with foot"; kwon means "to strike or break with fist"; and do means "way", "method", or "path"...
at the age of 9.
After Stony Brook, Sabur attended Drexel University
Drexel University
Drexel University is a private research university with the main campus located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. It was founded in 1891 by Anthony J. Drexel, a noted financier and philanthropist. Drexel offers 70 full-time undergraduate programs and accelerated degrees...
where she received her M.S.
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 2006.
Alia is recipient of the 2007 Dean fellowship from Drexel University.
In 2007 she took a temporary position at Southern University
Southern University
Southern University and A&M College is a historically black college located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The Baton Rouge campus is located on Scott’s Bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the northern section...
in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
.
“Alia was recruited by the most competitive graduate schools in the country. She is a tremendous addition to our rapidly growing program,” said College of Engineering Dean Selçuk Güçeri. “She is a fast learner and a creative thinker.”
Mathematics career
On 19 February 2008, when she was appointed professor of mathematics at 18 years of age, the Guinness Book of World Records named Sabur the World's Youngest Professor, a designation that had been held by Colin MaclaurinColin Maclaurin
Colin Maclaurin was a Scottish mathematician who made important contributions to geometry and algebra. The Maclaurin series, a special case of the Taylor series, are named after him....
since 1717.
She was a professor in the Department of Advanced Technology Fusion at Konkuk University
Konkuk University
Konkuk University is a private university located in Seoul and Chungju. The Seoul campus is located in the southeastern part of Seoul, near the Han River, and is served by a metro station of the same name. The university possesses accreditation from the South Korean Ministry of Culture and Education...
in Seoul
Seoul
Seoul , officially the Seoul Special City, is the capital and largest metropolis of South Korea. A megacity with a population of over 10 million, it is the largest city proper in the OECD developed world...
, South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Sabur, who signed a one-year contract with Konkuk University in February 2008 and began teaching there in June 2008, returned to her hometown of New York early 2009, without renewing her contract.
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
In June 2010 Sabur appeared on CNN and Fox News' HannityHannity
Hannity is a television show on the Fox News network, a replacement to the long-running show Hannity & Colmes. It is hosted by conservative political pundit Sean Hannity....
to illustrate her idea, which BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
considered as an option to help alleviate the Deepwater Horizon oil spill
Deepwater Horizon oil spill
The Deepwater Horizon oil spill is an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico which flowed unabated for three months in 2010, and continues to leak fresh oil. It is the largest accidental marine oil spill in the history of the petroleum industry...
in the Gulf of Mexico
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
.
Graduate school controversy
In 2008, Sabur filed civil suit against Drexel University, claiming that the university engaged in fraud and defamation regarding Sabur's pursuit of a doctoral degree. In the suit, Sabur charges that Yury Gogotsi, her former Ph.D. advisor, improperly used her research to apply for grants, and deliberately obstructed her degree. Trial proceedings began on August 9, 2010."But that was when I grew disillusioned with the science world. I saw bad conduct and realised that some professors weren’t motivated by a love of science. I fell out with the adviser who was supervising my PhD. I sued Drexel University in a civil lawsuit and the case has now gone into private, binding arbitration. I believe my adviser applied for grants and patents using my ideas, and took credit for them. He denies this and has accused me of stealing his work. Even though the university has cleared me of plagiarism it has still refused to award me my PhD.", says Financial Times article.
This is the second lawsuit involving the Sabur family. In the previous one Alia Sabur's "parents brought suit on behalf of their daughter and alleged that defendants board of education, its members, and the school district failed to provide their daughter with appropriate educational services in violation of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act" (excerpt from reference; case 203 F. Supp. 2d 292 US District Court For the Eastern District of New York, decided May 8, 2002) . The case was dismissed.