From Civil Engineering to Microbiologist

by Shibli Al-Shami

My career started in 1968 with a degree in Civil Engineering at Damascus University to work in the Utility and Housing Ministry in Damascus. By chance I designed a sewerage of small village and two years later, I became the head of the waste water disposal works design office. I designed water and waste water works throughout my army service.

 

The Syrian Government appointed me as assistant lecturer in Damascus University Civil Engineering Faculty. The Environment department then sent me out to the UK  for training in the environment field.

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I started at Imperial college in London University studying for a DIC in Public Health engineering, which was very helpful at the inception of my career in the environment field.

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Professor K.C. Rockey, head of the Civil and Structural Engineering Department at University College, arranged with Professor D.E. Hughes, head of the Microbiology department at University College Cardiff, to give me a chance to do my PhD in the environment field.

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Dr D.A. Stafford (Microbiology Department) and Dr B.H. Williams (Civil and Structural Engineering Department) were my supervisors studying bacterial adhesion on plastic surfaces with particular tolerance to nitrifying organisms. I am forever very grateful to them for their continued help and interest.

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I found myself in the Microbiology Department as a member of a family and had the interest of all the staff in Microbiology in my project. Thanks are also due to Dr D Lloyd (as friend and supervisor and later he became Professor Lloyd, in the Microbiology Department after Professor D.E. Hughes).

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Thanks too for help from Dr JWT Wimpenny, Dr AG Gallely, Dr AJ Griffiths, Dr T Coakley, Mr EC Hill and Mrs D Leigh for all information and assistance of many kinds in the Microbiology Department.

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Thanks are also due to Mr JO Doley of the Department of Civil and Structural Engineering, Dr JG Thomas of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Dr RW Snidle of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Energy Studies, Dr JL Taylor of the Metallurgy and Materials Sciences Department and Dr F Pooley of the Department of Mineral Exploitation.

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After 20 years now, I'm still grateful to the Microbiology Department, especially David the greatest (Professor DE Hughes), David the greater (Professor D Lloyd) and David the great (Dr DA Stafford).

 

Now I have become the head person in the Middle East as Environment chairman, expert for the WHO, Professor of Environmental Engineering in Damascus University and the chairman for Postgraduate Studies in the Syrian environment, all due to the help and the interest of three David's.

 

Also I am the lead for the action plan for the Syrian environment as well as supervisor in Civil Engineering building the utilities for the expansion of Damascus such as roads, concrete, soils, walls, asphalt, water and waste water works and electrical and communication works.

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So now I am a Civil and Public Health Engineer, but the only time I did scientific research was in my work as a microbiologist in the Microbiology Department at University College, Cardiff, under the supervision of Dr Stafford, Dr Lloyd and Professor Hughes.