After working on research to improve the indoor air quality in buildings in Kuwait, I realized that the biggest setback in extreme climates hot or cold is the efficiency and power demand of HP systems.
Alhussain Othman is a graduate research assistant for the Center for Environmental Energy Engineering (CEEE) while pursuing a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of Maryland. He is a researcher within the Modeling and Optimization Consortium Group (MOC). He is expected to complete his Ph.D. program by 2026.
“I am grateful I joined CEEE because it is like a second family, which is a great thing when one is thousands of miles away from home,” Othman said. “Faculty in CEEE always provide their students with extensive support and guidance, which helps us to develop and harness more skills, and learn new applications.”
Prior to attending Maryland, he earned a bachelor’s and master’s degree from Kuwait University. He chose to further his studies and join CEEE for its high quality research in heat pump (HP) applications to improve the performance of such systems.
“After working on research to improve the indoor air quality in buildings in Kuwait, I realized that the biggest setback in extreme climates hot or cold is the efficiency and power demand of HP systems,” Othman said. “I decided to switch my research focus to improving the system performance. CEEE has extensive research and experience in this field, along with great in-house software tools to conduct the required research.”
Looking ahead, Othman would like to work for one of CEEE’s sponsor companies and further improve HP technologies here in the United States. Though, he says that his answer could change in three years when he graduates.
“I was never initially planning to get a Ph.D. but this is where my life has led me so far,” he said. “I am looking forward to seeing what other exciting things life has to offer.”
In his free time he enjoys long walks in nature and exploring different cultures through solo travel.
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