Amal Almalkawi

I am a second-year Ph.D. student in Architecture and Design Research at Virginia Tech in the US. Before this, I held a Master's Degree in Architectural Engineering from Jordan University of Science and Technology (JUST), accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board (NAAB), graduating in 2011. I also earned a Bachelor's in Architectural Engineering from JUST in 2007. During my Ph.D. studies at Virginia Tech, I ranked in the top 10% of the students, becoming a member of the Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi in 2023-2024. I received the Research Grant Award in 2022-2023 through the AAD Student Initiated Research Grant program at Virginia Tech. I worked with the Orange County Sustainability Decathlon Team and the US Department of Energy's Solar Decathlon Design Challenge. In 2018, I supervised a graduation initiative funded by the King Abdullah II Fund for Development. I have also mentored students in award-winning projects, including the Isustain Award in 2014 and an Honor Prize from the Jordan Engineers Association Competition for Graduation Projects in 2017. My involvement extends to initiatives promoting sustainability, such as the 'FIRST YOUTH-LED SUSTAINABILITY ORGANIZATION IN JORDAN' in partnership with JES and supported by the European Union in 2014.