Esmail Abdul Fattah
Esmail Abdul Fattah
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Education
Education
Postdoctoral Researcher in High Performance Computing, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia.
Ph.D. in Statistics, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia.
Masters in Computational Science, American University of Beirut, Lebanon with GPA = 4.
Completed 12 credits towards Teaching Diploma, Lebanese International University, Khyara, Bekaa, Lebanon.
B.S. in Mathematics, Haigazian University, Beirut, Lebanon with GPA = 3.93.
Minor in Computer Sciences, Haigazian University, Beirut Lebanon.
Awards
Awards
The 2023 Al-Kindi Research Award for demonstrating outstanding research during my PhD from Statistics Department, KAUST.
Best presentation award for the 8th KAUST-NVIDIA Workshop on Accelerating Scientific Applications using GPUs, KAUST, Saudi Arabia
Winner for a poster award in the Bayesian Computation category at ISBA22, Montreal, Canada, for my project “Approximate Bayesian Inference for the Interaction Types 1, 2, 3 and 4 with Application in Disease Mapping”
Honored with a full merit-based graduate fellowship and assistant program for my Masters studies funded by the American University of Beirut
Awarded with a full merit-based scholarship program funded by USAID (United States Agency of International Development) for my undergraduate studies at Haigazian University
Winner of the “Outstanding Marketing Campaign Award” and second place in the “Social Entrepreneurship Competition”
Chosen as one of the top-rated students in demonstrating true Leadership by “Beyond Reform and Development”
News
News
When you open LinkedIn, you often see posts filled with positivity: everything is good, everything is fine, everyone is pleased. However, not every experience is just about feeling good. Instead of writing a typical “everything is perfect” post, I want to share some real reflections from my recent visit to Singapore and SupercomputingAsia 2025 (#SCA25).
1. A Tale of Two Societies
In my hometown, Lebanon, we pride ourselves on coexistence, yet our society remains governed by a rigid sectarian quota system. In Singapore, however, I saw what true diversity looks like in practice: Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Hindus, Taoists, and others living together in mutual respect. This diversity isn't just a slogan; it fuels a "highly developed", well-organized, and efficient society, qualities Lebanon still struggles to achieve.
There are two types of people: Visa People and Non-Visa People.
✈ Non-Visa People:
They breeze through borders, flash their passports, and get a cheerful "Welcome!" from immigration. Life is good.
🛂 Visa People
For them, travel is a mission. A high-stakes paperwork heist. A test of patience, finances, and willpower. To even consider stepping into a Non-Visa land, they must gather:
1. Bank Statements: A six-month saga detailing every coffee, snack, and impulse buy.
Read more.
I believe 𝐬𝐓𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 project will be a turning point for 𝐡𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐝𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 in Bayesian inference using 𝐈𝐍𝐋𝐀!
As we step into 2025, I am proud to share my first work in high-performance computing: 𝐬𝐓𝐢𝐥𝐞𝐬 – a fresh perspective on sparse linear algebra using tiled approaches, combining the efficiency of sparse techniques with the scalability of dense computations.
This work represents a significant leap forward in computational Bayesian statistics, offering greater scalability, higher resolutions, and accurate results, all while reshaping how we model and compute in this field.
For me, this is more than just research; it marks a milestone in my career, a way to give back to 𝐊𝐀𝐔𝐒𝐓, where I’ve been fortunate to grow, and to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to which I owe my deepest gratitude.
I extend my heartfelt thanks to 𝐃𝐫. 𝐇𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐦 𝐋𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐑𝐮𝐞, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐃𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐝 𝐊𝐞𝐲𝐞𝐬 for their invaluable guidance and support. A special thanks to Fatima Abdul Fattah for the incredible logo design!
𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐝 – 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐛𝐲 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦!
A preprint is here. Enjoy reading!
Ending 2024 with a New Publication in Statistics and Computing by Springer Nature (After 3 Rejections).
Why is this paper special?
Most rejected paper in my journey, facing three rejections before being accepted.
First implementation of INLA based on dense matrices.
First to re-write INLA, considering its technicalities, including integration of the latent field and hyperparameters.
Represents the core of my Ph.D. research.
Won a poster award at the ISBA meeting in Canada for preliminary work on this paper.
The most educational paper in my journey, it pushed me to grow both statistically and computationally.
Combines statistical and computational contributions, bridging these disciplines in a novel way.
Full paper is here.
A PhD. student who published one paper is unhappy because another PhD student published five.
The PhD student with five papers is unhappy because they have fewer citations than a colleague.
A PhD. student with an appreciative advisor is unhappy because their research funding is limited.
• The student with less publication pressure is unhappy because they lack access to cutting-edge laboratory equipment.
𝐔𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬!
𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟎 was tough. Bullied for loving to learn, I faced taunts and fear, but I stayed strong, not letting it stop my academic dreams.
𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟏 brought a big scholarship for my undergrad studies, a reward for hard work but with the pressure to keep high grades. I also had to take an extra English course, which was frustrating but ended up being a good turn. This was the year I moved from quiet Bekaa Valley to lively Beirut.
Read more.
Winner of the 2023 - Al Kindi Research Award!!!
Winner of the 2023 - Al Kindi Research Award!!!
Dec 23
Being honored with the 2023 Al Kindi Student Research Award during my tenure at KAUST is a moment of great pride and a significant milestone in my academic journey. This accolade not only fuels my passion for deeper exploration but also validates the importance of my contributions to the fields of optimization, spatial and Bayesian statistics, and high-performance computing. It serves as a powerful motivator, encouraging me to delve further into these captivating areas of research and continue making impactful discoveries.
Teaching Assistant at KAUST Academy for AI Program!
Teaching Assistant at KAUST Academy for AI Program!
Jan - March 23
Teaching experience is always a cherished experience. You go as a teacher but you come back as a student with gained valuable insights and learning perspectives. A recent teaching experience was at KAUST Academy, a wonderful program that prepares students for a Master's in AI.
Learning is in itself an incredibly enjoyable experience and an endless opportunity for improvement!
Special thanks to Dr. Sultan Barakati, Dr. David Pugh and Angela Baranski!
Another remarkable experience!
Another remarkable experience!
If you are thirst to knowledge, enthusiasm to learn new skills, eager to unleash the inner power you have, and you want to improve your communication skills skills, build a professional network and learn more about design_thinking then entrepreneruship is what you are looking for! You can transform challenges to opportunities for change and development. AND HERE WHAT I WAS PART OF:
Entrepreneurship for All program - special edition - Summer 2021 at KAUST and it was in partnership with UC Berkeley, Stanford and Cornell University.
Thanks for the great three teams! AND FOR THE AMAZING KAUST INNOVATION TEAM!!!!
Yessss! Internationally certified coach !
Yessss! Internationally certified coach !
Extremely excited to be a part of the upcoming peer coaching initiative at KAUST.
Special thanks to the awesome coach Luke Salway, Timothy Grubbs, MBA, PCC, and the professional development office at KAUST.
Program lead by Coachology !
Teaching is really fun!
Teaching is really fun!
Teaching assistant is assisting this fun!
Teaching assistant is assisting this fun!
I have been doing this type of assistant for four years now. I believe that you can't MASTER the knowledge you have without being able to explain it. AND when you learn it and keep practicing it, no one can take it from you!
To be honest I used to be that diligent student who always wants that "A"! This is how many educational systems are set to be or want us to be. However, the teacher plays a big role in changing this. I like curious students who keep asking to learn and to understand! SO BE CURIOUS! AND LET OTHERS BE CURIOUS OF HOW CURIOUS YOU ARE!
It is a very enlightening experience when you decide to assist in a different course each semester! It expands your knowledge, empowers your mind, and prepares you well for any future challenging research. AND you understand the teacher's perspective, styles, and some teaching tricks 😉.
Here are the courses I was part of as assistant so far:
1. Bayesian Statistics
2. c++
3. Numerical Linear Algebra
4. Linear Models
5. Numerical Computing
6. Discrete Models for Differential Equations
That's wonderful! Isn't it? 😉
You can assist YES !!! but you should have some impact and positive influence on how the course is taught.
In the photo, a new screen to assist me in assisting the above type of assistance 😁 and currently for cooking McMC questions for the Bayesian class 😋.
Poster Award!
Poster Award!
My first visit to Canada is memorable and notable not for its fascinating nature only 😃 but because I have been selected for the poster award winner 🎉 in the Bayesian Computation category 💪🏻 in the International Society for Bayesian Analaysis, Montreal, 2️⃣0️⃣2️⃣2️⃣. See some stunning photos in the city here.
Today in Montréal I proved excellence in my research 💪🏻 I did it 🥳 Alhamdulillah!
Here is an arxiv paper:
My PhD Proposal, Feb 2022
My PhD Proposal, Feb 2022
The "crazy" technology has been changing the way we think! My PhD. proposal went fantastic today, and it has impressed the committee!
It tackles 4 fields:
1. Bayesian Statistics
2. Dense linear algebra
3. Unconstrained Optimization
4. High Performance Computing
INLA+ is on the way! (Integrated Nested Laplace Approximation Plus)
Adam is Smart!
Adam is Smart!
Be like Adam.
Be like Adam.
(The Smart Gradient Project)
Adam, who is blind, wants to reach his fiance, Sarah, at the top of the mountain. He wants to compute the gradient at each point.
Sarah becomes nervous so quickly, so an accurate smart gradient is needed.
Adam can't see the top, but he can move steps around him and he can get the gradient numerically using his talking calculator.
(Let's say it is in an unconstrained optimization framework where the mode of the function is the top of the mountain and a gradient needed to be computed at each point.)
Luckly, Adam uses my Smart Gradient technique to reach Sarah. Instead of using the default directions to compute gradients: (1,0,0) - (0,1,0) - (0,0,1)
He uses different directions: (d11,d12,d13) - (d21,d22,d33) - (d31,d32,d33)
As simple as that! It is more efficient! more robust! more accurate!
Sarah is happy now. See the photo.
Here is my recent online published paper about Smart Gradient! It exploits coordinate transformation and previous descent directions to improve the accuracy of the gradient with essentially not much cost.
Adam is Smart!
Be like Adam.
PADILEIA Project!
PADILEIA Project!
My experience at PADILEIA has had an impact on my career, as it was the first station in the field of education. The project has been implemented by AUB and funded by King's College London in collaboration with Kayani organization.
This picture was the end of a busy fruitful year with students full of hope, energy and enthusiasm. I am confident enough that they are having plans that meet their aspirations.
Then I completed as a coordinator of the Math subject in the program lasted until this year, and resulted in the booklet (attached) starting with the first version 2018 and continues with more versions and development.
AND this for me will always keep teaching as career to be the career of passion, challenge and persistence!!!
Heroes Not Patients!
Heroes Not Patients!
(Summer 2016)
Volunteering at Children Cancer Center of Lebanon was a unique rewarding experience in my life. It was one year ago when I heard about the chance to volunteer at CCCL. I grabbed this opportunity, attended the orientation workshop and began volunteering. As my role was to directly impact the survival of children fighting tragic illnesses and provide a family atmosphere full of love, hope, faith and fun. The children and teenagers were of various ages, backgrounds and interests. We performed many activities in the benefit of entertainment which they all seemed to enjoy, to name some: UNO, Babyfoot matches, building puzzles and many others. We watched TV Cartoons, sang music, and colored beautiful pictures together. At their rooms, we chatted, talked and laughed about funny stories that happened in our lives. They were as new sisters and brothers to me, with their cheerful smiles and joyful behavior. I often end my day with reading an interesting story to a child or playing against each other GTA on the computer. I was very sorry to see that children from one to eighteen years should have a chemotherapy every two weeks. One of the children was unable to talk, I became speechless in front of her. I tried to read a story to her and make some movements in my hands and face. With the cooperation of other volunteers, we tried to keep the children blissful by spreading love and ... Read more.
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