Dr. Abu Obaid will be remembered as a colleague who was passionate, collegial, supportive and always willing to go the extra mile.

In Memoriam: Ahmad Abu Obaid

Article by Erica K. Brockmeier Photos courtesy of the Abu Obaid family May 08, 2024

Remembering associate scientist from UD’s Center for Composite Materials

Ahmad Abu Obaid, an associate scientist from the University of Delaware’s Center for Composite Materials, passed away on March 21, 2024.

Dr. Abu Obaid joined CCM in 2001, and during his more than 20-year career here at UD made a significant impact that advanced both the field of composites research overall as well as the ongoing efforts taking place here at CCM. He was also known by his colleagues as someone who was passionate, collegial, supportive and always willing to go the extra mile.

Dr. Abu Obaid earned his bachelor’s degree in physics/mathematics from Yarmouk University, his master’s degree in physics from the University of Jordan, and his Ph.D. in materials science from Technical University Berlin. His Ph.D. dissertation was focused on the production and characterization of aramid fibers and polyamide composites.

After earning his doctorate, Dr. Abu Obaid worked as a researcher at Technical University Berlin, then as a postdoctoral fellow at Weizman Institute of Science, before joining CCM as a postdoctoral researcher. He also spent time working at NRI Composites Innovations as a research and development scientist, a technical consultant at Endeavose Innovations, and was an assistant professor at Zarqa University.

Throughout his career, Dr. Abu Obaid dedicated his time to making progress in the fields of polymer science and composites, with a focus on processing, characterizing, and designing materials for applications related to infrastructure, transportation, energy and defense. While he worked on a wide range of projects related to composites at CCM, his expertise and interest in textile science also motivated him to develop new methods for studying the properties of high-performance polymer fibers.

He received a CCM Scholarship Award in 2008 and 2010, recognizing his high-quality publications and productivity, as well as the CCM Director’s Award in 2007 for his outstanding research contributions.

Dr. Abu Obaid receiving an award from Michael Chajes, current dean of UD’s Honors College and former dean of the College of Engineering.

Joseph Deitzel, a senior scientist at CCM, met Dr. Abu Obaid on Deitzel’s first day working at UD and describes Dr. Abu Obaid as a “friend, colleague and collaborator” that he knew for 23 years.

“Dr. Abu Obaid was a talented experimentalist — he had a unique ability to consider difficult technical challenges from different perspectives, which often led to solutions that eluded other researchers. That difference in perspective, coupled with a Herculean work ethic, helped him succeed where others were less successful,” said Deitzel.

Jack Gillespie, Donald C. Phillips Professor affiliated with the College of Engineering’s departments of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering and the former director of CCM, was Dr. Abu Obaid’s mentor and direct supervisor for 24 years.

During that time, Gillespie said they worked on dozens of research projects, resulting in two patents (both related to health monitoring using carbon nanotube sensors) and 38 publications. Dr. Abu Obaid also worked extensively with other CCM faculty and research staff, providing mentorship, training and supervision for many members of the CCM community, including students and interns.

“Dr. Abu Obaid was both an independent researcher and a valued, collaborative, and productive team member here at CCM,” said Gillespie. “He was dedicated, hardworking, creative, and he enjoyed doing research.”

“On a personal level, Dr. Abu Obaid will be remembered for his generous spirit and the enthusiasm that he brought to his work, day in and day out,” added Deitzel. “No one at our Center has put more of themselves into the work than Ahmad did, and he NEVER turned away a request from someone that needed help. His presence will be sorely missed.”

Dr. Abu Obaid is survived by his wife, Amal, and their four children.

CCM has set up a GoFundMe page to ease the immediate financial burden of Dr. Abu Obaid’s loss for his family.