Renowned in his field, Ali Dogru’s latest accomplishment is being elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, which is considered the highest professional honor accorded to an engineer.
Saudi Aramco Fellow Ali Dogru elected to U.S. National Academy of Engineering
Ali Dogru, Saudi Aramco Fellow and chief technologist at our EXPEC Advanced Research Center, has been elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE). Dogru was elected based on his outstanding achievements in the “Development of High Performance Computing in Hydrocarbon Reservoir Simulation.”
Election to the NAE is considered the highest professional honor accorded to an engineer. The NAE is an American nonprofit, nongovernmental organization that operates engineering programs designed to meet national needs, encourages education and research, and recognizes the superior achievements of engineers.
Induction ceremony for the NAE “Class of 2017” will be held Oct. 8 in Washington, D.C.
A Dream Come True
Dogru is internationally renowned in his field, having published more than 100 strong technical papers and having earned a number of U.S. patents for the company. In July 2012, he also received the prestigious selection as MIT Visiting Scientist, where he regularly delivers courses.
“This is a dream accomplished for me, my family, and Saudi Aramco,” said Dogru. “I am grateful for Saudi Aramco, its leaders, and my colleagues who provided me all the opportunities for success. I also want to thank all of my colleagues at the universities and industry with whom I have worked and who encouraged me during my career.”
In congratulating Dogru, Saudi Aramco president and CEO Amin Nasser said: “I hope Ali’s election to the NAE will spur and motivate our young scientists and researchers from Saudi Aramco to aspire, learn, and reach new and higher standards in science, engineering, and technology.”
Mohammad Y. Al Qahtani, senior vice president of Upstream, also recognized Dogru for his selection.
“This is an outstanding accomplishment for Ali and a significant achievement for Saudi Aramco,” said Al Qahtani. “Ali’s pre-eminent expertise has delivered to Saudi Aramco the world’s most powerful reservoir simulator with tremendous impact to our business.”
Dogru has been highly active in initiating and chairing numerous events conducted by international organizations, as well as delivering speeches at scientific and industry events around the world. Ali’s innovation, achievements and leadership have been recognized numerous times over the years through international awards. He also played a pivotal role in expanding Saudi Aramco’s global presence by establishing the computational research program at the Boston Global Research Center and greatly strengthening the MIT partnership.
“Everything starts with an idea, then comes hard work and persuasion. Vison is important,” said Dogru. “I think Saudi Aramco leaders have the right vision to support science and technology. Without such a vision, support and encouragement, I could not have achieved this. Thanks again to all at all levels in the company with whom I associated and who supported me. This honor is not just for me — it belongs to all.”
Saudi Aramco President and CEO, Amin Nasser
I hope Ali’s election to the NAE will spur and motivate our young scientists and researchers from Saudi Aramco to aspire, learn, and reach new and higher standards in science, engineering, and technology.
A Bit of History
Dogru earned his undergraduate and graduate degrees from Istanbul Technical University and later, his Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering & Applied Mathematics from the University of Texas.
In 1974, he worked as an assistant professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Texas at Austin before serving in the military. He taught at the Norwegian Institute of Technology, Trondheim between 1974-75, was a research associate at the California Institute of Technology, Chemical Engineering with professor John Seinfeld, 1976-1977, and an associate professor at Istanbul Technical University, 1977-1978. He joined the Engineering Numeric Corporation of Core Labs in Dallas in 1979 where he developed the Thermal Reservoir Simulator and Chemical Flood Simulator, and conducted steam injection and carbon dioxide injection field tests.
In 1982, he joined the Mobil Research & Development Company in Dallas. In 1988, he transferred to Saudi Aramco as a loanee from Mobil Oil Corp, and then in 1996, he joined Saudi Aramco.
During his career with the company, Dogru conducted field simulation studies and led the development team for the company’s first Parallel Oil Water Enhanced Reservoir Simulator, POWERS, in 2000. In 2010, under his leadership, the team released the industry’s first billion-cell reservoir simulator, GigaPOWERS, and he is now leading a team to develop the company’s — and industry-first — simulator capable of using a trillion cells, TeraPOWERS.
Dogru is a member of a number of scientific and professional organizations and has earned a number of awards, including SPE’s John Franklin Carrl award and World Oil’s Innovative Thinker Award.