Noureddine Melikechi

Noureddine Melikechi
Distinguished Professor of Physics, Director of OSCAR, NASA Affiliated Employee, JPL, Mars Science Laboratory
Born	1958 Thenia, Algeria
Fields	Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physics, STEM Education
Institutions	Delaware State University; University of Miami, OH; Vassar College, NY, University of Delaware, University of Toulouse, France, Univ. Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene, Algeria
Alma mater	University Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene
Doctoral advisor	Professor Leslie Allen Professor Edward E. Eyler
Known for	Optics & Photonics, Education Leader
Notable awards	NASA Group Achievement Award Mars Science Laboratory, 2013 Arfken Scholar-in-Residence Miami University, 2013 Academic Research Award DE Bioscience Asso., 2012 Delaware Ambassador to Mars The Honorable Jack Markell, Governor, 2011

Noureddine Melikechi, D.Phil (born in 1958) is an Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physicist, educator and inventor. He is the author of more than 125 peer-reviewed publications, three book chapters and 15 patents. Dr. Melikechi is a member of the Mars Science Laboratory, NASA’s largest Mars exploration effort to date.

Background

Early Years

Dr. Melikechi was born in 1958 in the town of Thénia, derived from its Berber name Tizi n’At Aycha, in the wilaya of Boumerdès, Algeria. After graduating from Thénia’s middle school, the young Noureddine left his town for the Lycee Abane Ramdane in El-Harrach, Algiers. There he received his Baccalaureate in Mathematics. He enrolled at the University Houari Boumediene of Sciences and Technology of Algiers where he earned a Diplôme d'Études Supérieures in Physics. He went on to pursue graduate work in England where he worked towards his Masters and Doctorate in the laboratory of Professor Leslie Allen on optical coherent control of electronic dipole transitions in sodium atoms.

Middle Years

Upon graduating and following a postdoctoral research experience with Professor Allen, Dr. Melikechi joined the University of Sciences and Technology in Algiers as an Assistant Professor of Physics as part of his national service (1988-1990). Dr. Melikechi left Algeria for the USA in 1990 and joined the research group of Professor Edward E. Eyler^[1] as a postdoctoral research fellow. With Dr. Eyler, Dr. Melikechi worked on multiphoton excitation schemes in atoms and molecules, precise pulsed laser spectroscopy of few-electron systems, the generation of vacuum ultraviolet laser radiation, the development of Fourier-transform limited laser pulses. In 1995, he was appointed Assistant Professor of physics at Delaware State University (DSU).

Contributions

At DSU, Dr. Melikechi founded the Applied Optics Center of Delaware (AOC-DE), a center dedicated to research, education and innovation initially focused on nonlinear optics and laser spectroscopy in liquids. In 2006, he founded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Center for Research Excellence in Science and Technology focused on optics. In 2009, this Center was fused with a NASA University Research Center to form the Optical Science Center for Applied Research (OSCAR).^[2] Dr. Melikechi is also the principal investigator of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) – Maximizing Access for Research Careers and the DSU Idea Network for Biomedical Research programs.

Dr. Melikechi’s recent research is focused on two major two research projects: (1) Developing sensitive optical techniques for the early detection of cancers (with a focus on epithelial ovarian cancer and prostate cancer). This work brings together laser spectroscopy, nanochemistry, and cancer diagnosis and has potential impact on disease prevention; and (2) Analyzing laser induced breakdown spectra of Martian oils, dust and rocks. The data is collected through the Chemistry Camera (ChemCam) instrument on board the 1-ton Curiosity Rover launched on November 25, 2011 and landed successfully on the red planet on August 6, 2012.^[3]

Recognition

Dr. Melikechi is the recipient of numerous prestigious awards: DSU’s President’s Excellence in Research Awards (1998 and 2008), the 2005 SMART (Strengthening the Mid-Atlantic Region for Tomorrow) Capitol Hill Forum’s "Executive Directors Collaboration Award", an award he received "In recognition for continuing efforts to improve and increase Science and Technology collaboration among the technical community in the SMART Region and to further the growth and development of the SMART initiative", The Department of Defense Small Business Initiative for Research Award (1997), The National Institutes of Health Small Business Initiative for Research Award (2002), the 2010 DSU New Castle Chapter Alumina Award, The 2011 "Appreciation Award" from the National Federation of Canadian Muslims, the 2012 Biotechnology Award,^[4] the NASA Group Award for his work on ChemCam.

In 2011, Governor Jack Markel of Delaware named Dr. Melikechi the "Delaware Ambassador to Mars" in recognition for his work on space science.^[5] and in 2013, Dr. Melikechi was named the George and Carolyn Arfken Scholar in residence by Miami University, Oxford, OH.

Personal life

Dr. Melikechi is married and the proud father of two beautiful children: Omar and Lilia. His hobbies include walking, yoga, playing and watching soccer, and visiting new places. Dr. Melikechi loves listening to music particularly Chaabi, Hawzii, Berber, Andalous, World music and all "literate and thoughtful" songs. In addition, he enjoys cooking Mediterranean food, writing texts that no-one reads, reading novels, and looking for innovative solutions to problems.

Awards & Honors

2016 – Reconocimiento, El comité organizador del la luz de la cienca, en la cuidad de Mérida, Yucatan, Mexico
2015 – Appreciation for Scientific Achievement, University of Boumerdes, Algeria
2014 – Excellence Award for Youth Empowerment and Development in Africa, the "African Society for Engineering Management"
2013 – NASA Group Achievement Award, Mars Science Laboratory ChemCam Instrument Development and Science Team, NASA
2013 – Arfken Scholar-in-Residence, Miami University, Oxford, Ohio
2013 – University Distinguished Professor, Delaware State University
2012 – International Science Award, US-Algerian Business Council
2012 – Academic Research Award, the Delaware Bioscience Association
2012 – The Algerian of the Year Award, Algerian American Association of Greater Washington
2012 – Tribute Award, Muslim Canadian Federation
2011 – Named Delaware's "Ambassador to Mars" by Delaware Governor, The Honorable Jack Markell
2011 – Recognition Proclamation, State of Delaware Legislature
2011 – Making a Difference Award, Delaware Alumni Association
2010 – Making a Difference Award, Delaware Alumni Association
2010 – Citizen of Science Award, El Moustakbel Youth Foundation, Algeria
2008 – Outstanding Service for Research Award, Delaware State University
2005 – Executive Directors Collaboration Award, SMART Capitol Hill Forum
2002 – Youth Soccer Coach of the Year, Delaware Youth Soccer Association

Publications

(Displaying: Last Five Years)

Maurice, S.; Clegg, S.; Wiens, R.C.; Gasnault, O.; Rapin, W.; Forni, O.; Cousin, A.; Mangold, N.; Ledeit, L.; Nachon, M.; Anderson, R.; Lanza, N.; Fabre, C.; Payré, V.; Lasue, J.; Meslin, P.Y.; Sautter, V.; Sirven, J.B.; Léveillé, R.; Melikechi, N. (2016). "ChemCam Activities and Discoveries during the Nominal Mission in Gale Crater, Mars". J. Anal. At. Spectrom. 407: 1849–1855. doi:10.1039/C5JA00417A.
Markushin, Y.; Sivakumar, P.; Connolly, D.; Melikechi, N. (2015). "Tag-Femtosecond Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy for the Sensitive Detection of Cancer Antigen 125 in Blood Plasma". Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 407: 1849–1855. doi:10.1007/s00216-014-8433-0.
Mezzacappa, A.; Melikechi, N.; Cousin, A.; Wiens, R.C.; Lasue, J.; Clegg, S.M.; Tokar, R.; Bender, S.; Lanza, N.L.; Maurice, S.; Berger, G.; Forni, O.; Gasnault, O.; Dyar, M.D.; Boucher, T.; Lewin, E.; Fabre, C.; Science Team, MSL (2015). "Application of distance correction to ChemCam measurements". Spectrochimica Acta Part B Atomic Spectroscopy: 115. doi:10.1016/j.sab.2015.11.002.
Sivakumar, P.; Fernández-Bravo, A.; Taleh, L.; Biddle, J.F.; Melikechi, N. (2015). "Detection and Classification of Live and Dead Escherichia coli by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy". Astrobiology 15 (2): 144–153.
Jantzi, S.; Motto-Ros, V.; Trichard, F.; Markushin, Y.; Melikechi, N.; De Giacomo, A. (2015). "Sample treatment and preparation for laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy". Spectrochimica Acta Part B Atomic Spectroscopy: 115. doi:10.1016/j.sab.2015.11.002.
Lanza, N.; Ollila, A.; Cousin, A.; Wiens, R.C.; Mangold, N.; Clegg, S.M.; Tokar, R.; Bridges, N.; Cooper, D.; Schmidt, M.; Berger, J.; Forni, O.; Arvidson, R.; Melikechi, N.; Newsom, H.E.; Hardgrove, C.; Mezzacappa, A.; Jackson, R.S.; Clark, N.; Maurice, S.; Nachon, M.; Anderson, R.; Blank, J.; Deans, M.; Delapp, D.; Leveille, R.; McInroy, R.; Martinez, R.; Meslin, P-Y.; Pinet, P. (2015). "Understanding the signature of rock coatings in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy data". Icarus 249 (Special Issue: First Year of MSL): 62–73. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2014.05.038.
Pokrajac, D.; Lazarevic, A.; Kecman, V.; Marcano, A.; Markushin, Y.; Vance, T.; Reljin, N.; McDaniel, S.; Melikechi, N. (2014). "Automatic Classification of Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Data of Protein Biomarker Solutions". Applied Spectroscopy 68 (9): 144–153. doi:10.1366/14-07488.
Fabre, C.; Cousin, A.; Wiens, R.C.; Ollila, A.; Gasnault, O.; Maurice, S.; Sautter, V.; Forni, O.; Lasue, J.; Tokar, R.; Vaniman, D.; Melikechi, N. (2014). "In situ calibration using univariate analyses based on the onboard ChemCam targets: First prediction of Martian rock and soil compositions.". Spectrochimica Acta Part B Atomic Spectroscopy 99. doi:10.1016/j.sab.2014.03.014.
Lanza, N.L.; Fischer, W.; Wiens, R.; Grotzinger, J.; Ollila, A.; Cousin, A.; Anderson, R.; Clark, B.; Gellert, R.; Mangold, N.; Maurice, S.; Mouélic, S.; Nachon, M.; Schmidt, M.; Berger, G.; Clegg, S.; Forni, O.; Hardgrove, C; Melikechi, N.; Newsom, H.; Sautter, V. (2014). "High manganese concentrations in rocks at Gale crater, Mars". Geophysical Research Letters 41 (16): 5755–5763. doi:10.1002/2014GL060329.
Melikechi, N.; Mezzacappa, A.; Cousin, A.; Lanza, N.L.; Lesue, J.; Clegg, S.M.; Berger, G.; Wiens, R.C.; Maurice, S.; Tokar, R.L; Bender, S.; Forni, O.; Breves, E.A.; Dyar, M.D.; Frydenvang, J.; Delapp, D.; O., Gasnault; Newsom, H.; Ollila, A.M.; Lewin, E.; Clark, B.C; Ehlmann, B.L.; Blaney, D.; Fabre, C. (2014). "Correcting for variable laser-target distances of LIBS measurements with ChemCam using emission lines of Martian dust spectra". Spectrochimica Acta Part B Atomic Spectroscopy 96: 51–60. doi:10.1016/j.sab.2014.04.004.
Meslin, P-Y.; Gasnault, O.; Forni, O.; Schröder, S.; Cousin, A.; Berger, G.; Clegg, S.M.; Lesue, J.; Maurice, S.; Sautter, V.; Le Mouélic, S.; Wiens, R.C.; Fabre, C.; Goetz, W.; Bish, D.; Mangold, N.; Ehlmann, B.; Lanza, N.; Harri, A.-M.; Anderson, R.; Rampe, E.; McConnochie, T.H.; Pinet, P.; Blaney, D.; Léveillé, R.; Archer, D.; Barraclough, B.; Bender, S.; Blake, D.; Blank, J.G.; Bridges, N.; Clark, B.C.; Deflores, L.; Delapp, D.; Dromart, G.; Dyar, M.D.; Fisk, M.; Gondet, B.; Grotzinger, J.; Herkenoff, K.; Johnson, J.; Lacour, J.L.; Langevin, Y.; Leshin, L.; Lewin, E.; Madsen, M.B.; Melikechi, N.; Mezzacappa, A.; Mischna, M.A.; Moores, J.E.; Newsom, H.E.; Ollila, A.; Perez, R.; Renno, N.; Sirven, J.-B.; Tokar, R.; de la Torre, M.; d'Uston, L.; Vaniman, D.; Yingst, A. (2013). "Soil diversity and hydration as observed by ChemCam at Gale crater, Mars". Science 341 (6153). doi:10.1126/science.1238670.

Sivakumar, P.; Taleh, L.; Markushin, Y.; Melikechi, N. (2014). "Packing density effects on the fluctuations of the emission lines in laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy". Spectrochimica Acta Part B-Atomic Spectroscopy 92: 84–89. doi:10.1016/j.sab.2013.10.007.
Sivakumar, P.; Taleh, L.; Markushin, Y.; Melikechi, N.; Lesue, J. (2013). "An experimental observation of the different behavior of ionic and neutral lines of iron as a function of number density in a binary carbon–iron mixture". Spectrochimica Acta Part B-Atomic Spectroscopy 82: 76–82. doi:10.1016/j.sab.2012.11.00.
Wiens, R.; Maurice, S.; Lasue, J.; Forni, O.; Anderson, R.B.; Clegg, S.; Bender, S.; Blaney, D.; Barraclough, B.L.; Cousin, A.; Deflores, L.; Delapp, D.; Dyar, M.D.; Fabre, C.; Gasnault, O.; Lanza, N.; Mazoyer, J.; Melikechi, N.; Heslin, P.-Y.; Newsom, H.; Ollila, A.; Perez, R.; Tokar, R.L.; Vaniman, D. (2013). "Pre-flight calibration and initial data processing for the ChemCam laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy instrument on the Mars Science Laboratory rover". Spectrochimica Acta Part B-Atomic Spectroscopy 82: 1–27. doi:10.1126/science.1238670.
Magnes, J.; Raley-Susman, K.M.; Melikechi, N.; Sampson, A.; Eells, R.; Bello, A.; Lueckheide, M. (2012). "Analysis of Freely Swimming C. elegans Using Laser Diffraction" (PDF). Open Journal of Biophysics 2 (03). doi:10.4236/ojbiphy.2012.23013.
Lasue, J.; Wiens, R.C.; Clegg, S.M.; Vaniman, D.T.; Joy, K.H.; Humphries, S.; Mezzacappa, A.; Melikechi, N.; McInroy, R.E.; Bender, S. (2012). "Remote Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) for Lunar Exploration". Journal of Geophysical Research- Planets 117 (18): 2012. doi:10.1029/2011JE003898.
Ziane, O.; Marcano, A.; Boukari, H.; Melikechi, N. (2011). "Photothermal Lens Spectoscopy in Highly Scattering Medi". Biophysical Journal 100 (03): 84–89. doi:10.1016/j.bpj.2010.12.2850.

Guest Contributions (not peer-reviewed)

Melikechi, N. (September 2015). "How to succeed? Have a passion to understand the world around you" (PDF). Majarat (Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre Magazine) (02): 26–28.
Melikechi, N. (January 2014). "La planète Mars est ou a t’elle etait habitable? Curiosity offre des éléments de réponse". El Watan (02).
Melikechi, N.; Wiens, R; Horton, N.; Sylvestre, M (January 2013). "Zapping Mars: Using Lasers to Determine the Chemistry of the Red Planet" (PDF). Optics and Photonics News (Mohammed bin Rashid Space Centre Magazine) 24 (01): 26. doi:10.1364/OPN.24.1.000026.
Melikechi, N. (August 2012). "Le voyage de Curiosity sur la planète Mars: Une odyssée humaine à la recherche de conditions d’habitabilité". El Watan.
Melikechi, N. (August 2012). "Rêver est le premier pas vers le progrès". El Watan.
Melikechi, N.; Tamosaitis, R. (January 1998). "Frequency-doubled Lasers Expand Spectroscopy Market". Laser Focus World (02): 159.

References

External links

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