Dr. Noureddine Melikechi received a Diplôme d’Études Supérieures in Physics at the University of Sciences and Technology Houari Boumediene in Algiers, Algeria and a Doctorate of Philosophy (D.Phil.) in Physics at the University of Sussex in England. He is a Professor of Physics and Applied Physics and the Dean of the Kennedy College of Sciences at the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Dr. Melikechi is a member of the Mars Science Laboratory team, NASA’s largest Mars exploration effort to date, also known as “Curiosity” rover. He is the recipient of numerous awards and a Fellow of the Optical Society of America.