My experience at KAUST was full of many discoveries and academic challenges that helped me mature a lot. The incredibly rich and diverse community of the University let me discover, interact and learn from many cultures around the world, which made the experience much more rewarding.

Jhonathan Prieto Rojas joined KAUST in 2009 from the National University of Colombia in Bogota and completed both his master's degree (2010) and Ph.D. (2014) in electrical engineering at the University under the supervision of Professor Muhammad Mustafa Hussain. Prieto Rojas spent six years at KAUST before leaving the University in August of 2015 for his current role as assistant professor in the electrical engineering department at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals (KFUPM) in Dhahran. Jhonathan possesses natural talent of process integration. His extensive experience includes chemical vapor deposition, physical vapor deposition, atomic layer deposition, reactive ion etching, wet cleans, etching, lithography and annealing.

Research Interests

His areas of interest include physics of semiconductors, energy harvesting and micro/nanofabrication technologies. His current work involves developing new technologies for flexible electronics and integration of different energy harvesting technologies into microsystems.

Education Profile

  • Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 2014
  • MS in Electrical Engineering, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, 2010
  • B.S. degree in Electronics Engineering from the Department of Engineering, National University of Colombia, 2009.
  • Exchange Student in Electronics Engineering at the Munich University of Technology, 2007.

Awards and Distinctions

  • Best presentation Award for "Carbon Nanotube based Micro-Sized Microbial Fuel Cell" , at the 5th Graduates'™ Seminar at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, May 8, 2011
  • Awarded Second Prize for "Novel Wafer Thinning Processing Based on XeF2 Etching for Flexible Electronics", on the KAUST 1st Graduate Research Symposium, PSE division, May 4th - 5th, 2011.
  • KAUST Graduate Fellowship Award, Saudi Arabia, 2009
  • KAUST Provost Award offered to select students in recognition of outstanding scholastic achievement and personal accomplishment, Saudi Arabia, 2009.
  • Top 3 GPA overall in the Engineering School, B.S. degree, Colombia, 2009.
  • DAAD Scholarship for young engineers, Germany, 2007.
  • Colombian delegate in the VIII Iberoamerican Olympiad of Chemistry, Mexico, 2003.
  • Gold Medal - Colombian Olympiad of Chemistry, Colombia, 2002.
  • Honorary Mention - Colombian Olympiad of Physics, Colombia, 2002.