Najwa Alshehri

Biography

Najwa Alshehri is a dedicated Saudi researcher with a strong background in numerical analysis. Her academic journey began with a Bachelor of Mathematics from King Faisal University, where she graduated with honors. Supported by the prestigious King Abdullah Scholarship Program (KASP), she pursued her Master's in Applied and Computational Mathematics at Old Dominion University, USA, followed by a graduate certificate in modeling and simulation.

Najwa is a PhD candidate in Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), supervised by Professor Daniele Boffi. Najwa received a full governmental scholarship from the Royal Commission of Jubail and Yanbu. She also received the CEMSE Dean's List award for exceptional academic achievements and dedication to research work at KAUST. Alongside her studies, she is serving as president of the SIAM Student Chapter at KAUST.

Research Interests

Najwa's research focuses on the numerical approximation of partial differential equations, specifically, in fluid dynamics and interface problems such as fluid-structure interactions. Her expertise lies in finite element methods and mixed finite elements.

About

Professional Interests

Beyond academic and research pursuits, Najwa is deeply committed to mentoring and empowering female students to pursue careers in science and research. At KAUST, she engaged in initiatives that cultivate talent in mathematics, AI, and deep learning. Additionally, she placed significant emphasis on developing her leadership and entrepreneurial skills through specialized programs and certifications along with other trainings in Key Performance Indicators (KPI), Total Quality Management (TQM), and strategic planning.

Selected Publications

  • Alshehri, N. ., Boffi, D. ., & Gastaldi, L. . (2024). Unfitted mixed finite element methods for elliptic interface problems. Numerical Methods for Partial Differential Equations, 40(1). https://doi.org/10.1002/num.23063