Drexel's 14 year-old doctoral student Alia Sabur is also studying to be
a concert clarinetist
Alia Sabur, a 14-year-old Long Island, N.Y., native has enrolled at Drexel University's College of Engineering to pursue a doctoral degree in mechanical and electrical engineering. She is the youngest Ph.D. student in the nation. A summa cum laude graduate of Stony Brook University with a bachelor of science degree in applied mathematics, Sabur will study and research nano-photonics.
"Alia was recruited by the most competitive graduate schools in the country. She is a tremendous addition to our rapidly growing program," said Selçuk Güçeri, dean of the Drexel's College of Engineering. "She is a fast learner and a creative thinker."
A clarinet-playing musical
prodigy, Sabur hopes to take advantage of many of Philadelphia's cultural
offerings, including studying with Ricardo Morales, the principal clarinetist
with the Philadelphia Orchestra. Sabur started
playing the clarinet at 11. She is also a black belt in Tae Kwon Do.
"I look forward to playing in my Philadelphia concert debut at Drexel with Dr. Güçeri, who is an excellent pianist," she said.
Güçeri was Sabur's major contact during the recruitment process. "Dr. Güçeri," she said, "is an excellent recruiter and scientist and pianist. Drexel has a great graduate engineering program and is involved in exciting research."
Sabur is the daughter of Julie and Mark Sabur. She began talking when she was eight months old, reading full novels when she was two and writing at two and a half. She completed her K-6 curriculum by the end of her first year in school and began her undergraduate studies at Stony Brook in the fall of 1999.
###
News Media Contact:
Kevin C. Kaufman, Director, Drexel News Bureau
215/895-2705 (office), 267/228-5599 (cell) or kck26@drexel.edu