Dr. Edwar Shoukri Shamshoum, a UNCG alumnus and former visiting assistant professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, died March 11.
Shamshoum earned his master’s degree from UNCG, and then went on to study at Texas A&M with one of the most highly regarded inorganic chemists in the world. At UNCG, beginning in 2002, he regularly taught advanced inorganic chemistry, organic chemistry lab, and general chemistry lecture courses. His industrial career involved positions as chemist at Goodyear and Union Carbide, chemistry research and development manager at Fina Oil and Chemical Company, and senior vice president for research at Aristech and Sunoco chemical companies.
Colleagues remember that his experience with larger-scale reactions run in industry brought a unique perspective to the courses he taught at UNCG. He was also a high school teacher for Rockingham County.
Former Head of the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Terry Nile recalled, “He was a great colleague and a great friend. He overcame so much to achieve his dreams in the U.S., but still took the utmost care to maintain his close ties with his family in Nazareth. He was also an excellent soccer player, playing semi-pro in Israel, which was challenging for someone from Nazareth. He was always ready to chat with anyone about anything.”
