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Moustafa Chahine - Scientist
Dr. Moustafa T. Chahine was Chief Scientist of the Jet
Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, a division of the
California Institute of Technology and NASA’s lead center
for the exploration of the solar system. He left this position
however, in order to dedicate his full attention and time to
the NASA Aqua space mission.
Chahine has developed a method using infrared and microwave
observations for the remote sensing of clouds. These methods
were applied in 1980 to provide the first global distribution
of the earth surface temperature, and in 1988, NASA chose the
Atmospheric Infrared Sounder (AIRS) to study the earth’s
atmospheric temperature and water vapor. AIRS is also on board
the Aqua unmanned spacecraft of the Earth Observing System.
Chahine has received numerous awards and is a Fellow of the
American Physical Society, the American Association for the
Advancement of Science, the American Geophysical Union, the
American Meteorological Society and the British Meteorological
Society. He is also a member of the International Academy of
Astronautics.
Edward
Gabriel - Ambassador
When Edward Gabriel’s father
left Lebanon in 1910, he would never have imagined his son
would one day stand in Lebanon, nearly 100 years later, to
receive the Cedars Decoration from President Emile Lahoud.
During his time in Washington,
D.C. Gabriel became a founding member of the American Task
Force for Lebanon (ATFL). That’s how the direct links to
Lebanon were re-established – it was in his voluntary
capacity as ATFL’s president that Gabriel recently visited
Lebanon. Gabriel was also US Ambassador to Morocco. He
recently completed his assignment and has dedicated himself to
setting up a new business where he advises companies on
international projects. An American on the outside, but a
Lebanese at heart, Gabriel strives to make a difference in
Lebanon.
Leila
Rachid - Ambassador
Enthusiastic. Lively. Genuine.
Leila Rachid, Paraguayan Ambassador to the United States, is
respected in Washington, D.C. for both her accomplishments and
her beautiful personality. Ambassador Rachid is a woman who
has struggled to ascend to one of the top diplomatic positions
in Paraguay. Prior to being named ambassador, Rachid held a
number of other prestigious positions while serving in public
office, including service as the Vice Minister of Foreign
Affairs from 1996 to 1998, and Ambassador to Argentina in
1999. Ambassador Rachid has received recognition for her
career accomplishments from a number of foreign governments
including Bolivia, France, Venezuela, the People’s Republic
of China, Ecuador and Argentina.
Salma
Hayek - Actress
Born in 1968 of a Lebanese
father and a Spanish-Mexican mother in the State of Veracruz
in Mexico, Hayek’s initial career plans were a far cry from
her place in the sun in Hollywood. At the age of 20, she went
to Mexico City to study international relations, in the hope
that this would give her the chance to “hang out and see the
world.” Instead of joining the diplomatic corps, however,
Hayek decided to go on stage.
Today, flirtatious, sensual and gorgeous are the
adjectives that most often flow in tribute to Salma Hayek. But
this Hollywood star has much more to offer than sex appeal, as
she shows in her movie Frida, a film about Mexican painter and 20th-century icon
Frida Kahlo. Hayek
is a serious, extremely gifted actress who has taken the world
by storm.
Tom
Shadyac - Producer/director
Known for his smash hit
comedies, Tom Shadyac has become one of the most successful
producer/directors of the American dream factory, directing
comedy icons of the stature of Eddie Murphy and Jim Carrey. He
then turned away from pure comedy to move to more spiritually
challenging issues and directed the spiritual thriller Dragonfly.
Although Tom Shadyac is a third-generation American, the
Shadyac family name stands for firm ties between the United
States and Lebanon, as well as the wider Arab world. Shadyac's
mother, Juliette Coury was Lebanese, and his father Richard
Shadyac, a former lawyer, has been deeply involved in
American-Arab relations for decades, as founding member of the
National Association of Arab Americans, the first lobby group
for Arabs in the United States.
Spencer
Abraham - U.S. Secretary of Energy
He
heads one of the United States Government’s largest
agencies, leading a cabinet department with a $23 billion
budget and more than 14,000 Federal employees and 100,000
contract employees. He’s the Honorable Spencer Abraham, a
Lebanese-American who became the 10th Secretary of Energy of
the United States on January 20, 2001.
Spencer
Abraham was born in East Lansing, Michigan, as the youngest of
three children to Lebanese-American parents Eddie and Julie
Abraham.
Abraham
entered the world of politics at an early age, armed with a
law degree from the prestigious Harvard University.
At the age of 30, he was elected to serve as chairman
of the Michigan Republican Party (MRP), thus becoming one of
the nation’s youngest Republican state chairs. Abraham’s
biggest breakthrough came in 1995 when he was elected to serve
as a United States Senator for Michigan – a position he held
until 2001. Abraham’s
most recent accomplishment came when he was asked in 2000 by
current US President George W. Bush to lead the Department of
Energy, one of the American government’s largest agencies
.
Reem Acra
- Fashion
designer
A Lebanese-American, Acra studied
design in Paris and later in New York, where she eventually
settled to launch her fashion career. After several years of
practical experience and dedication, she set up her own
fashion house where she is both the designer and president.
Motivated and sure of herself, Acra worked hard and in less
than eight years, gained international recognition as having
one of the world’s preeminent bridal salons. Today, Acra sells
to more than 200 of the most exclusive retailers in the United
States and Europe, including Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman
Marcus. Her bridal fashions have appeared on the pages of
In Style, Town & Country, Vogue, as well as many leading
bridal publications.
Ziad Doueiri
- Film Director
New Lebanese hope for cinema…Arab
Tarantino…these are but a few nicknames given to the Lebanese
film director, Ziad Doueiri. Despite these glamorous titles,
Doueiri has been distancing himself from such national and
regional identities for the sole reason of humbly claiming the
title ‘artist’.
Although Doueiri has spent most of his life
overseas, he still has many bonds with his homeland; the
strongest of which is his friends and family.
The 39-year-old cinematographer
studied the seventh art at the reputable University of
Cinematography in Los Angeles, where many of the big stars of
international cinema studied. Doueiri worked as cameraman on
three of Quentin Tarantino’s films and had his very first
breakthrough in 1999 with his UCLA graduation film West
Beirut.
Chris Nassif
- Talent agent
A descendant of Lebanese immigrants who rose to
the top through sheer hard work and dedication, Chris
Nassif climbed to Hollywood status using the same Lebanese
morals, values and traditions he was brought up with –– strong
family ties, hard work, honesty and respect.
Nassif, Managing Director of Global Entertainment Ventures and
CEO of Diverse Talent Group, is the name behind celebrities
such as Ricky Martin, Luke Perry, Molly Shannon, Tara Reid,
James Vanderbeek and many more.
He doesn’t
only reach for the stars, he creates them.
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