Dr. Sofian Kanan received his Bachelor and Master (Organic Chemistry) degrees from Yarmouk University in 1989 and 1991, respectively. He earned his Ph.D. in Inorganic & Material Chemistry from the University of Maine in 2000 and he worked as a Research Associate at the Laboratory for Surface Science & Technology (LASST), University of Maine for two years, where he gained valuable experience operating major and diverse equipment for materials characterization and analysis. He also worked as a Senior Scientist at Sensor Research and Development Corporation (SRD-Corp.) for one year. In 2003, he started his academic career as an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the American University of Sharjah (AUS). Since joining the Biology, Chemistry and Environmental Sciences department at AUS, Dr. Kanan has maintained an exceptional record in teaching, research, and service. This exemplary work and dedication led to a rolling contract along with a quick promotion to the Associate rank within 3 years of joining AUS, as well as a promotion to the rank of Professor four years after. Dr. Kanan has received a number of awards and grants for his teaching and research activities. He is an Editorial Board Member of Scientific Reports, Research on Chemical Intermediates, Cogent Environmental Science, Current Organocatalysis, and The Jordan Journal of Earth and Environmental Sciences Journals. His research interests are multidisciplinary with a main goal to understand the relationship between the molecular surface chemistry and macroscopic properties of materials. This includes Sol-Gel synthesis, developing materials as sensors for various applications (semiconducting metal oxides, electrochemical, and luminescence sensors), modifying strategies to make nanomaterials and understanding their surface chemistry, adsorption/desorption behaviors of pollutant molecules in solid/liquid and solid/gas interface, and modifying heterogeneous catalysts to eliminate the contamination of pesticides and other organic pollutants in water resources. He has published 100+ peer reviewed articles and conference presentations.

Most research interests for a scientist

• Nanomaterials
• Sensors
• Catalysis and Surface Chemistry