Usama al-Khalidi

Usama Al-Khalidi (; April 20, 1932 – November 11, 2010) was an Arab biochemist who contributed significantly to the development of scientific institutions in Jordan and the wider Middle East.

Family and early life Al-Khalidi was born in Jerusalem on April 20, 1932. His mother was Lebanese feminist writer Anbara Salam Khalidi (1897–1986), and his father was Palestinian educator Ahmad Samih Al Khalidi (1896-1951). Usama was not the only child to go on to academic pursuits: his half-brother Walid Khalidi and brother Tarif Khalidi are both Palestinian historians. He also had two sisters, Randa and Karma.

Early career: American University of Beirut Al-Khalidi obtained his bachelor's and master's of science from the American University of Beirut (AUB) and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan. He then returned to teach at AUB, serving as professor and chairman of the Biochemistry Department.

Overall, al-Khalidi was part of an era of great change for the AUB Biochemistry Department, which only began awarding doctoral degrees in 1966.

Honors The Middle East Medical Association held an "Usama al-Khalidi Celebration Day" on April 24, 2010 in Beirut, just a few months prior to his passing. In 2015, the Usama al-Khalidi Endowed Award was established at the American University of Beirut, to be given to an outstanding senior majoring in biology.