Ahmed Abukhater

Ahmed Abukhater (Arabic: أحمد أبو خاطر‎) is an architect, environmental scientist, and an urban and regional planner by trade.[1] He is an author, powerlifter, and the first athlete to represent Palestine at the World Association of Bench Pressers and Dead lifters (WABDL) World Powerlifting Championships in Las Vegas, Nevada in 2006.[2][3][4][5][6]

د. أحمد أبو خاطر‎
Dr. Ahmed Abukhater
PhD, GISP, AICP
Born
Rafah, Gaza Strip, Palestine
Nationality American Palestinian
EducationPh.D. in Community and Regional Planning, Dual Master’s Degree, Urban and Regional Planning, and Bachelor of Engineering (Architectural Engineering)
Alma materMIT, Harvard Kennedy School, University of Texas at Austin (Ph.D. in Community and Regional Planning) University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (Urban and Regional Planning)
OccupationGlobal Director, Professor, powerlifting, businessman, author, geographer, Environmental Scientist, Urban and Regional Planner, Architect
EmployerBoeing
Known forAuthor, speaker, and the first athlete to represent Palestine at the World Powerlifting Championships and world record for bench press
Notable work
1- Water as a Catalyst for Peace: Transboundary Water Management and Conflict Resolution [book], Taylor & Francis Group (Routledge).
2- Palestine - Peace by Piece: Transformative Conflict Resolution for Land and Trans-boundary Water Resources [book], Springer International Publishing.
Height5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Children3
Websitewww.ahmedabukhater.com
Competition record
Powerlifting - Bench Press
Representing  United States| Palestinian
WABDL Heart of America Bench Press and Deadlift Championships
1st 2004 82kg (Illinois State Record)
World Powerlifting Championships
1st 2006 90kg
1st 2007 90kg
1st 2008 100kg
1st 2009 100kg

In November, 2007, Abukhater represented Palestine again in the WABDL World Championship, in Anaheim, California, where he won his division and set a new Palestinian world record.[6] He set a new record for the state of Illinois in 2004, and holds many national and international records in powerlifting.[7][8][9]

The 10-year-old WABDL, one of a handful of international lifting organizations, recognized his lift as a national record for Palestine. "I think it was a groundbreaking experience," said Gus Rethwisch, the founder and president of the 4,200-member group. "He's not an activist. He's not political. He's just passionate," Rethwisch said.

International/World records

Open and elite men's division -198 lbs weight class

Professional career

Abukhater is currently working for Boeing in Digital Aviation. Previously, he served as senior director of GIS at Trimble Navigation Ltd, global director of product management at Pitney Bowes Software, Esri’s global industry manager for planning and community development and director of PLACES in California and a GIS manager and instructor at the University of Texas at Austin.[10]

He is keynote speaker in a number of areas including GIS solutions and strategic marketing in Planning and Community Development, Urban and Regional Planning, environmental science and sustainable development, and trans-boundary water resources management and Conflict Resolution.[1][10][11] His expertise is focused on the geopolitical and hydropolitical aspects of water resources in the context of the Arab-Israeli conflict, the transboundary management of water resources, and multinational environmental policies in the Middle East.[4][12]

Early life

Born in the Palestinian city of Rafah, Ahmed Abukhater grew up in a world of environmental inequity.[13] Being a native Palestinian from the Gaza Strip and raised during the Palestinian Intifada (uprising), he recognized the value of water as the sustainer of life and peace.[2][4]

Abukhater holds a Ph.D. in community and regional planning from the University of Texas at Austin with a focus on water resources management and conflict resolution and mediation (alternative dispute resolution) [13] and a master's degree in urban and regional planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and a bachelor's degree in architectural engineering.[11][12]

Specialization

Through education and professional experience, he developed specialization in fields ranging from Planning Analysis and Geographic Information System (Esri), Geospatial analysis and multi-criteria evaluation (MCE), groundwater modeling, Environmental Science and Sustainable Development, to Conflict Resolution and Mediation.[12][14] Abukhater has authored numerous publications, served on governing and advisory boards, and received over 20 awards for his work.[1] His recent book entitled Water as a Catalyst for Peace - Transboundary Water Management and Conflict Resolution is a book that describes a water negotiation framework and provides an exposé of how equity can be linked into the process of international treaty negotiation and governance.[15]

Publications

References
  1. • University at Albany, State University of New York, Faculty Experts: Ahmed Abukhater. Available at: http://www.albany.edu/news/experts/48853.php
  2. • IMEU. (2007). “Dr. Ahmed Abukhater: Author, Business Executive, and Record-setting Athlete” Institute for Middle East Understanding - August 10. Available at: http://imeu.net/news/article006168.shtml Archived 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine
  3. • Nieman, Hilary. (2006). “Waging Peace: Palestine to Be Represented in the World Weightlifting Championships.” Washington Report on Middle East Affairs (WRMEA) – November 2006, Washington D.C., U.S.A. Available at: http://www.wrmea.org/wrmea-archives/287-washington-report-archives-2006-2010/november-2006/6211-waging-peace-palestine-to-be-represented-in-world-weightlifting-championships-.html
  4. • Robbins, Kevin. (2007). “Lifting himself - and his people: University of Texas doctoral student is first Palestinian at world weightlifting championships.” Austin American-Statesman - January 16, Austin, TX, USA.
  5. • Ahmed Abukhater: World Championships powerlifting: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-NwPboXALs
  6. • IMEU. (2007). “Dr. Ahmed Abukhater: Author, Business Executive, and Record-setting Athlete.” Institute for Middle East Understanding - August 10. Available at: http://imeu.net/news/article006168.shtml Archived 2008-11-20 at the Wayback Machine
  7. "European Region". Archived from the original on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  8. Palestinian Weightlifting Record - IronHistory
  9. • Nieman, Hilary. (2007). “Ahmed Abukhater Representing Palestine and Winning in the World Weightlifting Championships.” Arab-American Affairs – August, Glendale, CA, USA. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-10-10. Retrieved 2008-06-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  10. • University of Towson GIS conference, 2010: http://tugis.towson.edu/ Archived 2010-06-27 at the Wayback Machine
  11. • Johnson, Allan. (2007). “World-class weightlifter chases PhD at Texas - Student takes long journey from Gaza Strip to UT-Austin.” The Daily Texan – February 15, Austin, TX, USA. Available online at: "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2007-02-18. Retrieved 2008-06-22.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  12. • McKetta, Elisabeth. (2008). “Everyday Excellence.” GradNews – March 2008. Available at: http://www.utexas.edu/ogs/gradlife/excellence/abukhater.html
  13. • University of Texas. (2010). Former powerlifter Ahmed Abukhater fights for water rights in Palestine by Amy Maverick Crossette. Available at: http://news.utexas.edu/2010/05/21/ahmed_abukhater Archived 2015-07-14 at the Wayback Machine
  14. [UTSOA] enews 3.27.2008 Archived 2008-10-07 at the Wayback Machine
  15. • Abukhater, Ahmed. (2013). Water as a Catalyst for Peace - Transboundary Water Management and Conflict Resolution. Routledge.
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