Zaki D. Moustafa is a Sophomore at Duke University working on his Bachelor of Science Degree on a dual engineering Major that of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. He is scholastically ahead of his teenage looks with five years of research sampling a coveted Red Sea coral reef at the beach head of his paternal grandparents home. His field research lasts roughly two weeks of 12-hour days in 120 degree heat each year. Data analysis ranges from identifying fragments under a microscope, to countless hours spent mulling over hundreds of digital coral photographs. Zaki's reef is one of the northernmost in the region, so his work has biogeographic significance.

Zaki has learned a tremendous amount about what is needed and where voids currently exist in this research field. His hope is to one day design sensors that will allow us to expedite the assessment of reef health and ones that can quickly acquire environmental conditions such as bacteria counts.

Zaki would love to be involved in research that is seeking to extract drugs from reef communities like where reef bacteria are being used as a treatment for cancer. "What he thought was a fun science fair project has turned into a life changing experience."

From one of his professors: "Perhaps even more amazing, given Zaki's scientific and technical interests and motivation, is that he is no "geek". He attended a magnet high school for the arts where he was an accomplished pianist."