"This award encourages me to pursue my efforts to develop undergraduate research and shows to my sponsors (National Science Foundation and Department of Defense) that Auburn University cares about preparing strong researchers. This award will help me hire high-quality undergraduates to develop my research program on unmanned aircraft systems."

Saad Biaz has worked in the Samuel Ginn College of Engineering since December 2001. He previously held faculty positions in Morocco at the Superior School of Technology and Al Akhawayn University. His current research in the areas of distributed systems, wireless networking, and autonomous flight is funded by the National Science Foundation and the Department of Defense. In 1995, Biaz received a Fulbright Excellence Fellowship and was recognized in 2006 and 2008 by Auburn's Department of Computer Science and Software Engineering with the Outstanding Faculty Award. Saad has served on the committees of several conferences and as editor for several journals. He says he finds the greatest source of inspiration in people like Auburn's wheelchair basketball team who overcome great adversity every day to build an exciting and fulfilling life. Biaz is married to Chadia Affane Aji, and they have two daughters, Rim and Emily.