Alia Sabur facts for kids

Alia Sabur was born on February 22, 1989. She is an American materials scientist. She holds an amazing record: she is the world's youngest professor.

Early Life and Amazing Education

Alia Sabur was born in New York City, New York. Her mother, Julie Sabur, was a reporter. Her father, Mohammed Sabur, came from Pakistan.

Alia showed she was very smart from a young age. When she was in first grade, a teacher tested her. The teacher said Alia's IQ (a measure of intelligence) was "off the scale." This means she scored higher than the test could measure!

When Alia was in fourth grade, she left regular school. At just 10 years old, she started college at Stony Brook University. She worked very hard and graduated when she was 14. She earned her degree summa cum laude. This is a special honor for students with excellent grades.

Alia also achieved a black belt in Tae Kwon Do. She earned this impressive title when she was only 9 years old.

After Stony Brook, Alia continued her studies. She went to Drexel University. In 2006, she earned her Master of Science (M.S.) degree there. Drexel University also gave her a special Dean's fellowship in 2007. This helped her with her studies. In 2007, she worked for a short time at Southern University in New Orleans. This was after Hurricane Katrina caused a lot of damage.

Becoming the Youngest Professor

Alia Sabur made history on February 19, 2008. She was just 18 years old, almost 19. She was hired as an International Professor at Konkuk University in Seoul, South Korea. She worked as a Research Liaison with Stony Brook University.

This job was a temporary, one-year contract. Alia decided not to renew it. The Guinness Book of World Records officially named her the World's Youngest Professor. She broke the record previously held by Colin Maclaurin. He became a mathematics professor at the University of Aberdeen when he was 19.

Alia started her position at Konkuk University in June 2008. She returned to her hometown in New York in early 2009.

Helping with the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

In June 2010, Alia Sabur appeared on TV. She was on CNN and Fox News' Hannity. She showed her idea to help with the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. This was a huge oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. The company BP even considered her idea. This shows how her scientific knowledge can help solve real-world problems.

See also

In Spanish: Alia Sabur para niños