Jehane Ragai

Jehane Ragai
Born (1944-08-17)August 17, 1944
Cairo, Egypt
Fields Surface chemistry, archaeological chemistry
Institutions American University in Cairo
Alma mater American University in Cairo, Brunel University London
Spouse John Meurig Thomas (2010-)

Jehane Nour El Din Ragai (born August 17, 1944, Cairo, Egypt[1]) Ragai is a Professor Emerita of Chemistry at the American University in Cairo (AUC), where she has led a surface chemistry research group. She is involved in archaeological chemistry, and has studied the mortar used in construction of the sphinx and other structures. She has also written the non-fiction book The Scientist and the Forger, about scientific techniques for detecting art forgeries.

Early life and education

Jehane Nour El Din Ragai is the child of Nour El Din Abdel Fattah Ragai and Doria Ahmed Shafik.[1] She received her Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1966 and her Master of Science in Solid State Chemistry in 1968, both from the American University in Cairo. She received her Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry from Brunel University London in 1976.

Career

Ragai joined the American University in Cairo in 1966 as an assistant in chemistry, becoming an assistant professor in 1979, an associate professor in 1983, and a full professor in 1991. Ragai served as chair of the University Senate between 1998 and 2000, followed by a term as chair of the chemistry department between 2000 and 2006.[2] She is now a Professor Emerita.[3][4]

Her research area is surface chemistry, particularly the interfaces between gases and solids, and liquids and solids. She has been a principal investigator, leading the surface chemistry research group at the Youssef Jameel Science and Technology Research Center (STRC) at AUC. [5][2]

She is known for her work in both surface and archaeological chemistry. She has been a chemical consultant of the American Research Center in Egypt (ARCE) on its Sphinx project, and has studied the properties of ancient Egyptian mortars from the Sphinx and the Kephren Valley Temple.[6][7][8] She served on the National Committee for the Study of the Giza Sphinx.[5]

In the area of art and art fraud, she is known for her paper "The Scientific Detection of Forgery in Paintings" and her non-fiction book The Scientist and the Forger. Ragai discusses the application of advanced forensic techniques such as infrared reflectography, dendrochronology, multispectral imaging, weave analysis and cross-section analysis to the identification and authentication of artworks.[9][10] Her work is recommended as a model for the establishment of a scientific laboratory for the authentication of works by Egyptian artists.[11]

Ragai has been a member of the International Awards Jury in the Physical Sciences for the L'Oréal-UNESCO Awards for Women in Science.[12] She has served on the editorial board of the journal Adsorption Science and Technology.[13]

Family

She was first married to Ali Tosson Islam (February 8, 1968-July 1989). In April 2010, she married John Meurig Thomas, becoming known as Jehane Ragai, Lady Thomas.

References

  1. 1 2 Nelson, Cynthia (1996). Doria Shafik, Egyptian feminist : a woman apart (1st. ed.). Gainesville: Univ. Press of Florida. p. xxiv. ISBN 978-0813014555.
  2. 1 2 "Yousef Jameel Science and Technology Research Center" (PDF). The American University in Cairo. p. 19. Retrieved 27 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "Profile". The American University in Cairo. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  4. ↑ "New book penetrates world of art forgery and authentication". Tasmanian Times. October 28, 2015. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Jehane Ragai". The American University in Cairo. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  6. ↑ Ragai, Jehane; Poyet, T.; Beurrores, I.; Rouquerol, F.; Llewellyn, P. (2002). "Characterizing the porous structure of Egyptian Mortars using thermoporometry, mercury intrusion porometry and gas adsorption manometry". In Rodriquez-Reinoso, F. Characterization of porous solids VI proceedings of the 6th International Symposium on the Characterization of Porous Solids (COPS-VI), Alicante, Spain, May 8-11, 2002 (1st ed.). Amsterdam: Elsevier. pp. 435–443. ISBN 9780444512611.
  7. ↑ Ragai, Jehane (January 1988). "Surface and bulk properties of Ancient Egyptian Mortars. Part III: X-ray diffraction studies (b)". Cement and Concrete Research. 18 (1): 9–17. doi:10.1016/0008-8846(88)90116-0. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  8. ↑ Jana, Dipayan (January 2007). "Evidence from detailed petrographic examinations of casing stones from the great pyramid of khufu, a natural limestone from tura, and a man-made (Geopolymeric) limestone". PROCEEDINGS OF THE TWENTY-NINTH CONFERENCE ON CEMENT MICROSCOPY QUEBEC CITY, PQ, CANADA MAY 20 -24, 2007. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  9. ↑ Charnes, Lance (July 7, 2016). "Elementary, Rembrandt: Reviewing The Scientist and the Forger by Dr. Jehane Ragai". Criminal Elemant. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  10. ↑ Hall, Eleanor (November 11, 2015). "Art fraud: the role of science in uncovering a fake". The World Today. ABC News. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  11. ↑ Kanafani, Fatenn Mostafa (May 27, 2015). "Buyer beware, part 2: The way forward". Mada Masr. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  12. ↑ "2015 L'Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science Awards". UNESCO. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
  13. ↑ "Adsorption Science and Technology". SCOPUS. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
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