Hasan M. Qabazard has served as director of the research division at the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries since April 2006. During 2001–2006, he was a founder and director of the Petroleum Research and Studies Centre at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research. Qabazard specializes in R&D management in oil production, petroleum refining, petrochemical processes and corrosion science; strategic and business planning for the petroleum, petrochemicals and related industries; petroleum refining science; the science of catalysis and catalytic processes; operations research; linear, non-linear and stochastic modeling; and engineering education. Qabazard holds PhD and MS degrees in chemical engineering from Oklahoma State University and a BS degree in chemical engineering from the University of Tennessee.