There are researchers whose publications leave a mark on science. And then there are those who also leave a mark on human beings. Professor Richard G. Maroun belongs to this latter, even rarer category. On the occasion of his appointment as Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs at Saint Joseph University of Beirut (USJ), 961 Scientia has chosen to dedicate a rather special portrait to him.
Every Thursday, 22-med opens its pages to a media outlet from the Mediterranean basin and publishes one of its articles in its entirety. An investigation, a report, or a story to discover other editorial choices, other ways of telling the Mediterranean story.
Exceptionally, this section slightly departs from its usual tone. Because it is impossible for me to talk about Richard Maroun without also mentioning the man who profoundly influenced my journey. For me, as for hundreds of students who passed through the Faculty of Sciences at USJ, he was never just a professor or a dean. He was a mentor, a guide, sometimes even a big brother.
A virologist who chose to return to Lebanon
Trained between the University of Paris VII, the Pasteur Institute, and the Gustave Roussy Institute, Richard Maroun obtained a master's degree in microbiology with a virology option in 1995 before dedicating his doctoral thesis to the discovery of new molecules capable of inhibiting HIV. After a postdoctoral fellowship in France, he made a choice that few young researchers dared to make at the time: to return to Lebanon.
In 1999, he joined the Department of Life and Earth Sciences at the Faculty of Sciences at USJ as a teacher-researcher. In 2004, he obtained his Habilitation to Direct Research (HDR), before being appointed full professor in 2010.
Since then, his laboratory has explored fields as varied as virology, bioactive molecules, polyphenols, food safety, microbiological contaminants, and green technologies for extracting natural compounds.
More than 200 scientific contributions… but always down to earth
Richard Maroun's scientific career is impressive. Over 200 scientific contributions including articles published in international journals, around fifty presentations at international conferences, several book chapters, patents, not to mention his role as a sworn judicial expert in microbiology and epidemiology for the Lebanese courts.
His work covers extremely varied topics: from the study of HIV integrase and new therapeutic avenues against the virus to innovative processes for extracting phenolic compounds present in food by-products. His team is also interested in food contaminants, food biotechnologies, sustainable extraction technologies, and natural molecules that can contribute to human health.
A scientific diversity that reflects a deep conviction: fundamental research and applied research are not opposed. They complement each other.
The Dean Who Knew Each of His Students
But reducing Richard Maroun to his CV would miss the essential. Between 2015 and 2023, he led the Faculty of Sciences at USJ. Eight years during which he profoundly transformed the life of the faculty. Those who studied there all remember it.
Every morning, he greeted students in the hall with a smile and a simple: "Hello!" It seems trivial. Yet, in a university with several thousand students, being called by your first name by the dean is almost impossible.
Richard Maroun, however, knew each of us.
The Faculty of Sciences was no longer just a place of teaching. It was a home. Professors became mentors, sometimes big brothers, sometimes big sisters, often a second family.
This culture of kindness was not in any academic regulation. It simply came from him.
A Leadership Based on Humanity
In 2023, he was appointed Vice-Rector for Research at USJ.
Quickly, his management approach extended far beyond the walls of the Faculty of Sciences. Many university collaborators discovered an accessible, attentive, and deeply human leader.
Working with Richard Maroun becomes, for many, a true pleasure.
Today, his appointment as Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs opens a new chapter, not only for him but also for the entire USJ.
For those who have known his way of leading a faculty, this promotion seems obvious. And judging by his career, it is highly likely that his vision of the university will continue to place scientific excellence and humanity on the same level.
An Influence That Extends Beyond USJ's Walls
Richard Maroun's commitment extends beyond Saint Joseph University. His expertise is now recognized far beyond Lebanon. He is responsible for the Research Commission of the Regional Conference of Rectors of the Middle East of the Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF), where he contributes to the development of scientific cooperation strategies between universities in the region. He also serves as a Senior Expert with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), putting his expertise to work on innovation, research, and development projects. In addition, he is a member of the board of directors of Berytech, one of the main Lebanese ecosystems dedicated to innovation, entrepreneurship, and technology transfer. All these responsibilities, among others, reflect a conviction he has always defended: research only makes sense when it goes beyond laboratories to concretely contribute to the development of society.
