Dr. Mamoun Sakkal designed the original NELC logo in 1997, and we thank him now for providing us an updated MELC design. He became a full time Arabic type designer after receiving his PhD from the Near and Middle Eastern Studies Interdisciplinary program at UW in 2010, and he has served as an affiliate instructor in our department. Dr. Sakkal has lectured on Islamic art, Arabic calligraphy, and Arabic typography at universities and conferences in the United States, Canada, England, Dubai, Kuwait, Syria, and Uzbekistan. In addition, he has worked as the Arabic language expert for Microsoft [sakkal.com]for the past 20 years and his Arabic typefaces are widely used as system fonts. Honors he has received include awards [sakkal.com] in calligraphy, graphics, and type design, including multiple Type Directors Club of New York award of excellence.