by Shannon Yentzer
May 17th 2023
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Dr. Fariborz Maseeh
One of the most distinguished commendations in the engineering world is membership in The National Academy of Engineering (NAE), and one of Portland State University (PSU)'s most generous alumni benefactors, Dr. Fariborz Maseeh was just included among the new inductees. In the NAE’s words, Maseeh is being “recognized for leadership and advances in efficient design, development and manufacturing of microelectromechanical systems, and empowering engineering talent through public service.”
The NAE is one of the highest professional honors an engineer can receive, and its members are recognized for their exceptional achievements and contributions to the engineering profession. Election to the academy is among the highest professional distinctions bestowed upon an engineer. Membership honors those who have made outstanding contributions to engineering research and practice, including pioneering new and developing fields of technology and making major advancements in the engineering field and profession. In all, 106 new members and 18 foreign members joined the NAE in 2023. Alongside his engineering brilliance and business acumen, Maseeh’s public service resonates most at the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science, where his generosity and involvement have laid the groundwork on which future students to build.
Maseeh graduated from PSU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Engineering with honors in Structural Engineering. He then graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a Master's degree and returned to PSU to study for another master's degree in Applied Mathematics. His undergraduate and graduate studies in the fields of mechanical engineering and applied mathematics inspired him to focus on micro-electromechanical systems with broad industrial and humanitarian applications—from airplane landing gear to pacemakers. After completing his education with a doctorate degree at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, he founded several successful companies and philanthropic foundations. As his successes grew, so did his desire to give back to the community, especially to the professors and educational institutions that nurtured his ambitions and recognized his talents and intelligence.
As a venture philanthropist, Dr. Maseeh believes in investing in innovation and transformation, and the many investments he has made in PSU and its eponymous engineering college continue to yield dividends in innovative research and transforming the lives of the next generation of engineering leaders. Thank you and congratulations to Dr. Maseeh.