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Educator
elates when students excel
By Tom Carey
On-line Forty-Niner
When professor
Hamid Hefazi recalls his most memorable experience at Cal
State Long Beach, it's not a special award or grant, but rather
the satisfaction he gets seeing a previous student excel in
the outside world.
As part of the nationally observed engineering week, the Orange
County Engineering Council recently named Hefazi the 2002
Distinguished Engineering Educator award. The Orange County
Engineering Council is a local chapter of a professional organization
dedicated to promoting engineering.
Hefazi, the chairman of the recently merged mechanical and
aerospace engineering department, has been a professor at
CSULB for 17 years and has brought many programs to the department.
In March of 2000 Hefazi helped establish the Boeing Technology
Center after a $1.15 billion donation by Boeing.
"The center is here for Boeing engineers to help faculty
and students advance in the mechanical and aerospace department,"
said Hefazi.
The center mainly helps students through networking.
Recently, Hefazi has led a team of students and faculty working
in conjunction with the Italian Prada team for the 2003 America's
Cup. The researchers and technical advisers that Hefazi leads
help provide the tools to design the boat's hull, sail and
other underwater parts.
"The winners of the race are usually determined by less
than a minute," said Hefazi. "We work on the aerodynamics
and hydrodynamics of the boat that make that difference."
In a time when most people can't stand their boss, many of
Hefazi's colleagues look up to him.
After a recent merge of the mechanical and aerospace departments,
Hefazi has been very crucial in utilizing resources and making
a more cooperative environment, according to professor and
colleague Jalal Torabzadeh.
Even with a cutback of jobs in the aerospace industry, Hefazi
is effective in helping his students in the job market.
"He has good contacts with the industry and he has become
a great supplier of students to the industry," said Torabzadeh.
Hefazi's colleague also commends him on his dedication and
involvement in the department.
"Dr. Hefazi likes what he is doing. He is involved heavily
in recruitment and brings many students to the program,"
said Torabzadeh. "He has great relationships with students
and faculty and he is very effective at what he does.
"Hefazi finds great fulfillment in seeing his students
excel in the workforce and described the contentment he received
upon seeing his students in the top ranks at an Irvine engineering
company.
Out of 300 or 400 engineers in the company, three of my previous
students were holding leadership positions," said Hefazi.
"It is quite rewarding seeing them do well in the outside
world."
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