Aziz Asphahani, Ph.D, FNACE, was recently elected to the U.S. National Academy of Engineering (NAE) (Washington, DC) in recognition of his distinguished contributions to the engineering field.
Asphahani, now serving as president and CEO of QuesTek Innovations LLC (Evanston, Illinois), was recognized for executive leadership in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education, integrated computer design of materials, and innovation and production of corrosion-resistant alloys.
He will be honored at a formal induction in October, hosted by the president and National Research Council in Washington, DC.
Election to the NAE is among the highest professional distinctions given to a U.S. engineer. It offers opportunities to serve through participating in workshops and generating reports on engineering issues of importance, including national security, energy distribution, and the education of future engineers.
Asphahani received an engineering diploma in physics from Ecole Centrale de Paris (Châtenay-Malabry, France) and a Ph.D in materials science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) (Cambridge, Massachusetts).
He began his career at Haynes International (Kokomo, Indiana), where he held positions of increasing responsibility as corrosion engineer, director of research and development, vice president, and president of CABVAL, a joint venture between Haynes and Vallourec Industries (Paris, France).
He later served as president and CEO of CARUS Chemical Co. (La Salle, Illinois) prior to retiring.
Asphahani’s work led to the granting of eight patents, including the patent for a corrosion-resistant, high-performance nickel-chromium-molybdenum alloy, HASTELLOY C-22. This alloy was extensively evaluated as the outer canister material to contain the nuclear waste for storage in the Yucca Mountain, Nevada. Furthermore, the alloy was used in the restoration of the Statue of Liberty (New York, New York) in the 1980s as beams to support the seven spokes, ensuring durability and corrosion resistance.
Asphahani is also the recipient of numerous prestigious honors and awards, including the Founders Award from the NACE Foundation. His active participation in the ASM Materials Camp initiative, engaged in getting students interested in science and engineering careers, has impacted over 11,000 students and 9,000 school science teachers.
Asphahani came out of retirement in 2013 to join QuesTek. Under his leadership, the company says it has more than doubled its business and expanded into the European market through the establishment of QuesTek Europe AB, a joint company with ThermoCalc Software AB (Stockholm, Sweden).