Said Jahanmir Received ASME Honorary Membership

NEW YORK, November 19, 2013 — Said Jahanmir, Ph.D., a resident of Darnestown, Md., and president and CEO of MiTiHeart Corporation (Gaithersburg, Md.) and vice president for biotechnology at Mohawk Innovative Technology, Inc. (Albany, N.Y.), was honored by ASME. He was recognized for seminal contributions to the advancement of mechanical engineering, particularly the multidisciplinary technologies in tribology, manufacturing, biomedical materials and devices, and in the promotion of standards; and for significant contributions to ASME. He received Honorary Membership in ASME.

First awarded in 1880, the founding year of the Society, Honorary Membership recognizes a lifetime of service to engineering or related fields. The award was conferred on Dr. Jahanmir at the Society's annual Honors Assembly held in conjunction with the 2013 ASME International Mechanical Engineering Congress and Exposition, Nov. 15 through 21, in San Diego.

Jahanmir is leading research and development efforts on implantable blood pumps, high-temperature coatings, high-speed micro-machining and high-speed oil-free compressors. His leadership has led to the development and pre-clinical testing of a new generation of mechanical heart assist pumps with magnetic bearings for heart failure patients, and the development of a novel ultra high-speed micro-machining spindle with rotational speeds beyond 500,000 rpm. MiTiHeart Corporation is a subsidiary of Mohawk Innovative Technology, Inc. (MiTi), where Jahanmir also serves on the board of directors.

Prior to joining MiTi he was associated with the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Gaithersburg, Md., where he served in several capacities between 1987 and 2002 including leader of the Ceramic Manufacturing Group. He directed research activities that ranged from characterization of ceramic powders to assessment of mechanical properties of ceramics. He coordinated several international collaborations on pre-standards research that led to ASTM and ISO standards. He established and managed a joint research program between NIST, industry and academia (1992-2001) and developed authoritative guides for machining of advanced ceramics.

Among his prior experience, Jahanmir was the first director of the Tribology Program (1985-87) at the National Science Foundation (Washington, D.C.); senior research engineer (1980-85) at Exxon Research and Engineering Company (Linden, N.J.); assistant professor of mechanical engineering (1977-80) at Cornell University (Ithaca, N.Y.); lecturer (1976-77) at the University of California at Berkeley; and instructor (1975-76) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Cambridge.

Jahanmir's groundbreaking research on tribology was instrumental in establishing fundamental mechanics and materials science viewpoint for wear and provided a clear and simple understanding of the fundamentals of boundary lubrication. His research on wear and machining of advanced ceramics and dental materials resulted in a series of highly cited publications. He identified the basic mechanisms of wear and new insights into the fundamental micro-mechanisms of machining and damage formation in advanced ceramics and dental restorations.

He has published more than 240 archival papers and major reports and has edited several books and conference proceedings. He has served as the founding executive editor of the Machining Science and Technology journal, now in its 17th year. He holds six patents with one pending.

An ASME Fellow, Jahanmir has been an active volunteer in the Society and a strong advocate for change and growth. As chair of the Tribology Division, he revised the bylaws and initiated many innovative projects. Later, as chair of the Board on Research and Technology Development and vice president for research, he streamlined the operating procedures and established fiscal management. As chair of the International Congress Committee he initiated the track-based technical program and encouraged collaboration among ASME divisions and sectors. As a governor at large (2009-12) he served on several Board committees and Presidential task forces, and was a driving force for the ASME Global Impact Strategic Initiative and the new ASME website. Jahanmir received ASME's Dedicated Service Award in 1995 and Mayo D. Hersey Award in 2001, and the Tribology Division's Donald Wilcock Distinguished Service Award in 2009.

He is a Fellow of the Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE) and has served in various leadership positions. He is a member of the American Society for Artificial Internal Organs and the International Society for Rotary Blood Pumps. Among his other honors, Jahanmir received STLE's International Award and Honorary Membership (1997), and the Federal Laboratory Consortium's Technology Transfer Award (2000). He is listed in Who's Who in America and Who's Who in Science and Engineering.

Jahanmir received his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Washington, Seattle, in 1971. He earned his master's degree and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from MIT in 1973 and 1976, respectively.

About ASME ASME helps the global engineering community develop solutions to real world challenges. Founded in 1880 as the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, ASME is a not-for-profit professional organization that enables collaboration, knowledge sharing and skill development across all engineering disciplines, while promoting the vital role of the engineer in society. ASME codes and standards, publications, conferences, continuing education and professional development programs provide a foundation for advancing technical knowledge and a safer world. For more information visit www.asme.org.