Fred Afagh

Biography

Thanks to my parents foresight and vision, I was fortunate to start my formal education as a student at Don Bosco College (Andisheh) in Tehran , Iran, where I received a solid foundational education for twelve years from grade school through high school. I have been blessed with life-long friendships and some of the happiest memories from those early years. I had the opportunity to be introduced to and learn the fundamentals of basic sciences from scholars such as Parviz Shahriári in mathematics, M. Bázargán in physics and mechanics, and Orod Hoorpáss in history and social sciences.

In 1965, as the recipient of an International Student Exchange Award, I started my higher education at Washington State University, USA. This lead to receiving my Bachelor of Science in Civil and Environmental Engineering in 1969. Following graduation I spent one year working as a junior design engineer while I was also pursuing my graduate studies as a part-time student at U. of Washington in Seattle, USA. In June 1971 I completed my Master of Science in Structural Engineering at Washington State University.

Between 1972 and 1982, I worked mostly as a consulting engineer in North America and overseas. In 1982, I returned to academia to complete my doctorate studies. At University of Waterloo in the Solid Mechanics Division, I had the great privilege of pursuing my PhD studies under the supervision of Professor H.H. E. Leipholz. Upon completion of my PhD studies, I spent one year at U. of Waterloo as a Post-Doctoral Fellow working with Professor Leipholz.

I joined Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering (MAE) at Carleton University in Sept. 1987 where I have been involved in teaching and research for the last 25 years. At Carleton University, I have served in different capacities such as the Associate Chair for Graduate Studies in the Department of MAE, Director of Ottawa-Carleton Institute for Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Associate Dean for Research in the Faculty of Engineering and Design. My main research contributions have been in the areas of stability of non-conservative systems, structural dynamics and control and structural mechanics. Both my professional and academic carriers span close to 40 years of service as a consultant to industry and as a teacher and researcher in academia in United States, Canada, Europe and the Middle East.

I married my dear wife Jila in 1982 who is also an educator and a teacher with the Ottawa-Carleton School Board. We have two children Nicholas and Melody.