Mehdi Ahmadian named J. Bernard Jones Chair of Mechanical Engineering
Mehdi Ahmadian, professor of mechanical engineering in the College of Engineering at Virginia Tech, was named the J. Bernard Jones Chair by the Virginia Tech Board of Visitors.
The J. Bernard Jones Chair was established by generous gifts from multiple donors and was created to recognize and outstanding professor within the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
A member of the Virginia Tech community since 1995, Ahmadian has been a pioneer in the field of advanced technologies for improving road and rail transportation safety, efficiency, and comfort both in industry and academia. He is well known internationally for his significant research in the area of vehicle system dynamics and safety. He is considered an eminent scholar in road and rail transportation research and engineering.
He has been a highly active faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the university, with funding totaling more than $25 million from both the transportation industry and government agencies. He currently serves as editor for the International Journal of Vehicle System Dynamics and editor-in-chief for the Journal of Vibration and Control.
In addition, Ahmadian has been awarded 11 U.S. and international patents. He also has authored four book chapters, 145 archival journal papers, and 213 peer-reviewed conference publications. He has given hundreds of presentations, including numerous keynote, plenary, and invited lectures.
He is a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, a Fellow of the Society of Automotive Engineers International, and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute for Aeronautics and Astronautics.
In recognition of his contributions, Ahmadian has received many awards, including the 2019 Society of Automotive Engineers International Magnus Hendrickson Award, the seminal award for vehicle dynamics and suspension technologies. In 2014, he also received the SAE International L. Ray Buckendale Award, which includes a plenary lecture at the SAE International Commercial Vehicle Engineering Congress. His speech is estimated to be the highest-attended lecture in the 64-year history of the award. Additional awards include the 2015 SAE Lloyd L. Withrow Distinguished Speaker Award, the 2013 COMVEC Best Presentation Award, and the 2013 Simulation Multi-Conference Best Paper Award.
Ahmadian’s work over the past 25 years has helped transform Virginia Tech into a vehicle dynamic systems and safety research powerhouse. He has brought much recognition to the university via his scholarly work, groundbreaking research, leadership positions in conferences, editorships of multiple leading journals, and his mentoring of students who have become accomplished researchers.
Ahmadian received his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and doctoral degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo.
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