Heydari to Receive Distinguished Educator Award from IEEE Society

Dec. 1, 2022 - Payam Heydari, UCI Chancellor’s professor of electrical engineering and computer science, has been recognized with the 2023 Distinguished Educator Award of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society (MTT-S). This award is given to accomplished educators in the field of microwave engineering and science who exemplify the special human qualities of the late Fred J. Rosenbaum who considered teaching a high calling and demonstrated his dedication to the society through tireless service.

The MTT-S cited Heydari  for his “outstanding achievements as an educator, mentor and role model for microwave engineers and engineering students.”

Heydari has made worldwide contributions to education and dissemination of knowledge in the area of microelectronics, specifically impact on research and education in radio-frequency and millimeter-wave integrated circuits. He has delivered more than 100 distinguished lectures to higher education institutions, IEEE chapters and high-tech companies; and has presented keynote speeches, webinars, tutorials and short courses at premier IEEE solid-state circuits conferences. He was one of 11 experts who presented the first massive open online course (MOOC) on key circuit concepts and trends in 2014-2015; the introductory course became a model for subsequent MOOCs.

Heydari said he was honored to be selected for the award. “Contributing to the education of the young generation at the most critical and productive stage of their lives and laying the foundation for them to make a positive impact on society is, in my opinion, one of the most fulfilling career paths an individual can choose,” he explained. “I have always been fascinated by the academic environment whose fundamental commitment revolves around education, while also paving the way for its faculty to grow. In the same way that the academic environment has nurtured me and helped me expand my career on multiple fronts, I have always been inspired to help elevate the quality of engineering education. This award is a testimony to my dedication and commitment to academic excellence.”

The award, which comes with a plaque and a $2,500 honorarium, will be conferred at the annual Society Awards Banquet during the International Microwave Symposium (IMS) in June 2023 in San Diego.

– Lori Brandt