Simnad, Massoud T.

Massoud T. Simnad (1921-2002), was an engineer in nuclear energy and UCSD adjunct professor of materials science and engineering. He studied mining engineering at London University's Imperial College of Science and Technology and earned his B.S. and Ph.D. from Cambridge University specializing in materials science. From 1949, Simnad lived in the U.S. and served as an educator, technical adviser, and consultant to various academic institutions and scientific corporations. For over thirty years, he worked as senior technical advisor on materials and fuels for nuclear energy and fusion research programs at General Atomics. During his career, Simnad wrote three books, published more than 135 scientific articles, and was issued more than 15 patents, including two involving nuclear fuel. He was an authority on the application of materials in the aerospace industry. In 1995, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering.

Biography

Massoud T. Simnad was born in Iran in 1921 and grew up in Istanbul. At the age of 15, he left Istanbul for London where he studied mining engineering at London University's Imperial College of Science and Technology. He earned his B.S. in 1942 and his Ph.D in 1946 at Cambridge University specializing in materials science. After graduation he accepted a guest fellowship at the Carnegie-Mellon University in Pittsburgh. From 1949, Simnad lived in the U.S. and served as an educator, technical adviser, and consultant to various academic institutions and scientific corporations. For over thirty years, he worked as senior technical advisor on materials and fuels for nuclear energy and fusion research programs at General Atomics and as an adjunct professor of materials science and engineering at UCSD.

During his career, Simnad wrote three books, published more than 135 scientific articles, and was issued more than 15 patents, including two involving nuclear fuel. He also lectured worldwide and was an authority on the application of materials in the aerospace industry. Simnad was very instrumental in setting up nuclear reactors for General Atomics and in converting nuclear reactors from military to civilian use.

Simnad supported international initiatives leading to scientific exchange in developing civilian applications of nuclear reactors. In April 1977, he helped to organize the first international conference on the transfer of nuclear energy in Shiraz, Iran. In 1994, Simnad was instrumental in arranging a meeting in Vienna for the Federation of American Scientists with the Atomic Energy Commission of Iran. Later in 1999, he participated in a scientific delegation sent by the U.S. for the Congress of Non-Renewable Energy Sources in Tehran, which happened the first time since the Islamic Revolution of 1979.

Simnad was honored in 1993 with the Outstanding Achievement Award by the Materials Science and Technology Division of the American Nuclear Society for his contributions to materials science and technology for nuclear energy. In 1995, he was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, which is one of the highest honors in his specialty.

Massoud Simnad died in 2002.