January 16, 2008 — George Chilingar, an expert on petroleum engineering whose expertise is anchored by mastery of numerous related disciplines, who has been published in 65 books in numerous languages, who has oil fields named after him, was feted January 15 for his achievements.

Chilingar with plaque honoring 55 years of teach, presented by Viterbi Dean Yannis Yortsos

Sharing appointments in both the Astani and Mork Departments, fellow faculty members and staff gathered to present to him a plaque honoring 55 years of teaching at USC -- a duration that is almost certainly a record for the university.

Born the son of a Russian mother and an Armenian physician father who practiced in Iran, Chilingar arrived at USC shortly after WWII. He earned B.S.(1949) and MS (1950) degrees in Petroleum Engineering and in 1956 received a USC PhD in Geology with a minor in PE, when he was already instructing USC students.

Colleagues and former students filled the room for a presentation of a plaque honoring this exceptional record.

Iraj Ershaghi, current head of the Petroleum Engineering Program, was the first in a series of speakers that also included Mork Department Chair Theodore T. Tsotsis, Astani Department Chair Jean-Pierre Bardet, and Viterbi School Dean Yannis Yortsos.

Additionally, Century City attorney Dennis Luna told the story of how, as a young newcomier to the USC campus, he was taken aside by Chilingar who advised him to go into the oil business - and followed up his advice with years of active support for Luna's education and career.

Chilingar has continually supported USC and the school, including his establishment in 2004 of the  Varos Chilingarian Fellowship Program in Environmental Engineering, named after his father. He is the honorary counsel of Honduras in Los Angeles, and as a polyglot speaking numerous languages (Farsi, Russian, English, Spanish, and more) has also long worked with the Los Angeles Sheriff's department to create a database of bilingual persons to work as translators for deputies.

In his remarks Yortsos paid tribute to Chilingar's accomplishments, thanked the professor and noted that Chilingar's retirement would be marked with a big event in the future.

(from left) Bardet, Tsotsis, Chilingar, Yortsos, Ershaghi