VITERBI KEYNOTE SPEAKER

Dean Yannis Yortsis is pleased to announce Dr. Fariborz Maseeh as the keynote speaker for the Viterbi School of Engineering 2008 Graduate Commencement Ceremony:

Fariborz Maseeh is a worldwide expert in micro-electro-mechanical systems, or MEMS. He was born in Iran and earned an undergraduate degree at Portland State University and a doctorate in engineering from MIT. After receiving his PhD, Dr. Maseeh founded IntelliSense in 1991, the first company of its kind for the custom design, development and manufacturing of next generation MEMS devices – tiny, computer-controlled chips used in products ranging from cardiac pacemakers to aircraft landing gear.  After IntelliSense was acquired in 2000, he established the Massiah Foundation, whose mission is to make significant improvements in education, health, arts, literature and science. He is also the Founder and Managing Principal of Picoco LLC, an investment management firm.

Dr. Maseeh considers himself a “venture philanthropist,” applying business concepts to his philanthropy. He considers his gifts as investments and looks for causes with clear objectives and broad markets. He is a member of the USC Viterbi School’s Board of Councilors and is on the advisory boards of Portland State University and the University of California at Irvine. At Portland State the Maseeh College of Engineering and Computer Science is named in his honor. He is chairman of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Foundation and serves on a number of community boards including the Boy’s and Girl’s Club of Boston.