Miami Regionals has its first endowed professor: Banafsheh Seyed-Aghazadeh, in engineering technology

Banafsheh Seyed-Aghazadeh

By Sophie Tran, university news and communications intern

Banafsheh Seyed-Aghazadeh, the James R. Myers Endowed Assistant Professor, is the first endowed professor in the 50-year history of Miami University Regionals.

"She is an incredible educator with tremendous talent," said Ayodele Abatan, chair of engineering technology.

Seyed-Aghazadeh comes to Miami Regionals from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, where she earned her doctorate in mechanical engineering and served as a postdoctoral research associate and lecturer. She received her bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Tabriz in Iran.

"She is a student-centered, diligent professor who cares deeply about positively impacting knowledge to her students. Banafsheh engages her students in an active learning process that includes not only analysis and design, but also practical examples that clearly show engineering applications," Abatan said.

"We are delighted to have her join the engineering technology team at Miami Regionals."

In 2014, the James R. Myers estate gifted Miami Regionals two $1 million scholarship endowments, two endowed professorships and $225,000 in scholarships for Air Force ROTC students.

Myers was Middletown High School’s class of 1951 valedictorian and went on to earn several advanced degrees and work as a metallurgical engineer. He founded his own international consulting firm operating from his home in Middletown and collaborated with several Miami Regionals engineering technology faculty on consultations.