Portland State receives $3.9 million for computational science

Donation for math and statistics department
by Virginia Vickery, Vanguard staff



Portland State President Wim Wiewel announced a $3.9 million investment for computational science in Portland State’s Department of Mathematics and Statistics from alumnus Fariborz Maseeh at an event this morning. Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski and Portland Mayor Sam Adams spoke at the event honoring Maseeh for the contribution made through his Massiah Foundation.

Adams thanked Maseeh and said, “The nation’s best urban university just got better.”

The department will be renamed the Fariborz Maseeh Department of Mathematics and Statistics. The donation, which comes from Portland State's largest individual donor, will support upgrades in the department's facilities and will add three new faculty positions in computational science, five annual research fellowships, a lecture series and symposium, according to a university press release.

Maseeh previously made an $8 million gift to the College of Engineering and Computer Science, which was named in his honor. He has also been supporting scholarships and seminars at the Mathematics and Statistics Department for the past four years, according to the press release.

In addition to renaming the department, new faculty positions supported by his gift will be named the "Maseeh Distinguished Chair in Computational Mathematics" and the "Maseeh Professors in Computational Mathematics." The graduate research fellowships will be known as the "Eugene Enneking Fellows," after one of Maseeh's mentors at Portland State.

"With significant global competition facing us, now is the time to contribute to our educational institutions,” Maseeh said. “Investments fostering collaboration between academia and business will lead to useful and practical breakthroughs in the future.”

Computational scientists create computer simulations and data analysis tools that predict the behavior of extremely complex systems that shape everyday life, such as the atmosphere, oceans, tectonic plates, airplanes, freeways, cells and genes.

"Once again, Fariborz Maseeh is setting an example of excellence," Wiewel said. "His generosity shows the way to making [Portland State] the internationally competitive urban research university that Portland needs."

A first-generation American born in Iran, Maseeh received both his B.S. in structural engineering and M.S. in mathematics from Portland State, an M.S. in engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and has earned a doctorate of science from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Maseeh founded, and later sold, one of the world's first and fastest-growing companies specializing in the custom design, development and manufacturing of tiny, micro-mechanical chips used in products ranging from cardiac pacemakers to aircraft landing gears. He serves on the advisory boards of a number of universities including Portland State, Michigan Institute of Technology, University of California Irvine and University of Southern California, according to the press release.

(Left) Oregon Governor Ted Kulongoski (right) Portland Mayor Sam Adams.

TOP PHOTO: (Left to right) Kulongoski, Donor Dr. Fariborz Maseeh, President Wim Wiewel and Adams.

Photos courtesy of Rodrigo Melgarejo, Portland State Vanguard

For more information, visit: http://www.pdx.edu/insidepsu/

The 2009 Grammy Awards

Last night was the 2009 Grammy Awards. Here's a brief list of results. Follow this link to see complete results (featuring awards like Best Surround Sound Album and Best Polka Album) along with nominees and winners.

Record Of The Year
"Please Read The Letter"
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Album Of The Year
Raising Sand
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

Song Of The Year
"Viva La Vida"
Written and performed by Coldplay.

Best New Artist
Adele

Best Dance Recording
"Harder Better Faster Stronger"
Daft Punk

Best Electronic/Dance Album
Alive 2007
Daft Punk

Best Pop Vocal Album
Rockferry
Duffy

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album
Still Unforgettable
Natalie Cole

Best Rock Song
"Girls In Their Summer Clothes"
Written and performed by Bruce Springsteen.

Best Rock Album
Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends
Coldplay

Best Alternative Music Album
In Rainbows
Radiohead

Best R&B Song
"Miss Independent"
Written by Mikkel S. Eriksen, T.E. Hermansen & S. Smith. Performed by Ne-Yo.

Best R&B Album
Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson

Best Contemporary R&B Album
Growing Pains
Mary J. Blige

Best Rap Song
"Lollipop"
Written by D. Carter, S. Garrett, D. Harrison, J. Scheffer & R. Zamor. Performed by Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major.

Best Rap Album
Tha Carter III
Lil Wayne

Best Country Song
Stay
Written by Jennifer Nettles. Performed by Sugarland.

Best Country Album
Troubadour
George Strait