Fazlollah Reza (; January 1, 1915 – November 19, 2019) was an Iranian scientist, academic, and diplomat known for his pioneering contributions to electrical engineering and information theory. Born in

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

, he pursued higher education in engineering and went on to earn a doctorate in

electrical engineering Electrical engineering is an engineering discipline concerned with the study, design, and application of equipment, devices, and systems that use electricity, electronics, and electromagnetism. It emerged as an identifiable occupation in the l ...

. Reza made significant advancements in the field of network theory and cybernetics, publishing influential research that contributed to the development of modern communication systems. His academic career spanned several prestigious institutions, including the

University of Tehran The University of Tehran (UT) or Tehran University (, ) is a public collegiate university in Iran, and the oldest and most prominent Iranian university located in Tehran. Based on its historical, socio-cultural, and political pedigree, as well as ...

, where he served as a professor, and international universities such as

McGill University McGill University (French: Université McGill) is an English-language public research university in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1821 by royal charter,Frost, Stanley Brice. ''McGill University, Vol. I. For the Advancement of Learning, ...

and the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a Private university, private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of moder ...

(MIT). Beyond his scientific achievements, Reza played a prominent role in Iran's higher education system, serving as the Chancellor of

Sharif University of Technology Sharif University of Technology (SUT); (, romanized : Dāneshgāh-e sana'ti-e sharif) is a public research university in Tehran, Iran. It is widely considered to be the nation's most prestigious and leading institution for science, technology ...

and the University of Tehran. His leadership helped shape Iran's academic landscape, fostering research and innovation in engineering and technology. Later in his career, he also took on diplomatic responsibilities, representing Iran as its ambassador to Canada and UNESCO. Throughout his lifetime, Reza received numerous honors for his contributions to both academia and international relations, cementing his legacy as a key figure in Iran's scientific and educational history.

Career

Reza graduated from the Faculty of Engineering of the

in 1938, receiving a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering. He received a master's and Ph.D. in electrical engineering from

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

in 1946 and

Polytechnic University of New York The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United St ...

(now

New York University Tandon School of Engineering The New York University Tandon School of Engineering (commonly referred to as Tandon) is the engineering and applied sciences school of New York University. Tandon is the second oldest private engineering and technology school in the United St ...

) in 1950 respectively. He was a Fellow of the

IEEE The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) is an American 501(c)(3) organization, 501(c)(3) public charity professional organization for electrical engineering, electronics engineering, and other related disciplines. The IEEE ...

and AAAS for his contribution to network and

information theory Information theory is the mathematical study of the quantification (science), quantification, Data storage, storage, and telecommunications, communication of information. The field was established and formalized by Claude Shannon in the 1940s, ...

. He was an honorary member of the

Academy of Persian Language and Literature The Academy of Persian Language and Literature (APLL) (, ''Farhangestân-e Zabân-o Adab-e Fârsi'') is the regulatory body for the Persian language, headquartered in Tehran, Iran. Formerly known as the Academy of Iran (, ''Farhangestân-e Iran'' ...

and wrote and spoke extensively on classical Persian poetry.

Positions

Reza served as the head of Aryamehr University of Industry (

, Iran's ambassador to

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

and Iran's ambassador to

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO ) is a List of specialized agencies of the United Nations, specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) with the aim of promoting world peace and International secur ...

. As a professor, he taught at

MIT The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Established in 1861, MIT has played a significant role in the development of many areas of modern technology and sc ...

Concordia University Concordia University () is a Public university, public English-language research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1974 following the merger of Loyola College (Montreal), Loyola College and Sir George Williams Universit ...

, and the

Bibliography

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References

External links

Short biography
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reza, Fazlollah 1915 births 2019 deaths Iranian electrical engineers Iranian engineers University of Tehran alumni Columbia School of Engineering and Applied Science alumni Academic staff of Sharif University of Technology Massachusetts Institute of Technology faculty People from Rasht Ambassadors of Iran to Canada Permanent delegates of Iran to UNESCO People from Gilan province Chancellors of the Sharif University of Technology Fellows of the IEEE Iranian men centenarians Polytechnic Institute of New York University alumni Chancellors of the University of Tehran

Career

Positions

Bibliography

See also

References

External links