Rate My Professor Jalal Torabzadeh

Dr. Jalal Torabzadeh serves as Professor and Chair of the Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Department at California State University, Long Beach, and Coordinator of the Mechanical and Petroleum Engineering programs. He received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from Abadan Institute of Technology in Iran in 1978, an M.S. in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1980, and a Ph.D. in Petroleum Engineering from the same institution in 1984. Early in his career, he worked as a Reservoir Engineer for the National Iranian Oil Company, a Research Engineer at Chevron Oilfield Research Company, and as a consultant for national and international companies and government agencies. After teaching and conducting research at USC for two years, he joined CSULB in 1986 as an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering, where he launched the petroleum engineering program. Over the years, he has served in numerous leadership roles, including 16 years on the Academic Senate and its councils, committees, and task forces, as well as on nearly all College of Engineering and department committees. He has acted as undergraduate and graduate advisor.

Dr. Torabzadeh's academic interests include thermodynamics, heat transfer, transport processes in porous media, hydrocarbon reservoir engineering and characterization, enhanced oil and gas recovery processes, thermal and fluid laboratory methods, environmental engineering, water resources, and remediation of contaminated soil. He has authored or co-authored more than 30 technical papers and textbook chapters, including the book 'Waterflooding' (1985), 'Chapter 8 Waterflooding' (1985), 'Chapter 4 Gas Injection' (1989), 'Compressibility of sandstones' (1992), 'Chapter 9 Compressibility' (1992), and 'Interrelationships among surface area, permeability, porosity, pore size, and residual water saturation' (1992). As principal or co-principal investigator, he has managed research projects funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Southern California Gas Company, and Chevron Petroleum Technology Company. His accolades include the Nicholas Perkins Hardeman Academic Leadership Award (2013), CSULB Hung Family College of Engineering Outstanding Teaching Award, TRW Excellence in Teaching Award, Associated Engineering Student Body Distinguished Faculty Award, OCEC Outstanding and Distinguished Engineering Educator Awards, and SPE Distinguished Service Award. He is a SPEI Distinguished Member, Fellow of the Institute for the Advancement of Engineering, and serves on the boards of LASPE and LACES. An expert in enhanced oil and gas recovery, he consults for oil companies, delivers lectures, and advises universities and research centers internationally.