Najmedin Meshkati

Najmedin Meshkati is a professor in Engineering at the University of Southern California’s Viterbi School of Engineering, serving as Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering in the Sonny Astani Department, Professor of Industrial and Systems Engineering in the Daniel J. Epstein Department, and Professor of International Relations. He directs the USC Viterbi Grand Challenge Scholars Program. Meshkati earned a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Sharif University of Technology in 1976, a B.A. in International Relations and Political Economy from the National University of Iran in 1976, an M.S. in Engineering Management from USC in 1978, and a Ph.D. in Industrial Engineering from USC in 1983. A Certified Professional Ergonomist, he established the International Technology Transfer Group in 1985 and has served as Principal Investigator on a research grant from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

His research specializations encompass the safety, reliability, and efficiency of complex large-scale technological systems, including nuclear power and chemical processing plants, aviation systems, and civil infrastructure systems such as highways, railroads, mass transit, ports, waterways, airports, water and sewer systems, electric power generation, gas and liquid fuels, and telecommunications. Meshkati also investigates environmentally sustainable manufacturing and development. His expertise includes human factors in organizational design, ergonomics, cumulative trauma disorders, safety culture, transportation safety, process safety management of petrochemical plants, industrial accidents, aviation safety, runway incursions, and the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency in nuclear safety. He co-edited the book Human Mental Workload. Meshkati’s contributions extend to public service, including membership on National Academy of Sciences/National Research Council committees for the Fukushima nuclear accident (2012) and the Deepwater Horizon explosion, fire, and oil spill (2010), as well as serving as a 2009 Jefferson Science Fellow. Among his major awards are the National Science Foundation Presidential Young Investigator Award (1989), fellowship in the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society, the 2024 University Aviation Association Dr. John K. Lauber Safety Award, the 2016 Human Factors and Ergonomics Society Arnold M. Small President’s Distinguished Service Award, multiple USC Outstanding Teacher of the Year Awards, and the 2006 Distinguished Engineering Educator Award.

Professional Email: meshkati@usc.edu