Florida Tech Professor Najafi Named ASME Fellow

TITUSVILLE – Hamidreza Najafi, an associate professor of mechanical engineering at Florida Institute of Technology, has been elected a Fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). The announcement came in August.

This designation recognizes Najafi’s engineering achievements and contributions to the profession and ASME. He joins a group of 3,411 Fellows among ASME’s more than 72,000 members since its 1880 founding.

“Being elected an ASME Fellow is a tremendous honor,” Najafi said. “ASME has played an important role throughout my professional journey, beginning with my first conference as a graduate student. This recognition reflects the support and collaboration of many mentors, students, colleagues and Florida Tech collaborators over the years, and it reinforces my commitment to advancing energy and thermal systems research, mentoring students and serving the engineering community.”

Najafi joined ASME in 2016. He previously chaired the organization’s Renewable Energy and Energy Conversion Technical Committee and now serves as vice chair for its K-20 Computational Heat Transfer Committee. He is also an associate editor for ASME’s Journal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings, earning Associate Editor of the Year in 2025.

A Florida Tech faculty member since 2015, Najafi earned his Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the University of Alabama and became an associate professor in 2021. His research focuses on thermal and energy systems, computational heat transfer, and sustainable and resilient built environments. He has authored or co-authored over 80 publications and co-authored the textbook Inverse Heat Conduction: Ill-Posed Problems, Second Edition.

Troy Nguyen, head of the Mechanical and Civil Engineering Department, lauded the honor. “This prestigious distinction recognizes Dr. Najafi’s significant and sustained contributions to mechanical engineering and the profession,” Nguyen said. “It reflects the exceptional caliber and impact of Dr. Najafi’s work and highlights the strength and excellence of the MCE Department’s faculty.”