Dr. Ali Reza Nabi Zadeh Memorial Scholarship

   This Scholarship is in Memory of Dr. Ali Reza Nabi Zadeh, who left this world on March 8, 2011. Although his time on this earth was brief, his life was filled with accomplishments. Ali will be remembered as a remarkable friend, a dedicated scholar, and a loving husband. In an effort to honor and preserve his memory, and in recognition of his passion for knowledge and his accomplishments at George Mason University, his family and his friends at the Iranian Student Union would like to establish a scholarship fund in his name. This scholarship will be awarded to academically outstanding Iranian students attending George Mason University.

   Donations are always welcomed and greatly appreciated. One way to keep Alireza's memory alive is by donating each year on his birthday March 27. Please keep in mind that your donations are tax deductible. You will receive a thank you letter from George Mason University after your donation has gone through. If you do not receive this letter please contact one of ISU officers or send an email to Solmaz.Farajnia@gmail.com.

You may send your checks to:

Nguyen Engineering Building
4400 University Drive, MS 4A3
Fairfax VA 22030
Attn. Jennifer Lamb
 
   Please make your checks payable to: George Mason University Foundation
* On the memo section of the check please put "Alireza Nabizadeh Scholarship"  *

  Each fall one or two students will be selected for the sholarship awards. Prospective candidates are Iranian students studying in the fields of IT or Engineering enrolled in the masters or Ph.D program. Students should be in good academic standing with GPA greater than 2.5

Biography

  Alireza was born on March 27, 1971, in Iran. After finishing his high school education in Mathematics & Physics, his favorite subjects, he was accepted to the reputable Sharif University in Tehran. Upon graduation, he cofounded Bamdad Computer Inc., an engineering company that grew into a successful corporation. After obtaining his masters degree from University of Tehran, Ali came to the US to continue his education. In 1999, he was accepted into the Information Technology doctorate program at George Mason University in Fairfax, VA where he was also working as a research assistant. After graduation, Alireza worked as a systems development manager at Isocore Inc. In 2008, he became a Senior Analyst at Metron Aviation Inc. and was teaching at George Mason as an adjunct faculty. His most recent position was a lead simulation and modeling engineer at Mitre Corporation.

  In October of 2006, Ali was diagnosed with an advanced type of a cancer for which he underwent therapy. Nevertheless, in August of 2007, the disease came back and conventional treatment was not a viable option. Alireza began to practice more traditional treatment methods, including traditional and herbal Chinese medicine, homeopathy, and naturopathy. A few months into his alternative medicine treatments, medical exams showed no trace of cancer in his body, a finding that astonished his doctors.

  Alireza was a bright individual and his geniality was eminent among his family and friends. He was known for being humble, truehearted, and compassionate. His moral ideologies were of extreme importance to him. He truly believed and lived his daily life by Gandhi's famous quote "Morality is the basis of things and truth is the substance of all morality." During his short lifespan, he determinedly tried to affect his surroundings positively. Peoples' ignorance and obliviousness pained him. His love for Iran and Iranians was well known, and he cared deeply about the growth and advancement of Iran. One of his most remarkable characteristics was his passion for knowledge. Based on the same enthusiasm for learning, he was accepted to George Mason University in August 2010 to obtain his Ph.D. in Economics. Tragically, two months after his acceptance into the program, Alireza fell ill with another form of cancer. After an extremely difficult battle with the disease, on March 8, 2011, Alireza left us in search of discovering the answers to his unanswered questions.

Academic Achievements

- 2010, Ph.D. Economics, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Expected graduation date: August 2013
- 2002, Ph.D. Information Technology, George Mason University, Fairfax, VA
Dissertation: Performance Modeling, Analysis, and Optimization of Self-Organized Packet Radio Ad hoc Networks with Cellular Overlay
- 1999, M.S. Telecommunication Engineering, University of Tehran, Iran
Thesis: Design and Performance Analysis of Concatenated Error Correction Codes with Linear Mapping
- 1993, B.S. Electrical Engineering, Sharif University of Technology, Tehran, Iran
- Ranked 54 among 120,000 students participating in the national university admission test in Iran, 1989
- Recipient of a National Science Foundation Graduate Fellowship, 1999

Selected Publications