ISU electrical engineering Professor S. Hossein Mousavinezhad recognized for his participation in ABET, Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology

POCATELLO – Idaho State University’s College of Science and Engineering professor S. Hossein Mousavinezhad has been recognized by Michael K. J. Milligan, the executive director of ABET, for his significant contribution to the organization.

“It is an honor to have been recognized for this important professional activity. It is important for experienced faculty members to be involved at the national, international level in professional organizations including ABET, IEEE and ASEE,” Mousavinezhad said.

The ABET Accreditation is not-for-profit, non-governmental accrediting agency for programs in applied science, computing, engineering and engineering technology: it is recognized as an accreditor by the council for higher education accreditation.

ABET accreditation provides assurance that a college or university program meets the quality standards of the profession for which that program prepares graduates.

Becoming an ABET Expert is a highly selective process requiring specialized skills, Milligan said.

Program evaluators are leaders in their fields, have diverse backgrounds and experiences, and must demonstrate high-level competencies, such as technical currency, effective communication, and interpersonal skills. They must be team-oriented and exceptionally organized and possess a high level of integrity and ethical standards.

Mousavinezhad participates in regular training to ensure his knowledge of accreditation criteria, process, and procedures are up to the latest ABET standards.

“Thanks to the commitment of ABET Experts like Mousavinezhad, more than 100,000 graduates each year benefit from ABET’s mission of promoting quality and innovation in technical education,” Milligan said.

“In his role as a program evaluator, Mousavinezhad assists ABET in reviewing more than 3,400 programs at almost 700 institutions in 28 countries worldwide.”

Mousavinezhad became involved with ABET in the early 1990s before there was much discussion regarding engineering requirements in the 2000s and beyond.

In 1993, Mousavinezhad was part of a panel in Washington, D.C. where these engineering education requirements were discussed, including teamwork, communications skills, student learning outcomes, engineering program’s goals and objectives. These discussions eventually resulted in ABET’s Engineering Criteria 2000.

As the ISU Department chair and engineering faculty member, Mousavinezhad was involved in accreditation report preparation for the campus visits and eventually became a Program Evaluator for Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC) of the national accreditation agency.

ABET represents several professional societies including IEEE, the world’s largest professional association dedicated to advancing technological innovation and excellence for the benefit of humanity. IEEE and its members inspire a global community through IEEE’s highly cited publications, conferences, technology standards and professional and educational activities.

Programs he has visited, both domestic and non-domestic, include those in electrical, computer engineering, and computer science and engineering.

For more information on ABET or the IEEE visit abet.org or ieee.org