Penn State Great Valley welcomes new systems engineering professor

MALVERN, Pa. — Mohamad Darayi, assistant professor of systems engineering, joins Penn State Great Valley’s engineering division this year.

Born and raised in Iran, Darayi earned a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering from the University of Tabriz and a master’s degree in industrial engineering from Tarbiat Modares University.

As a graduate student, Darayi developed one of Iran’s first simulation workshops for the health care industry. The two-part seminar explored modeling technologies through a case study, opening participants’ eyes to how software can improve a variety of real-world processes.

Wanting to expand his international networking and research opportunities, Darayi sought a doctoral program in the United States, and ultimately earned a doctorate in industrial and systems engineering from the University of Oklahoma. There, he assisted with three funded proposal submissions to the National Science Foundation and the Southern Plains Transportation Center.

Darayi will instruct courses on campus in Malvern and online through World Campus. This fall, he will teach Decision and Risk Analysis in Engineering and Deterministic Modeling and Simulation.

“While I was in my master’s degree program, I realized it was my dream to become a professor, teach others, and do research,” he said. “I am very excited to join Penn State Great Valley. And, I believe that there are many opportunities to collaborate with our faculty, area companies, and students.”

He hopes to bridge the gap between his research and teaching by designing new courses, relating theory and methodology to real world problems. Darayi also looks forward to contributing to the engineering faculty’s professional development by developing new courses and workshops.

Darayi’s research interests include infrastructure network resilience and system simulation modeling and analysis applications in the healthcare, manufacturing, and supply chain industries. As a member of the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences (INFORMS) and the Institute of Industrial and Systems Engineers (IISE), he’s showcased his work at multiple international conferences.