Mechanical Engineering Professor Receives Outstanding Student Section Advisor Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)

Parisa Saboori, Ph.D., professor and department chairperson of mechanical engineering, has been named the 2023 recipient of the Outstanding Student Section Advisor Award from the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). 

The award recognizes the leadership and service qualities of an ASME Student Section Advisor who has completed at least three academic years in the role, providing guidance to the student section on the activities and programs that will stimulate interest in the engineering profession, creating a professional awareness in student members that will inspire them to maintain a continuous active membership in ASME.  The award honors recipients that encourage student section officers to get involved and participate at ASME training, conferences and competitions, and acts as a liaison between ASME and the student section members. The award was established in 1990. 

“I was very excited and happy that my efforts were recognized by ASME,” said Saboori. “The relationship that I establish with our students is something that I enjoy and is extremely important to me. There is something very gratifying about working with students and seeing them develop and grow both academically, professionally and personally.” 

In addition to her work with the ASME student section, Saboori is a highly accomplished researcher and educator. She has been an ASME fellow since 2020 and her research has led to new insights into the mechanisms of traumatic brain injury, shaken baby syndrome and biomechanics of knee and leg injuries in women's sports. She is also the program coordinator of the biomechanics program at Manhattan College, which provides research experiences for high school and undergraduate students. She is currently the treasurer of ASME’s bioengineering executive committee. 

Saboori's dedication to education and her commitment to diversity and inclusivity have made her a role model for students and colleagues alike. She is a tireless advocate for STEM education for women and her work has helped to inspire and motivate students to pursue careers in the engineering and biomedical fields. When reaching out to high school students with interest in engineering she explains to them the importance of being a part of an organization such as ASME.  

Under Saboori’s guidance, Manhattan College’s ASME chapter participates in multiple activities including a “blackbox” competition that requires students to build or design objects from given materials. She takes tremendous personal satisfaction in mentoring female students and helping them navigate a primarily male dominated field. 

Saboori earned her Master of Science degree and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from The City University of New York. She is a fellow of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers,and a member of  Society of Women Engineers, and American Society for Engineering Education.

Past recipients of the award have come from prominently ranked global engineering programs including Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and North Carolina State.