December Engineer of the Month has the drive to improve electric vehicles

Saeed Azad, a University of Cincinnati mechanical engineering doctoral candidate, has been named the December Graduate Engineer of the Month by the College of Engineering and Applied Science.

During his time at UC, Azad’s research has focused on the design and control optimization of the powertrain for plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles at the Integrated Vehicle Design Laboratory, which is led by Michael Alexander-Ramos, Ph.D., assistant professor of mechanical and materials engineering.

“As his research advisor, I have personally witnessed his technical prowess and diligence as he toiled away learning the necessary knowledge in his research field, multidisciplinary design optimizations, and applying this on several projects, including those directly and indirectly related to his dissertation work,” Alexander-Ramos said. 

Azad, whose bachelor’s and master’s degrees are also in mechanical engineering, has worked as both a graduate teaching assistant and graduate research assistant. Both teaching and research resonated with him.  

“I would like my research to lead the way for the people who follow my work,” he said. “That’s why I really like teaching, so that I can share my knowledge with everyone else who is interested in that subject matter. And that’s why I like to be original in my research and improve my teaching skills.”

Outside of the lab and classroom, Azad is active in various organizations on the UC campus. He serves as a volunteer on the Equity and Inclusion Council for the College of Engineering and Applied Science which is dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable environment. He was an officer for the Mechanical and Materials Engineering Graduate Students Association and is a volunteer with International Partners and Leaders (IPALs), which provides a welcoming multicultural community for new international students. 

Azad took his passion for electric vehicles to the streets as a volunteer city captain for Cincinnati’s participation in National Drive Electric Week in September 2018, an annual event aimed to heighten public awareness and spur interest in the benefits of electric and hybrid-electric vehicles.