Dr. Ahmad Zargari honored with scholarship naming
Before his upcoming retirement as dean of Morehead State University's College of Science & Engineering, Dr. Ahmad Zargari, frequently known as "AZ," had his entire name attached to a fund that will serve Eagles for generations.
At the Applied Engineering & Technology (AET) Advisory Board meeting this past April, it was announced that, by the recommendation of the MSU Foundation and with the support of Provost & Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Chris Schroeder, an existing scholarship endowment would be renamed to the Dr. Ahmad Zargari Engineering Advisory Board Endowment.
In 2007, the AET Advisory Board established a scholarship endowment that has now grown to a market value of over $100,000. The fund provides a renewable scholarship to a student majoring in an engineering program at MSU.
"AZ has had a long and meaningful impact on MSU and the engineering and technology programs that so many of us care deeply about," said Chase Johnson (Class of 2011), a member of the AET Advisory Board. "His leadership and influence have touched many students, alumni, faculty, employers and others. This is a worthy recognition."
Zargari began his career at Morehead State in 1994 as a professor of engineering. He subsequently served as a department chair from 1994-2015 and as the associate dean of the then-named School of Engineering & Computer Science from 2015-2023. Since 2023, he has served as dean of the College of Science & Engineering.
Throughout his tenure, Zargari has been a transformative force at MSU, fostering strong collaborations with faculty, staff, and STEM related industries across the region. Beloved and nationally recognized in the applied engineering and technology field, he put his professional contacts to establish the AET Advisory Board at MSU in 1997. The board is comprised of industry professionals – many MSU graduates and AZ's former students – who advise the department on how MSU's engineering and technology programs can best train students to meet workforce needs.
Zargari will retire this year from MSU on June 30. AZ's recognition is felt far beyond the board, and he is credited with a life-changing impact by countless graduates.
Enrolling at MSU as a nontraditional student, successful entrepreneur Shane Wallingford (Class of 2011, 2013) credits AZ's belief in him for his career trajectory.
"I earned my bachelor's degree in 2011 and then my master's degree in 2013…all because AZ told me I could," Wallingford recalled. "I'm just one of the countless students he's impacted. It wasn't easy for me – I faced a lot of challenges. But I am where I am today because AZ believed in me."
To learn more about programs in MSU’s College of Science & Engineering, email dsci@moreheadstate.edu or call 606-783-2626.
