Akbar Ghahary
Dr. Akbar Ghahary (Passed away February 26, 2014) was a successful Iranian-American scientist, philanthropist, entrepreneur and executive in the manufacturing sector. He was the CEO and Chairman of the Board of Safas Corporation and a member of the American Chemical Society, Society of Plastic Engineers, and advisory board of Iranian American Chemists Association.
Dr. Ghahary was a philanthropist and an active member of the Iranian American community in cultural, political and humanitarian organizations. He has held positions such as President of the Persian Cultural and Humanitarian Association, Chairman of the Board of the Encyclopedia Iranica Foundation, President (co-founder) of the Persian Cultural Foundation (PCF), and Trustee for both IAPAC (Iranian American Political Action Committee) and PAAIA (Public Affairs Alliance of Iranian Americans).
In 2004, Dr. Ghahary organized and founded a three-day conference, IRAN FACING THE NEW CENTURY, which focused on Iran's national identity and national interest at Oxford University, UK. The well-received conference was attended by scholars and academicians from Iran, the United States, Canada, and Europe.
Dr. Ghahary received his Masters in Mechanical Design and Engineering from Aria Mehr University (now Sharif Technical University), where he designed and built a filament winding machine for Iran’s CAS pipeline in 1974. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1983 in Thermoset Plastics Composition and Design in affiliation with Lowell University of Massachusetts. He has since developed and commercialized several innovative thermoset products offered to world markets by SAFAS Corporation.