A Profound Impact: Engineering Professor Named Outstanding Educator
Illinois Tech Associate Professor of Architectural Engineering Mohammad Heidarinejad was awarded the 2026 Outstanding Educator Award by the Architectural Engineering Institute (AEI) of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) at the AEI Conference in San Antonio on March 20, 2026.
The AEI bestowed the award to Heidarinejad for his “outstanding teaching in courses related to building energy and environmental systems, and mentorship of students.”
“What made the award especially meaningful was the strong support from my students,” he says. “As part of the nomination, a group of current and former students contributed a letter, and I know they were genuinely engaged in supporting my application. That meant a great deal to me and made me feel proud and grateful to have their support, alongside that of my colleagues who also contributed to the nomination.”
Heidarinejad’s students say that their academic and career paths were “profoundly shaped” by his teaching and mentorship. Students also commended him for his open-door office hours policy and his ability to push enthusiastic students further, as well as bring struggling students up to speed.
“His dedication to students makes him truly deserving of this recognition,” a former student said. “The knowledge and guidance I received from him played a major role in shaping my career path, and I am in my current profession because of his mentorship.”
Another added, “What stands out most is that his goal has always been to ensure each student truly understands the material and can apply it meaningfully. He consistently made himself available outside of class to answer questions, break down difficult concepts, and provide extra support on projects.”
Heidarinejad says that his students work on a range of design-based and data-driven projects, which reflect real-world challenges in building energy and environmental systems. This includes a project to design a full building’s HVAC system, where students create heating and cooling load calculations using custom calculators developed by students, design air distribution and hydronic systems through hand calculations and engineering judgment, and produce mechanical drawing sets. This process emphasizes interpreting design documents, making design decisions, and integrating analytical and modeling approaches.
Many of Heidarinejad’s students are currently working on projects related to high-performance building design, energy modeling, and advanced HVAC system concepts, often in collaboration with industry mentors through internships.
“I have always been deeply committed to teaching and mentoring students and alumni, as well as supporting their careers beyond the classroom,” he says. “It is especially rewarding to see their achievements during their studies and afterward, whether advancing in their careers, earning professional engineer licensure, receiving promotions, or reaching other milestones.”
AEI awards its Outstanding Educator Award to one architectural engineering professor each year for their accomplishments in teaching. All nominees must have contributed significantly to an architectural engineering program through teaching and/or program development.
