Philanthropist Profile: Innovation in Technology Meets Philanthropy with Dr. Fariborz Maseeh
For most people, becoming a renowned leader in a discipline can be considered an exceptional accomplishment, a dream shared by many but realized by few. It is a nothing short of a wonder then that Dr. Fariborz Maseeh has managed to excel in two distinct fields.
An immigrant from Iran, Maseeh is a world-famous pioneer in micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) – tiny, computer-controlled chips that are now part of everyday life. After earning a B.S. in Structural Engineering, M.S. in Mathematics from Portland State University and PhD in Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Maseeh went on to found IntelliSense in 1991, an innovative creator of MEMS devices. After IntelliSense was acquired in 2000, Maseeh established an investment management firm in Southern California as well as the Massiah Foundation, whose mission is to make noteworthy improvements in education, health, arts, literature, and science. Maseeh views himself as a “venture philanthropist,” applying strategic business concepts to charitable giving.
In 2003 the Massiah Foundation created the Maseeh Chair in Emerging Technology at MIT. The Foundation donated a gift of $8 million to Portland State University’s College of Engineering and Computer Science in 2004, the largest gift in the university’s history. Maseeh made great strides in 2005, presenting UC Irvine with a gift of $2 million to create the Dr. Samuel M. Jordan Center for Persian Studies and Culture. This interdisciplinary research center hopes to bring together academics in Persian history, culture, art and literature and become a leading source of expertise and promotion of Persian studies. “We live in an increasingly interdependent world,” according to Maseeh. “Our goal is to establish a beacon of knowledge about Persian culture and create an environment where both our nation as a whole and the Persian community are enabled to learn from this rich, ancient culture.”
Maseeh’s gifts are seen as investments. As such, he spends time to ensure their success. He serves as an UCI Foundation trustee and is a member of engineering advisory boards at UCI, USC, and PSU. Maseeh is the past Chairman of the Children’s Hospital of Orange County Foundation and serves on several community boards. Maseeh has acheived that rare goal of having two successful careers.