Azad M. Madni (NAE '21), recipient of the 2023 Bernard M. Gordon Prize for Innovation in Engineering and Technology Education (Gordon Prize), has generously designated his $250,000 prize winnings back to the National Academy of Engineering (NAE), creating the Azad M. and Carla Madni Fund for Transdisciplinary Systems Engineering. Overseen by the NAE Council, this fund will support NAE programs, lectures, forums, research, and broader work with a focus on systems engineering.

Upon his election to the NAE, Azad was celebrated for having "defined the field of transdisciplinary systems engineering (TSE)." At the time, he was also lauded for the creation of transdisciplinary systems engineering education (TRASEE™), a tremendous achievement in higher education.

By designating the Gordon Prize money back to the NAE, Azad and Carla have made another significant impact on the emerging landscape of TSE. Azad explained that TSE "exploits the convergence of engineering with other disciplines to address complex, socio-technical problems that cannot fully be addressed by engineering alone." Azad has already greatly contributed to this pioneering field and will empower countless engineers to benefit from and build upon his transformational work.

The Madni’s gift qualifies them for the Curie Society of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The Curie Society acknowledges and honors members and friends whose lifetime giving is $250,000 or more. The NAE is grateful to partner with an educator so instrumental in the field that the Azad M. and Carla Madni Fund for Transdisciplinary Systems Engineering will work to support.